Rear caliper recall destroyed brake feel

[Liam22]

Had my 1st year service today at John Banks, Cambridge. They had advised of a rear brake caliper recall and replaced them.

Driving away, the brakes immediately felt wrong. Long pedal, and variable pedal feel, so I took it right back and asked them to bleed them properly.

They spent a while bleeding all 4 calipers and comparing with a brand new car. But they still feel st.

Has anyone else had the rear calipers replaced, or experienced similar brake problems?

I run my own race car and bleed brakes after every race. So I'm tempted to just do it myself. But I really shouldn't have to...

[Hoofty]

I have not on this car, and I agree you shouldn't have to do this.

What springs to mind is the faff involved when air bubbles make it as far as ABS units/brake control modules during stuff as significant as brake hose/caliper swaps (requiring cycling of the unit to expel any trapped air). I don't know that the workshop bleed process covers this (or a vacuum fill, like the factory would do), but I would hope it does.

Really hope you can sort it - it's such a good pedal feel when working properly.

[Demolitionman13]

Interesting thread re: caliper recall. I had a friend following me the other night whilst we drove at an enthusiastic pace and he could smell very hot brakes. My A110S is booked in for its 1st year service in two weeks time and i'm wondering if i've got a sticky caliper or something.

Do you know what the recall issue with the calipers is?

[Liam22]

They were very vague about the recall, other than it was a "blue" which meant non-urgent, non-safety. Wish I had pressed them now. Driving the car again today on familiar roads, I have no confidence in the brakes and I think they take more effort to lock the wheels than before. I have always felt like the ABS is too eager, activating very easily, to the point I've considered wider tyres just to provide better braking performance.

I've pretty much decided to bleed the brakes again myself, just so I'm sure they've been done right. I also have an ABS bleed tool in case they did something stupid like drain the entire system...

Either way, it's less time for me to do it than waste 3 hours driving to/from Cambridge and waiting around for someone else to do it. And I have some high quality fluid on the shelf.

[Hoofty]

Be good to know if you can sort it via your own bleed process - fingers crossed all works out!

[Liam22]

OK, it was just sheer incompetence.

I did a simple pressure bleed and air immediately came out of both rear calipers. Brake feel and performance is back to normal now. Took less than an hour.

They've also broken a clip from the scuttle panel that covers the brake fluid reservoir.

I thought it prudent to then check their other work and surprise-surprise, they haven't touched the air filter. It's the same one the car came with, because I had a look at it when I did an interim oil change and it's date stamped April 2021.
EDIT: turns out the air filter isn't on the first year schedule

I'll be on the phone to John Banks, Cambridge on Monday.

Edited by Liam22 on Saturday 2nd July 19:20

[A110Dordogne]

Thieving barstewards .... Call to Alpine UK at the minimum.

[Liam22]

UPDATE: on checking the invoice, it's only the cabin filter, not the intake air filter that's on the year 1 service schedule.

However, they have short-filled the engine oil by 200-250ml.

[A110Dordogne]

Fair enough but it doesn't make up for the fact that their 'technician' can't even bleed brakes properly - Basic mechanics for professionals i would have thought.

[A110Dordogne]

Liam22 said:

UPDATE: on checking the invoice, it's only the cabin filter, not the intake air filter that's on the year 1 service schedule.

However, they have short-filled the engine oil by 200-250ml.

Any update on the garage after the brake fiasco and incorrect oil level ?

[Liam22]

They offered to top up the fluids.

No acknowledgement of their incompetence, or even an apology for my inconvenience.

So I went back, but insisted on observing, as I was not confident they would use the correct oil. Apparently they have no facility, or insurance to permit that so I asked for the fluids instead.

They gave me 0.5l of DOT4 and 1l of Castrol Edge.

I won't be back.

[essexstu]

Liam22 said:

They offered to top up the fluids.

No acknowledgement of their incompetence, or even an apology for my inconvenience.

So I went back, but insisted on observing, as I was not confident they would use the correct oil. Apparently they have no facility, or insurance to permit that so I asked for the fluids instead.

They gave me 0.5l of DOT4 and 1l of Castrol Edge.

I won't be back.

John Banks Cambridge have only been an Alpine centre this year so their technicians probably still learning but I agree 100% they should know how to bleed brakes ffs. Shame you have had such a poor experience as they would be my nearest dealer. I took my car to be serviced at Glyn Hopkin in St Albans where I am 99% certain they damaged my headlight but because I didnt report it to them straight away they wont accept liability even though I took a photograph of the car the day i collected it from them and zooming in on the photo you can clearly see the damage.

Is there a decent reputable Alpine dealer anywhere?

[Miserablegit]

Manchester was the one I’ve been using - a long schlep from Suffolk.

[timhum]

I've been to Glynn Hopkins St Albans and Chelmsford and both have been good.

Tim

[Demolitionman13]

Off to Orpington tomorrow for the first service.

Have spoken to them in advance regarding the potential caliper recall and my car is not affected apparently.