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Thanks all.
I'm looking to redo my brakes on my Galant, and need to know how to get a detailed instruction manual. I've been reading through some of the threads, and it looks like you get what you pay for, so I'm hoping to go with the Raybestos QS style. Is there anything I need to know before attempting this as a first timer?
Remember your brakes are life saving devices.
The trans leak depends entirely on how much fluid you are losing and if you are willing to check the trans. fluid periodically to make sure the transmission does not run low on fluid. But if the leak is quite small it can go for years like that. If it really starts to leave large puddles under your car (the fluid is dark red in color), then you have to act on it.
Be careful with this, when the pedal releases, it could 'whop' your hand.
The overall problem is probably caused by a vacumn hose leak/break/loose, as this is how the release is powered. Check hoses at the pedal, behind the dash, and under the hood on the passenger side.
But I have previously been chasticed for posting links to 'competing' sites.
Do a Google search.
And, owners manuals of almost every year are constantly available on eBay.
New ones are possibly still available at Helms, Inc.
And, yes, there is an emergency release on the emergency brake pedal. You just need to get down there with a light and find and pull it.
Here is a cut and paste from a 1997 manual.
"Reach under the driver’s side of the instrument panel
and pull ont he manual release lever, which is located
above the parking brake pedal. If the parking brake does
not release, you should either drive to the nearest service
station or have your vehicle towed.
If your hand or armi s in the way of the pedal,
you could be hurt. The pedal springs back
quickly. Keep your hand anda rm away when you
use the manual release lever.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parkinbgr ake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheatY. ou may have to
replace them andy ou could also damagoet her
parts of your vehicle."
I can't get the image to paste.....
I ALWAYS use the parking-brake every time I park my cars. I learned very long ago that the cables may freeze up if not used regularly. Besides, many folks say it is not good for the automatic xmission to leave the weight of the car on the parking-pawls.
Still stuck? To free stickiness due to rust, tap around the edge of the drum with a rubber mallet. Good luck.
Dave
As I understand it, and this may not be literal but an analogy, the auto trans, when placed in Park, jams a pin (pawl) in the gears/bands/whatever to stop the car from moving, or actually to lock up the transmission...whether it stops the car from moving is another story...anyway, as I envision it, when someone parks their car on a hill, and you feel it roll forward 6-8 inches and abruptly stop, this little pin is all that is locking the tranny, and the only thing holding the car from rolling is the shearing strength of that pawl...and it wouldn't take much to shear the pawl and place the tranny effectively into neutral...
I shudder when friends park on a hilly driveway and I watch the car roll over a foot, and no parking brake...it is a miracle that more cars don't break forward and roll...
Just to be anal retentive, I believe it is proper to FIRST apply the parking brake to stop any rolling...once the car is held by the brake, THEN place the car is park, so that the pawl is actually now the secondary brake holding the car, and their is no pressure applied to the pawl, but the pressure holding the car is now the 2 or 4 mini brake shoes inside the rear disc rotor, with sufficient friction to hold the car on a hill...
How some people abuse their cars...those same folks will place the car in reverse, back up at 1,2,3 mph, then slam it into drive, instead of waiting for the car to stop, they use the change of gear to stop the car as it is rolling backwards and then go forward...
It is a wonder that trannies last as long as they do...
Is there a sensor that's shared by both systems that I can test? Has anyone had a similar exprience with a Ford product and was it an expensive repair?
I am new to this forum and need some help. I have a 96' Protege, 1.5L, auto, done 112000 miles. I have a peculiar problem with the brakes. The braking is poor and the pedal almost goes right to the bottom before any decent braking is achieved.To solve this I changed the pads on all 4 wheels and the rotors in april. Since then the car has done only about 5000 miles and the problem has not gone away! It has reduced to some extent, but still quite there. Also in wet conditions braking power is severly compromised.
I will be very thankful for any help u experts can give me.
Thanks!
deke33
I am new to the site and figured that I needed to post before spending another $3000 on my 2000 Pontiac Montana Van. I just had the rear wheel cylinders and shoes, and then took it back to replace the master cylinder. The problem is you need to press the brakes down instead of just touching them. (Spongy is the word that my mechanic used) My mechanic was not completely satisfied with the result, so he took it to the dealer and had them check it out. They looked at it and said that what he had done was right, and that if I was their customer they would recommend getting a new ABS motor. My mechanic said that he could get one from the scrap yard and put it on and this would be 1/3 of the cost. The van has 166,000km on it.
Has anyone had a similar problem? If so, do you have any advice?
Thanks!
Expensive lesson learned!
However, your description of "spongy pedal" sounds as if there is still some air in the hydrolic system. I am not sure the ABS-motor can cause a "spongy pedal".
