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Stop here! Let's talk about brakes

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Comments

  • mcribbmcribb Member Posts: 20
    Bendix and Brembo rotors are much better than oem stuff. Why do you think race cars use these. OEM stuff are not that great by any means. If you do buy rotors make sure to use name brand and make sure they are slotted( for more bite) and crossdrilled for cooling. I know because I have replaced rotors and pads on many cars. It is easy.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Brembo and Bendix carry a full line of products meaning that their price concious line isn't necessarily better than oem. You need to watch what you're buying. Also cross drilled means less contact area as well as slotted.
  • yooper53yooper53 Member Posts: 286
    1st thanks for replies bpeebles, Opatience, dtownfb, obyone.
    this car has 47K on it all original brakes components.
    one priority was to avoid the cheapest components on the planet. thought about "upgrading" to slotted or drilled front rotors since better cooling is significant. then i read that they also accelerate pad wear so i dismissed the idea & decided on "as close to factory" as i could.
    as dtownfb has stated the amount of info on brake parts is mind boggling and difficult for someone who doesn't deal with it a regular basis.
    ended up making an appointment with a shop i trust (so far anyway, having only been there once with an abs problem, previous ride)
    all parts raybestos. 1 left front caliper assy, 4 rotors (i've given up on turning rotors), & CERAMIC pads. he claims improved braking performance, quiet & less dust. we shall see. might be able to save the cost of caliper upon inspection original.
    all this for a big chunk of change. hope i'm not getting reamed.
    unrelated but needs to be said. theses edmunds forums are great!
    dennis yooper
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    I've heard good things about Raybestos. If you are using ceramic pads, you definitely do not have cheap rotors and should be fine for a few years. And if the mechanic trust them, he will likely back the product if something goes wrong.
  • bradkindredbradkindred Member Posts: 1
    im working on a 95 monte carlo and need to know what tool i need to remove wheel cylinder on rear drum brake.
  • jonw3jonw3 Member Posts: 4
    I have no brake lights on my 2001 catera is there a fuse and if so were? I found the switch. any help thanks Jon :sick:
  • jonw3jonw3 Member Posts: 4
    I have no brake lights on my 2001 catera is there a fuse and if so were? I found the switch. any help thanks Jon :sick: jwcw5052@hotmail.com
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    First, let me tell you I've never even seen a catera, so I have no definitive answer for you. Maybe someone who knows about them can eventually answer you.

    But in the mean time, you'll typically find fuses in a couple common locations in vehicles. Under the drivers side dash, up in the engine compartment on the left fenderwall, or when you open the drivers side door in a hidden panel on the left side of the dash. For non typical fuses and relays (which I would doubt in your case with a common fuse), they can also be hidden behind the driver and passenger kick panels.

    If you read your owners manual, it will show you where the fuse boxes are.

    You can also put a voltmeter across the connectors of your brake switch, that will confirm whether you have power to the circuit or not. Typically you would suspect a blown fuse for this situation, followed by a defective switch. If neither of those two things are the root cause of the problem, you will need to get yourself a copy of electrical schematics for your vehicle (or take it to the dealer to fix). You could have a relay which is also in the circuit, but that would be hard to pinpoint without a set of schematics.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    I suggest using voltmeters to check circuits to follow the voltage. Do you have 12 volts at the brake pedal switch?

    But the biggest help may be AllData. Your local library, or a larger nearby metro library may have it available from its computers in the branches. Our local county (and beyond) library has huge numbers of databases availabe from our home computers, but because of cost per computer access, AllData is only on the branch libraries. But I went and used a USB drive to download the Internet Explorer web pages (complete) of each page I wanted to see at home. I also copied graphics and saved them individually on the USB. I also stuck in a floppy disk and saved to that, just in case... Most branches also would be set up to print out pages at a fee per page.

    You can check the brake light circuits on AllData.

    OR find the actual Helm manual for the Catera and buy one on Ebay (be careful that you know the appearance of the books and the number of volumes in each). You can check the original price on helminc.com: it's $135 which I believe includes shipping and no tax. I buy service manuals for all my new cars (anyone want a manual for '65 Mustang or 77 Cutlass, e.g.? :) ).

    Good luck.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • lhylhy Member Posts: 48
    I have a 1996 Olds 88 with 41K. It has ABS brakes. I took it in for an oil change at Firestone and they told me it needs a brake fluid flush.

    Is there some way to tell if this is true or an excuse to charge an unnecessary service?

