One day the lever started pulling closer to the handlebar. I pushed the pistons back (I think I pressed the lever without a rotor in at one point), and it got worse, half power at the handlebar
I've bled the system, and with the pad/rotor bleed block in it seems to have loads of bite. Sticking the pads and rotor (have tried new pads too) it just pulls to the bar (less so with new pads)
It seems to be able to reset the piston rest position, but has half power when the lever is right up against the grip?
You don't say what model you have.
Sounds like when you bled the brake you didn't push the fluid back into the lever body to 'set' the diaphragm. This would mean the system is underfilled.
However, if you've got Pad Contact Adjuster did to set this all the way 'Out' before you bled the brakes or have you adjusted it since. Eitherway, it would mean the system is incorrectly filled.
ETA: Bleeding Juicy's is a faffy procedure and certainly not as simple as the experts make out. So it might be that you haven't bled the brakes properly. Once you've got the hang of bleeding them though it is very straight forward.
Make sure that when you bleed them before you remove the syringes you kind of force the fluid back into the system and then disconnect the syringes (edit: as per what mk1fan said as well). It doesn't show this in the instructions and the first time I bled my Juicies I followed the instructions to the letter and got the same symptoms as you.
It doesn't take a lot of pressure, you should feel it gently 'pop' into place.
Generally, I find hitting them quite hard to "dislodge air-bubbles" while I'm bleeding them helps. They deserve it, the little blighters.
Thanks, I was getting confused with the bleed instructions in the brake (juicy 3) manual and a differing method in the bleed kit instructions. I've tried it again, and did the pressurising the fluid back in before disconecting and its working (for) now
Yep, as mk1fan says. I fell foul of this as well because I followed the instructions to the letter. If only they'd said to pop the diaphram back up with a squeeze of fluid. About 1cm of push on the syringe is all it takes, you'll feel when it's full.
IIRC there is an Avid video on youtube that I think does tell you to squeeze some pressure in immediately before disconnecting the syringe, but it doesn't say so in the instructions.
Might be worth checking you haven't got a tiny hole in the syringe somewhere? This is what happened to me.