For example, on vehicles that have EDL (Electronic Diffeential Lock), if one wheel starts to slip in the snow, the ABS motor provides hydrolic pressure to gently apply the brakes on the wheel that is starting to slip, that forces the differental to send the engine-torque to the other drive wheel.
Of course, the ABS pump also assists with braking to reduce wheel lock-up.
ABS systems absolutely DO NOT apply the brakes, nor can they increase braking pressure to more than the input by the driver through the brake pedal. They use the frequency of the AC voltage signal from the wheel speed sensors to calculate tire slip relative to vehicle speed, then modulate (REDUCE) brake pressure to the skidding wheel to prevent wheel lockup. Most systems are calibrated to allow about 15% tire slip to provide the best combination of steerability, lateral control, and reduced stopping distance. The only pump used in any discreet ABS system is the one used to return brake fluid from the accumulators back to the master cylinder.
Vehicle stability systems and traction control systems, however, do have the capability of applying the brakes selectively as required via an electro-hydraulic pump.
I know for a FACT that what I described above is how the systmes work on my automobile. When the ABS system activates on my vehicle (aka braking too hard on ice) I can HEAR the ABS motor activate and FEEL the brake-pedal pulsating as it modulates the hydrolic pressure in the system.
I will grant you that some cheeper ABS systems only have the ability to bleed brake pressure to reduce wheel lock-up.... but thoses systems DO NOT HAVE an ABS motor. (just have an accumulator resivour to bleed the pressure into and a electric-hydrolic valve to meter it) After the brake pedal is released, the accumulated pressure simply bleeds back into the system into the master cylinder. The accumulator is essentually spring-loaded. (there is no pump required)
Back to the original discussion.... about a "spongy pedal" If air gets into the accumulator, it is often hard to get it all out. This may cause "spongy pedal" condition. Replacing parts is not the proper way to fix this condition.
Uh huh, the older design Kelsey Hayes RWAL systems fitted to domestic light trucks.
To suggest that any conventional ABS system is capable of applying the brakes demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of how the systems operate. Of course you hear a pump running, it's returning fluid from the accumulators to the master cylinder.
For the record, I've been teaching the construction, operation, components and diagnosis of ABS systems for about 15 years. During that time I've attended pretty much every system manufacturer's training and system update seminars including Bosch, Teves (ATE), Kelsey Hayes, Delco and Delphi. It's my business to stay updated and disseminate the latest accurate, factual information to technicians.
With your obviously advanced knowledge of ABS systems, can you offer any words of wisdom to the person that is having issues with "spongy pedal"? Do you think that replacing the "ABS motor" is a reasonable approach to this problem?
With my years of real-world repair knowledge, I still maintin that "spongy pedal" reflects that there is air in the hydrolic system. I am wondering if they hooked it up to the computer to "manuually" operate the ABS motor and purge the air. Many cars need this step to be performed to fully purge air from the ABS components.
Re bleeding systems with ABS, usually not a problem unless the pressure modulator has been replaced. For problem cars when I don't have a bi-directional ABS scanner handy I'll pressure bleed, take the car to a safe area and perform several ABS stops, then pressure bleed again.
http://www.speedibleed.com/products/completekit2.php
An adaptor attaches to the master cylinder reservoir, quick connect from the pressure bottle hooks up to it, and the air source hose goes to the valve of the left front tire. Set the regulator to 10-15 p.s.i. then open the bleeders one at a time. Simple, fast hookup and works great. I spent a lot of years twisting wrenches in dealerships before changing careers, and this is the best pressure bleeder I've ever used. The only vehicles I've run into where it doesn't work are earlier Caravans with the separate filler neck for the m.c. reservoir. Can't pressurize the reservoir.
Vacuum bleeding at the bleeder screws is a PITA because there'll always be some air bubbles in the drain hose due to air being pulled in past the bleeder screw threads, so you can never be sure that all the air's out. I've tried removing the bleeders and coating the threads with silicone grease to prevent this, doesn't work.
Manual bleeding through the pedal can overstroke the m.c. pistons and damage their cup seals if there's any corrosion in the nether regions of the bore. This is also why I tell every basic level brake class I teach that if they get one in with a blown flex hose or a line rusted through, to advise the customer that it might need a master cylinder if they can't get a pedal after the repair's done. Not uncommon for m.c. seals to be damaged the first time that pedal went down when the hose/line let go.
This happens even after new brakes are installed. The shop has sprayed something on them but the noise comes back and is most noticeable when the car is first used. It happens sometimes even after use, again not 100% of the time.
Any clues?
Albie
http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d8013f8c0.gif
If all the anti-squeal hardware is there and in good shape, the rotors will require refinishing.
Ice. Or if Im slowing down and my wheels bounce a little,
Im in the intersection. Changed shocks, bleed brakes, replaced and inspected brake pad and calipers. Common brake garage tells me to take it to a dealer. May have to.
Any Ideas out there?