    Will visually inspecting the brake fluid color tell me if it needs to be flushed?

    How about those brake fluid dip strips?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    If you have the factory brake fluid in a car that is thirteen years old, it is a very good bet (like 98% odds) that the fluid has been contaminated by water and has needed to be flushed out for at least the last five or eight years. Keep in mind that some car makers require the brake system be flushed every other year, and while said car makers are typically those who build higher performance cars (which come from the factory with Dot 4 brake fluid), it is still a very good idea to flush even pedestrian rides like your Olds 88 every four years or so.
  • 0patience0patience Member Posts: 1,712
    I have a 1996 Olds 88 with 41K. It has ABS brakes. I took it in for an oil change at Firestone and they told me it needs a brake fluid flush.

    Is there some way to tell if this is true or an excuse to charge an unnecessary service?

    If the fluid has never been changed, as was previously stated, it is probably true.

    Will visually inspecting the brake fluid color tell me if it needs to be flushed?
    Yes, if the brake fluid is discolored or dark, it probably needs flushed.

    How about those brake fluid dip strips?
    Yes, those do work and do give a pretty good indication of the condition of the brake fluid.

    But here is a good article concerning brake fluid that may help you to understand.
    Brake Fluid Flushing-What's Stopping You?
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,296
    Makes sense. But, neither of my two vehicles owners manual recommends a brake fluid flush. Odd that everyone here recommends them, yet the people who engineered the cars do not.
    2021 Honda Passport EX-L, 2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    One of our cars (Mazda) lists brake fluid change every 2 years or 40,000 km on the schedule for Mexico but nothing on on the US schedule. I'm not sure what kind of magic changes occur when the brake fluid crosses that border.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    ALL hydrolic brake systems should have fluid completely replaced every 2-4 years (milage does not matter).... lest water droplets will form in the lowest parts the brake system and corrode calipers and ABS components... you have been warned.

    Perhaps the manufacturers who do not recommend fluid-replacment are trying to drum up buisness... they surely know the brake-system will corrode from the inside out.

    If you have hydrolic clutch... dont forget to replace that fluid too.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Perhaps the manufacturers who do not recommend fluid-replacment are trying to drum up buisness

    Assuming this is truly necessary, I would suspect it is more a matter of wanting to have the car appear to be nearly maintenance free. Strangest to me is, as I mentioned, to have the same owners manual specify that it should be changed in if the car is in Mexico, but not if it is in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, etc.

    I've never seen an owners manual that specifies changing power steering fluid either, but doing that every once in a while is apparently not a bad idea either. Our newer cars do not specify changing transmission fluid either. One specifies no change to coolant and the other has 10 years/120k mi for the first change.

    I plan to change brake fluid every 3 years, even if not specified and even though one car says 2 years. We are in a cold dry climate for at least 1/2 the year, so I figure if VW thinks 2 years is adequate for places like FL, then we should be okay with at least 3 years.

    I'm planing to do this even though 12 years with no change (other than whatever got changed in normal brake jobs) did not seem to cause any significant problems with our 1997 vehicle. I did have to replace one ABS sensor, but the cost of that was probaly less than changing fluid regularly would have been. I did recently have the brake fluid changed on that old vehicle, anyway.
  • 0patience0patience Member Posts: 1,712
    I'm planing to do this even though 12 years with no change (other than whatever got changed in normal brake jobs) did not seem to cause any significant problems with our 1997 vehicle.

    Don't confuse not having problems with the system working properly.
    Preventive maintenance is just that. Preventing problems from happening.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I have been working in industry for many years... my Dad was an industrial engineer (trained in how to optomize machines)

    There have always been 2 schools of thought.
    1) Fix it when it breaks.
    2) Preventive Maintenance (PM) to keep it from breaking in the 1st place.

    In reality, if you were to look at a graph of the cost of each of these approaches, there is a mddle-ground where the cost crosses over on the graph. It is this crossover-point where you get the most service-life for the least cost.

    Obviously this is theoritical and there are many other variables which the graph does not take into account. (Like how long before you will be getting rid of the machine.)

    I have seen both approaches applied to automobiles, some people do NOTHING to PM their car and often get stranded out on the road with all kinds of problems. Other people spend more than they need to keep their car PMd... they very rarely have problems but end up having less money.

