One thing after another when my son decided to buy his used 98 Rover Discovery. The biggest headache and most recent has been the brakes. ABS dash light has been on all along. Recently he had been experiencing a mushy pedal. A 2nd pump and it seemed to have the pressure necessary so we thought air in the lines. The pads and rotors are all good as are the brake cylinders. So mechanic diagnosed master cylinder. Master Cylinder was replaced and the brakes were good in that you could definitely tell there is pressure and pedal now. However when he tried to drive it out of town last night he said it was shaking and felt like there was no power. So I just drove it now and found it what felt like the brakes were being applied with pressure to all the brakes and slowing the car down. I parked it and tried reverse and forward and it wouldn't move. Its like the brakes were all are on or seized.
After letting it sit for a couple hours the brakes released enough that I was able to pull it into the driveway. Could the new master cylinder be bad? Or could it be the wrong one even? It doesn't sit the same as it did before....like its tilted to the left so the reservoir isn't level either.

Of course its a weekend and the mechanic is closed and ALSO of course the kid was supposed to take it back to college tomorrow.

Any ideas or similar experiences out there? Thanks much!

 

This happens EACH AND EVERYTIME the master cylinder on these trucks is replaced with a non Land Rover brand master cylinder, the brakes lock up while driving.

You can release the brakes by loosening a bleed screw on any of the wheels, just crack it open, let some fluid out, brakes will work normal for a short bit.

You MUST use a Land Rover master cylinder and NOT a aftermarket brand one.

Open the hood, find the fuse box, remove the ABS PUMP fuse, close hood, no more ABS problems which can be very very very bad, and I mean like you cant stop and you run over the cliff bad.

Land Rover Discovery Brake Master Cylinder With ABS (Same Fit As Genuine Part # STC1284)

 

I agree about pulling the abs fuse, right after I got my truck I almost ran into traffic tryin to stop, pulled it out and they work perfectly.

 

I'm a believer in the ABS fuse removal I almost hit somebody one day...
Get the correct master cylinder...

John

 

Thanks everyone! Its going back to the Mechanic this week with these suggestions and I will check on the fuse removal.