Strange feel after full brake pads change.

[TimsRocco]

Advice needed please.
I have just changed all 4 brake pads and have a strange feel under braking. Feels similar to ABS activating. Done this job on a few cars and never had this. Just wondered if they need bleeding again or they just need bedding in.
Anyone have a similar experience to share?
Much appreciated. Thanks.

[chelspeed]

If they need bedding in you will press the pedal and not get as much braking as you expect. This is because only part of the pad is touching the disc. It should go away after a couple of hundred to thousand miles as the new pads wear to the profile of the old disc.

If they need more bleeding you will have a spongy pedal, it will go down further when you brake and not feel firm. It will not feel like it's pulsing like it does with ABS. But of course you shouldn't need to bleed at all after a pad change. You only need to bleed if the hydraulic circuit is taken apart, flexible hose change, caliper removal or similar.

If you feel something like the ABS actuating (pulsing in the pedal?) then that's nothing to do with bedding in or bleeding. I can't think of any reason for the pedal to pulse except genuine ABS action (wheel is about to skid) or an ABS fault. So I would say something is wrong, perhaps an ABS sensor or wiring was disturbed. I'd get the wheels back off and check it. The ABS wiring on the fronts is close to the caliper and shared with the pad warning wiring.

[TimsRocco]

Makes sense. Fronts had wear indicator wiring which I know I replaced but I'll check to make sure it's seated properly. Just wondered if there was some special trick I missed. Will whip wheels off again tomorrow and see.
Thanks.

[xjay1337]

Give them a chance to bed in (100 mls of mixed driving).
If still feel weird then visual inspection of pads , discs etc.
It certainly shouldn't feel like the ABS is actuating, if it does then there's a problem.
VCDS does live logging and that could be useful in your situation.

[TimsRocco]

Thanks for that. I've done about 200 mile now and it seems to have cured itself. Must have just been bedding in as you said. I've changed pads on several cars and they've never felt like that before. Weird! Thanks for taking the time to reply.