    Each person needs to understand their situation and apply what best suits their needs.
  • jeanofarcjeanofarc Member Posts: 1
    I left it sitting for about a year with moving and starting it a few times in that year. The pedal acts like there is no fluid. The fluid is still full and the master cylinder new and brakes are good, all changed a few thousand miles ago.
    What could it be? Water? Air? The brake light goes on when going thru pedals. I thought that it was a wire shorting out after nothing happened as long as it was dry and the brakes were fine. Was this a warning?
    Its a Mercedes truck body, disc brakes all around.
    Write me at jeanofarc@yahoo.com if you've got an answer, thanks. I'll check back here too.
    :confuse:
  • ty311usvity311usvi Member Posts: 5
    I just recently had my front pads replaced and rotors tuned. About 2 weeks later i started getting a clicking sound up front. took it back in and he made some adustments, we were all good for a couple more weeks. then the sound began again. the sound doesnt start until i am braking and under 15 mph. took it back in and he replaced the pads again. again more noises but this time it had a little grind characteristic to it. took it back in AGAIN and he switched brands of pads. again a couple weeks later new noises, this time more of a creaky, squeaky sound. any ideas???
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Keep taking it back until they get it right.

    I'm assuming this isn't the dealership doing the repair, and they aren't using original equipment parts. They may have to go buy pads from the dealership.
  • ty311usvity311usvi Member Posts: 5
    you have assumed correctly. could it be anything else besides the brakes or rotors?
  • autodockautodock Member Posts: 1
    Hi a quick question do you feel any brake pedal pulsation when hearing these noises if so you may want to suggest to the tech to check for debris that got into the valves in the antilock brake pump system we have seen this many times when the brake fluid is nasty and back flushing brake system will alot of times clear this up just a thought hope this helps Autodock
  • ty311usvity311usvi Member Posts: 5
    not really. if its there, its very subtle. i will have him check the system though. thanks for the suggestion!
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I must have missed something... can you tell us again why a "very subtle" clicking sound should be elevated to the sataus of needing dealer attention and revisits??

    A vehicle is a machine and it makes noise... if your car stops when you push on the brake pedal and does not pull to one side, consider it good and leave the dealer alone. I would never EVER want to be a service-manager who has to contend with customers who think that every little click or squeek is some kind of "problem". One must have the patience of a saint to deal with this day-in and day-out.
  • ty311usvity311usvi Member Posts: 5
    bpeebles, I wouldnt take the time to have my mom pick my 8 month old daughter up. Just so I can go back to the mechanic every other week for 2 months and have this problem fixed. It takes 2-3 hours out of my day off, which frankly i would rather spend with my daughter. It didnt happen before he changed my brakes. So if you ask me its a problem. And if you paid attention, the clicking noise isnt "very subtle". The possibility of pulsation when braking is very subtle if not there at all. I am looking for answers on this board not criticism. Everyone else on this board has been extremely helpful. In the end I dont want to waste the mechanics time, so I am asking a third party for advice. Im pretty sure thats why this service is available. so go find a more productive way to waste your time, ya "saint".
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    My goodness - I have been working on cars for a very long time and have answers for you. I spend HOURS on edmunds following and answering questions. Please allow me another chance to try to calm you down.

    I have carefully re-read all of your appends incase there is something I am missing.... My above response was in-essence suggesting that you should STOP taking it back and relax with your family instead. (There is noting "wrong")

    Details:

    *)Rreciently-replaced brake pads may move around in their housing a bit and "click" as they hit the stops.
    *) New rotors take time to becomed "seasoned". (A thin layer of the pad-material gets deposited on the surface of the rotor)
    *)Your 'second' set of pads may be more 'agressive' and make grinding-type sound.
    *)'agressive' pads tend to make creaky-squeeky sounds.

    Bottom line : The behaviour you describe is not unusuall and no cause for alarm.

    It sounds as if the mechanic has gone WAY BEYOND what many would do to try to make you happy. Even my attampt to calm you does not seem to be what you want to hear.

    If you INSIST on taking it back because of the sounds... perhaps you need to spend more money for ceramic-based pads (Raybestos "Quiet-Stop" comes to mind) These pads are specifically designed to be very quiet. They come with "end shims" in the box that are intended to eliminate the 'slop' between the pad backing-plate and the housing. (This eliminates the "clicking" sounds)

    Another way to reduce brake-noise is to use special backing-shims or "brake grease" between the pads and the calipers. This helps to reduce sqeeky brakes.

