Brake pedal doesn't feel right, advice please?

I have just fitted new pads and discs on the front, so at the same time i have stripped and repainted the calipers, great job really happy with the results, but now its all back together, the pedal doen't feel right :?: When i press the pedal it takes a while to spring back, so when you let the pedal go the brakes are still on until it finally returns to its normal position, if you know what i mean. Reading this it sounds worse than it is but any advice would be appreciated. Could it be air in the system, i though i had bled them correctly, or should i completly change the fluid, or could it be something more serious, can't see how this could be as everything was fine before i started, so a bit puzzled really :?:

Possibly a sticking master cylider or a blocked servo.I had the same problem on a different car and it turned out to be a sticky master cylider.

Cheers! Is there anything i can do to find the problem or is it a case of starting to replace items? what abouit a complete fluid flush, the current fluid is only 6 months old but i can change it. Is there a different colour of fluid, current is clear, say red so its visible when the new fluid is coming through? Don't mean to ask stupid questions but i'm failrly new to this level of car maintainance :?:

I've read that the way to do it by volume - eg, drain approx' 250ml from each corner, while topping up the master cylinder reservoir.

I also changed pads and discs all round, peddle now feels softer, when the pads were on the way out peddle was rock hard. Initially thought air in brake fluid, bleed a little out from each corner, no real difference. Changed brake fluid to the ATE blue (original fluid golden) took ~1L, used pressurised brake bleeding system, thought I saw a little air coming out. Once back on the road no significant improvement, car stops ok and after bedding in the pad/discs for couple hundred miles can conf anti lock works ok, is it me or have I over looked something :?

JohnB, i'll try ATE blue, where did you get that from? Come on guys, what we missing!!! :dont know:

Does it have ABS/TC or ABS/PSM? If so, it might need a special bleeding process using a Porsche tester.

I haven't experienced the pedal not returning normally but I have had the soft pedal problem. Basically I boiled the brake fluid on a track day, front disks were venting the wrong way, and needed to get the ABS system bled as Richard says. No amount of pressure bleeding would fix it, I tried 4 times. You need to manually activate the pump via the OBDII which any independent or the OPC should be able to do. I switched to ATE Blue whilst sorting this all out and the cheapest place was German Swedish French at about £13/Litre. ATE also do a gold coloured version which is handy for seeing old and new liquid when bleeding. :thumb:

Thanks for the info about bleeding, will talk to indy see if they can help out. I bought my ATE Blue from Eurocar parts, using the blue replacement fluid made the bleeding so much easier as the car had gold fluid in the system, hence end point was easier to determine and did not require any more than 1L to do the job.

RichardH, this may sound like i'm a retard, but is TC traction control as i wasn't aware i had that, sure i haven't PSM, its a 99 C2, me thinks i have exposed myself a numpty I haven't drained the system only removed and refitted the calipers, nothing more so can't see why there is an issue.

You would know if you had PSM or TC (Traction Control) as there would be a button on the dash - top right hand side. If you have neither, then there is no special bleeding process, so I'm at a bit of a loss as to what your problem is. If it is an early car then they can suffer from corrosion inside the brake servo, so that's a possibility I guess.

If you bled the brakes and used a full pedal stroke to pump you may have damaged the master cylinder or the caliper seals if the pads weren't in at the time. Alternatively your brake hoses may have perished. Booster is also worth testing...

Good point James. The manual says: Please note: In vehicles with high mileage or in old vehicles, double the pumping cycles and use only half the brake master cylinder stroke (damage to the brake master cylinder/primary boots could occur).

Cheers guys, i think! Why oh why does everything i touch turn to cr*p! Thanks RichardH., didn't think i had TC or PSM, so don't feel such a numpty now! I'l try doing a full bleed through with half pedal travel and se if that makes a difference, fingers crossed :sad:

Stuart pulled together a nice post on the subject of brake bleeding http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=49848&highlight=brake+bleed Plenty of others on the forum to search for too. Be very interested to know what ends up solving the problem for you :thumb: