Tektro disc brake problem

Fugazi

Hi everyone,

I brought a 2007 Carrera Fury about 2 months ago, and I've been having a lot of problems with the Tektro Auriga disk brakes. First of all a few weeks ago the front brake lost all of it's power; I guessed the pad had become contaminated and ordered a replacement. After replacing it there was no longer quite enough space between the pad for the rotor to fit back in properly (it goes in but both pads touch the rotor). Then when I squeezed the lever it had gone completely spongy, and it doesn't seem to be making the pads squeeze together at all.

The manual mentions that if the lever starts to feel spongy then it may need bleeding, but I can't see why it would go from feeling fine to not working at all just when I put new pads in. Is there something stupid I could have done to cause this?

I'm just getting back into mountain biking after break of about 5 years, and I'm new to disc brakes and hydraulics. To be honest this has given me a pretty negative view of them; have I just been unlucky?! I'd really appreciate it if any one has any ideas on what to do to sort it out, as I'm desperate to get out riding again!

nicklouse

sorry 2 months old take it back to halfords for sorting.


from what you have said yes a bleed could sort it.

pad got contaminated? HOW maybe a leak which is why the lever feels spongy?

Fugazi

Thanks for the reply Nick,

I don't know how the pads got contaminated. There's no noticable leaking anywhere. I thought I may just have been unlucky, and some oil could of got in there somehow? Before I tried to change the pad the lever still felt fine; the pad was hitting the rotor exactly as before, it just wouldn't stop me properly. It was after putting the new pad in that the lever went completely spongy.

I tried to take it back to Halfords, but the helpful guy that sold me the bike was nowhere to be seen, and had been replaced by someone that couldn't care less. I was told that I could leave my bike and they MAY have time to look at it in a few weeks :evil: . My bike is my only transport and it will cause me a lot of problems not to have it for that long, so I was hoping that there could have been something obvious I was missing!

nicklouse

keep pulling the lever a few times and see if that pumps the pads to the disc. if it does but afterwards the pads move back out and the lever feels the same leave it over night with the lever zip tied back after having brought the pads to the disc. this might help if there is no other issues.