Formula brakes problem

Never had a problem with these brakes before, however after a few miles yesterday the front brake starting pulling straight to the lever. Pumping the lever a few times restored some pressure but this was lost a few minutes later. Going to try a bleed tonight, but trying to understand what could have caused this? I did have a very slight off prior to the problem occuring 😳

Model: Formula C1.

Formula brakes with a problem? Surely not…
Bleeding them will usually improve them, just make sure you do it properly & keep the kit handy for when you have to of them again in a few weeks time.

I’ve owned formulas for 3 years and never bled them once.

FWIW that sounds like air in the system which generally means a leaky seal somewhere.

FWIW that sounds like air in the system which generally means a leaky seal somewhere.

I wonder if I cause some damage or strained a seal and let air in when I had my small off?

Possibly, you might have pulled the hose slightly at the lever & dislodged the olive, but that would be unlikely

I don’t know the C1 but that sounds very much like air in the wrong place. How old are they? It’s common with many brakes for there to be air in the reservoir from new- the brakes work fine as long as the air stays there, then the pads go thin and the fluid drops or you turn the bike upside down and trouble occurs. Can take a long time

So yeah, check for leaks, then bleed, if that doesn’t work something less simple. So warranty presumably

The bike(Stumpjumper fsr) and brakes are only 8 weeks old so the pads should be ok. I’ll check for leaks tonight, suspect I’ve caught the hose as suggested and got air in there 🙁

If you’d caught the hose you ought to see leaking too. First set of pads? I bet you 10 scottish pence Specialized or Formula (whoever touched them last) has done a ropey bleed and it’s easily fixed.

if there’s no leaks then try pulling the lever as far in to the bar as possible and keep it there using a zip tie. leave it overnight and any air in the caliper should get pushed back to the reservoir. if the problem persists then it will need a full bleed and probably the seals will need replacing.

Found the leak!

There’s fluid coming out from around the nut that attches the hose to the lever. I have removed the nut and the hose from the lever and the barb and O ring both appear to be in good condition, the olive looked like new. I’ve now re-attached the hose and tightened the nut but still it leaks!

What gives?

Could be a couple of things. At this point I’d not mess with it personally… But warranty aside, a new olive might sort it. It’s a compression fit so once compressed, no guarantee it’ll work when refitted (though tbh they usually do). But equally it could be damage or a fault with the lever body which is why I wouldn’t want to complicate things…

Will give Specialized a bell tomorrow in that case.

Thanks.