    Does any of this help answer your question?
  • ty311usvity311usvi Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for coming back with info that helps me out. I am not a mechanic. When I have taken it back in all these times, he has never pointed any of these scenarios that have been presented to me on this forum. That is what I am looking for. It seemed that you were belittling me without fully understanding. I apologize if i got snippy, just built up frustrations with "car problems". How long would you say it would take for the clicking and other sounds to stop? Also, Im not sure if it makes any difference but, the sound doesnt happen every time i stop. It seems to depend on the amount of pressure applied to the brake pedal. Slower stops tend to be the clicker, whereas more sudden stops tend to not make the noise. Thanks again for the advice you offered this time around.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    You may find that the sounds you hear are simply "new" to you and thus you are concerned about them. We all become accustomed to the sounds that our cars make. This is a GOOD thing becasue new sounds tend to be obvious and may need attention. As you get accustomed to these new sounds that the brakes are making, I suspect you will come to accept them. This is all human-nature.

    I too have a Subaru (2006 Baja with 60K miles) and the front brakes tend to make a faint click-click-click if I use very light pedal pressure at slow speeds. When I first heard this, I pulled the front wheels off and PMd the brakes (Preventive Maintenance).

    I scrutenized all the brake-components, cleaned-up all the parts, filed off rust and lubricated sliding-surfaces. After all of this, the faint clicking was still there and I have almost come to *expect* it.

    Your squeeking/squeeling may, or may not subside. I have already mentioned in my last append some remidies for squeeky brakes.
  • mustangsunnemustangsunne Member Posts: 1
    Hey Guys,

    Can someone help me out with this? I'm a chick that owns a badass Mustang, beautiful paint job, Magnaflow exhaust, 5-speed...I don't let anyone touch it. My dad restored cars forever, I was an only child...you do the math. Suffice it to say I know about cars...that is, until I stopped for gas this morning (I live in the mountains), pulled my e-brake slightly as I always do and I noticed I felt an unfamiliar little "dink", that's the only way I can describe it. It was the tiniest of feelings through the hand brake, so I shrugged it off and got gas; then when I got back into the car to leave the station, I started the car, put it into gear and attempted to lower the hand brake...well, it had so much play in it that it was totally obvious that it was not going to release the brake. I pulled and pushed with the button IN...then I got out my tools and removed the center console to see if something had been tweaked in the top linkage. It was about 18 degrees this morning and I'm crawling around the underside of my car (sport suspension, not more than 8 inches clearance by rocker panels) in 4 inch heels. How lame am I??? I take phenomenal care of this car and what takes me out is the e-brake??!!! After saying a few "choice" words, I got a ride home to get my truck...so I'm at work, and my car is at the gas station back on the mountain, the manager will have it towed if I leave it there overnight and I can't afford a tow right now. Ugh. I have a floor jack and jack stands at home that I got for my birthday, I do not think that the lines are frozen because I made it 6 miles from my house to the station without the e-brake issue so there should be no way that it would freeze all of a sudden upon stopping for literally 5 seconds.

    I'm going to jack up the read end and see what I can see on the rear calipers where the cables attach...worst case scenario...is there anyway to disable the e-brake system so that I can drive my car home and work on it in the garage??? Any help you guys could offer would be really great.

    Thanks,

    Mustang Sunne
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    What makes you think the Ebrake is still enguaged? (besides the position of the handle)

    From your description, it sure sounds as if Ebrake cable either snapped or popped out from one end. If this is the case, then the Ebrake is NOT currently enguaged (reguardless the position of the handle) You can verify this when you have rear-wheels off the ground (in neutral)... If the wheels spin by hand (relativly) freely, then the Ebrake is not enguaged.

    It is safe to drive like this, but obviously dont use the Ebrake and get it checked out soon.

    Let us know how this works out...
  • rvgallantjr1rvgallantjr1 Member Posts: 1
    I've searched the web for reviews for brake parts, but I can't find an unbiased source. I want to put the best, high quality, premium rotors and ceramic pads on my 2005 Ford Focus ZX4 ST, but I have no idea which brand to choose. Most of my 450 miles per week is done on the highway. I have a manual transmission. I am easy on my brakes and get more mileage out of them than most drivers. Thank you for the leads!
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Raybestos QuietStop are Ceramic-based pads. Akebono may make the very best Ceramic pads... but they are costly. The big deal with ceramic-based pads is the reduction of black dust. (They dont actually have better stopping-power than quality metal-based pads)

    As for rotors, as long as you stay away from the cheepest ones you should be OK. Look for brand-names such as Bendix, Raybestos, Zimmerman, ATE.

    If you call a local autoparts store, they will always offer several "grades" of pads and rotors. Just tell them what you have for a vehicle and ask them what they have available.

    The MAIN thing to keep in mind is that you DO NOT want to get "high performance" or "racing" pads.... these kind of pads need to be warmed-up before they start to work. On the road, if a moose jumps out in front of you, you will not have time to "warm up" the pads before you want to stop.

    It is best to go with a "mild upgrade" from OEM pads and use QUALITY rotors. Once your new rotors are seasoned and the pads are broken-in, your brakes will be very good for many years to come.

    Personally, I like Zimmerman rotors and ATE pads.... some of the best German-steel available for rotor-material!
  • mmaple16mmaple16 Member Posts: 3
    I have been having brake issues with my 2005 GMC Sierra 1500. When I purchases the truck the brakes worked fine, and after about 10,000 miles of driving they started to get bad. I changed out my front rotors and brake pads hoping that would fix them but it hasn't.

    My problem is when I am coming to a complete stop and I brake, the peddle begins to go down, the truck keeps moving slowly, the brakes push down a little further, then I come to a complete stop. It's almost like the peddle goes down, you can feel the brakes being applied, then it feels like the brake crunches and goes down a little further coming to a complete stop. Also when I am turning and braking, sometimes there is a weird grind noise coming from my front rotors.

    I took the truck into the shop, they bled the brake line, adjusted my rear drum brakes, and even put on two new tie rods. They told me they saw NO leaks and everything was ok. After I drove it away, the problem still occurs.

    My thoughts are it might be the a bad master cylinder, or ball joints, but I am not sure why it does this. ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED PLEASE!!! I WANT TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED!
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    edited February 2010
    You've got a couple weird symptoms and I'm not sure how they might all relate, but I'll give you a couple thoughts that come to mind.

    You could have a bad wheel bearing, which is causing the hub to not run centered. When you apply the brakes, it tries to grab the rotor (which is off centered since attached to the hub), but only when you press the brake hard can enough pressure be put on the rotor to center it. This could also explain why you get a grinding noise at times.

    Don't think a ball joint could cause any of the symptoms, the whole hub would just be out of alignment causing abnormal tire wear, but wouldn't have any effect on the brakes.

    You might have bad calipers which are binding. Your symptoms don't quite line up with the typical failures. Normally when a caliper start to goes, the bore gets some rust or corrosion on it, and the cylinder binds. The hydraulic fluid can put lots of pressure on it and is able to push it out applying the brakes, but because it binds it doesn't normally 'float' back. You end up wearing out brake pads prematurely and rotor can get hot/warped.

    If there WAS binding of the caliper, then when you put the brakes on the cylinder would maybe not come out smoothly, requiring you to really step on the brakes harder before they apply. If that happened though, if it took that hard to put the brakes on, they certainly wouldn't float back off, so your brakes should be on all the time. If your rotors are overheating and you smell brake heat, then you may indeed have binding calipers.

    Are you certain you put the correct brake pads on? If you have incorrect brake parts they could bind, and/or grind against the hub/wheel as it was turning.

    With the symptoms you mention, a bad wheel bearing seems like the best match to those symptoms.

    Anyhow, a couple potential things to think about....
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    Caliper assemblies on most vehicles are a floating design. This means that the calipers and brake pads float on the caliper pins - slide back and forth. When everything is working working properly 1) the brake pad that's in front of the piston slides out and begins to contact the rotor; 2) this force pulls the caliper towards the brake cylinder until the outside pad makes contact with the rotor. Now you have both pads in contact with the disk. 3) Increase pressure on the brake pedal now just squeezes the disk between the two pads.

    If the caliper is not sliding freely on its pins, the inside pad could be making disk contact first, but the outside does not until the brake pressure increases to the point that it breaks the stiction or whatever might be causing the caliper to hang up.

    I do not think it is related to the tie rod ends, or ball joints, at least not with the miles you have on the truck.
  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    In the past with my older cars , I would drive in reverse a few feet and hit the brakes a few times and they would adjust, however on some SUV'S they just recommend using the emergency brake more often. my question, does the drive in reverse and hitting the brake still work with the new vehicles? 2003 pathfinder LE 4 wheel drive automatic trans.?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Reversing still works, even for the parking brake which is a drum type.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    I don't know that your Pathfinder works the same, but on my Buick I do a strong forward application of brakes. then reverse and do a strong stop. Then I repeat a couple of times. I've never felt any tightening after application of the emergency brake.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    edited February 2010
    Drum brakes with "star wheel" adjuster will automaticcly adjust when pedal is used while reversing.

    Drum brakes with spring-loaded wedge type of adjuster will adjust when parking-brake is applied.

    The "star wheel" adjuster only works if you actually USE it occasionally. If you allow the shoes to wear down too much, the automatic feature will not work as expected. In this case, the "star wheel" adjuster needs to be MANUALLY tweaked on both sides of the axle to bring them back into sync with each other.
  • musicbydmusicbyd Member Posts: 7
    edited February 2010
    ok booster didnt work brakes hard when i bought it looking for new boostr befot that mission was accomplished brakes went totallyh out while \driving scary huh managed to make it to a hill and pull off to stop; towen it home fluid emty check it all the time refilled to check for leaks on lines and all fittings incl wheel cyl and calipers none found wont bleed some one aid something a bot a MC bypass or leak into booster help
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    First, I think you've been texting too much - I can barely read your question. No capitalization, no periods, etc, etc.

    Second, no info about what car this pertains to. This info probably isn't needed for brake problems, but information about the vehicle should be given. Especially the age and milage on the vehicle.

    Third, the brake fluid went somewhere. There's a leak.

    Fourth, if air has gotten into the ABS 'pump', this pump cannot be bleed with the old fashioned bleeding procedures of opening a wheel bleeder and pumping the brakes. A shop, with electronic tool must be used - the tool will be able to cycle the ABS pump which will purge the air out of the ABS circuit. Otherwise, you are never going to get the air out of the system.

    It looks to me like this car needs to be taken to a knowledgable brake mechanic. Driving with 'booster didnt work braked hard' isn't a safe thing to be doing.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    edited February 2010
    You don't mention mfg, year, model.

    Find the proper bleeding sequence when the lines and ABS have air in the lines, you may need a service manual for your vehicle....or take it to a brake shop where they know how to do it for you.
  • musicbydmusicbyd Member Posts: 7
    87 dodge dakota her are the pertinent details bought car two mnths ago booster didnt work brakes where hard but worked driving wehicle yesterday brakes went out I check fluid regularly when they wetn out resevoir was dry i refilled and bled FR FL RR RL no reaction or flow at any cyl so lets say i tried to bleed disconnected and plugged booster and tried again no fluid flow is there a bypass of some sort in the3 master cyl
  • 0patience0patience Member Posts: 1,712
    For goodness sakes, PLEASE use some punctuation.
    You have any idea how hard it is to read your post?
    This isn't phone texting,

    Am I correct in my reading that you are losing brake fluid and you found some fluid in the brake booster? If so, then it is likely the master cylinder is leaking out the back seal.
    You disconnected and plugged the booster? Why?
    Are you meaning the vacuum hose or do you mean the master cylinder brake lines?

    We need information we can read, slowly for us old mechanics. We can't keep up with the new language very well.
  • delthekingdeltheking Member Posts: 1,152
    edited March 2010
    Some posts just dont deserve a reply and that was one of those !! :P
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    What would be a good after market brake pad for my 2002 Mercury Mountaineer? If I keep it much longer, I'll need to make a choice. Your thoughts?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Raybestos
  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    YOU MUST GET SOMETHING TO NEAR THE ORIGINAL PADS THAT CAME WITH THE TRUCK. I use ceramic they don't leave that red or gray residue on the wheels and they stop good they don't fade and are very reliable,that only my opinion for my Pathfinder.

    ">http://imgtn1.ask.com/ts?t=9184988933239128616&pid=23136&ppid=11link">
  • gods_girlgods_girl Member Posts: 4
    Hello everyone. I really could use some advice.
    History: I had all my brakes done at Midas last May. They started grinding and Midas's "warranty" sucked so I decided to do it myself. I replaced the front rotors and pads (which was cheaper than Midas's warranty price). Midas had broke the reservoir extension tube on my MC so I replaced that also. My brakes felt spongy so I bled the brake lines per mfg instructions. While on my second go around, I stripped the bleeder nut screw on the passenger rear so I replaced the wheel cylinder and bled the brakes again. They are still spongy. The brake pedal will become really tight while I am bleeding them but the moment I turn the van on, the brake pedal goes to the floor. I am not leaking fluid anywhere. I bled the brake lines so much that I have gone through 2 large bottles of fluid.

    My question,
    I have pressure until the van is turned on. There is no air in the lines. Could this loss of pressure be from either bad calipers or the remaining wheel cylinder or a bad master cylinder?

    Thanks in advance.
    Tina
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