I store my car in the barn over the winter. Last Spring, when I first took the car out, the brake pedal was squishy. I replaced the brake fluid and bled the brakes (twice with Ford Heavy Duty), but the pedal is still soft. Also, it seems like I have to push the pedal further down before the brakes start to work.
I would appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks.
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Michigan - 9 months of winter and three months of bad sledding
I bought one of those vacuum brake bleeder tools from JC Whitney. It is a one man operation, but you have to get up and check the fluid level often. I sucked the fluid out of the master cylinder with a cooking baster and filled it with the new fluid. The original fluid had turned dark, so I pulled fluid through until it came out colorless, and measured the amount of fluid I pulled from each wheel. After I tested the brakes and they were still soft, I got more brake fluid and did it again. I used almost two bottles of fluid total.
Are there rebuilding kits for the master cylinder?
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Michigan - 9 months of winter and three months of bad sledding
bleed it again in the proper order except the next time tap on the caliper gently with a hammer while bleeding the caliper. sometimes an air bubble is trapped in there.
james has a very good point, there is something you can try as well. its called gravity bleeding. it takes a while but is painless and effective. simply crack the bleed valves top off the resivoir and let it drip. just make sure the resivoir never runs dry. or get a friend to help and do one wheel at a time by pumping the brakes, hold the pedal down and have your bud crack the valve open and tighten it back before you let off the pedal. repeat as required until the pedal stiffins up
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chirp chirp chirp, chiirrp, Screeeech, SMASH!-- buy good tires.
Last edited by BadBoy91 : Jan 21st, 2005 at 04:42 PM.
I bought my car new, and got a factory service manual from the dealer. I followed the instructions and bled them in the order given - Right Rear-> Left Front -> Left Rear -> Right Front. That's different from my previous car where you bled them by the longest distance to the master cylinder RR -> LR -> RF -> LF.
Come Spring I'll bleed them again like you suggest. It's just too cold here to do it until then.
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Michigan - 9 months of winter and three months of bad sledding
james has a very good point, there is something you can try as well. its called gravity bleeding. it takes a while but is painless and effective. simply crack the bleed valves top off the resivoir and let it drip. just make sure the resivoir never runs dry. or get a friend to help and do one wheel at a time by pumping the brakes, hold the pedal down and have your bud crack the valve open and tighten it back before you let off the pedal. repeat as required until the pedal stiffins up
You're kidding, right? I've bled brakes before, and never heard of a 'gravity' method. I'll be damned if I'll stand around watching the master cylinder drain. If it goes empty, I would have to start all over. Is this an initiation rite because I'm new?
The other method you mentioned is the standard method of bleeding brakes. My wife helps me do that, but I bought the vacuum bleeder so I could bleed them without any help.
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Michigan - 9 months of winter and three months of bad sledding
yeah gravity bleeding does work although slowly. ive used it while repairing mulitiple vehicles in a shop. i learned this from an old skool guy i worked with and it definitly works. its just very important to walk by every few minutes to make sure the resivoir isnt empty.
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chirp chirp chirp, chiirrp, Screeeech, SMASH!-- buy good tires.
Last edited by BadBoy91 : Jan 21st, 2005 at 05:03 PM.
May want to have it "Pressure Bled" at a shop. We have places here in Texas that are called "Brake Check" and will pressure bleed and change all the brake fluid for about 35 or 40 bucks. Sometimes those "one man" units aren't all they are described to be. Brakes is nothing to go half-ass on, so best bet is to have a shop like I mentioned pressure bleed them. If for some reason they can't get it all to work right, they will tell you exactly what is wrong and then you can go home and replace it yourself. Good luck regardless.
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2008 Versa!
'95 200sx S-er: Homemade intake w/filter, 91 cams, advanced timing, 4 ga. grounding kit. (possibly for sale now)
If you ain't pinging redline MOVE! ---Bob
May want to have it "Pressure Bled" at a shop. We have places here in Texas that are called "Brake Check" and will pressure bleed and change all the brake fluid for about 35 or 40 bucks. Sometimes those "one man" units aren't all they are described to be. Brakes is nothing to go half-ass on, so best bet is to have a shop like I mentioned pressure bleed them. If for some reason they can't get it all to work right, they will tell you exactly what is wrong and then you can go home and replace it yourself. Good luck regardless.
I hope you are wrong. I paid almost $50 for the brake bleeder/vacuum testing tool, and it was exactly what I expected. I don't know what could be wrong with it. It pulls the fluid OK.
I am wary of brake shops. I think they will tell you something is wrong when it is not just so they can sell you something.
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Michigan - 9 months of winter and three months of bad sledding
I hope you are wrong. I paid almost $50 for the brake bleeder/vacuum testing tool, and it was exactly what I expected. I don't know what could be wrong with it. It pulls the fluid OK.
I am wary of brake shops. I think they will tell you something is wrong when it is not just so they can sell you something.
You can check your MC via the instructions in your FSM (no need for tools or anything). Just make sure you follow them very carefully and if possible, have a friend go around and check for leaks on each of the calipers while you're testing.
Those pressure bleeding systems essentially do the same thing as the vacuum pump does. They just pull fluid out of the caliper bleeder nipples.
You can check your MC via the instructions in your FSM (no need for tools or anything). Just make sure you follow them very carefully and if possible, have a friend go around and check for leaks on each of the calipers while you're testing.
Those pressure bleeding systems essentially do the same thing as the vacuum pump does. They just pull fluid out of the caliper bleeder nipples.
My factory service manual does not have a procedure for testing the master cylinder. It has procedures for testing the brake booster and ABS system(I do not have this option).
Ninety-Nine SE-L, how do I try a new MC without buying one?
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Michigan - 9 months of winter and three months of bad sledding
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