ILoveMyPatty Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Okay, '90 SE, discs all around. I have no braking power. I'll push the pedal down 4/5 of the way and it will just start to work, (no resistance on the pedal until the last 1/5). It seems like they only work by locking up. It's not good. Where should I start looking for what's wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Master cylinder's probably shot. You could try bleeding all the brake lines first, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveMyPatty Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 Not too sure how to do a brake bleed. I'll check around on here see if I can find a thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveMyPatty Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 I can't find anything about a brake bleed on here... think a Haynes/Chiltons would have it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 ok...u have some1 pump up the brakes and theres a bleeder valve on each of the 4 wheels and on the abs sensor...i'll look to find the order but i think its abs valve RR LR RF then LF... do it about 7 or 8 times for each 1 and check to make sure theres plenty of fluid after each go round and u should be good... a lil note...if ure not noticing any leaks and it starts smoking like a SOB...a guy i know just had 1 go bad and instead of leaking out of the base of the MS it leaked into the booster and started blowing it into the intake and started puffing god awful white smoke...only reason i know is cuze he was like i blew a head gasket and i told him to let me check it out and we foudn that he had no water in the oil and no oil in the water and all the plugs looked normal so we pulled the hose off and noticed if he pumped the brakes brake fluid came out of the vaccum tube... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveMyPatty Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 So let me get this straight. I open the valve on one corner and pump the pedal 7 or 8 times when the resevoir is full, close the valve, top up the resevoir and move on to the next corner and repeat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyb33 Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveMyPatty Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 Ahh sounds easy. How much fluid should I go through? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavelow Leaks Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 depends on how much air you have in the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 yes Wait.. are you saying that you open the valve and then pump???? No you pump several times (I do ten), hold the pedal down , open the valve and let the fluid and hopefully trapped air out, then close it before the pedal is allowed up again.. then repeat. If you pump with the valve open, then you will suck more air into the system! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Wait.. are you saying that you open the valve and then pump???? No you pump several times (I do ten), hold the pedal down , open the valve and let the fluid and hopefully trapped air out, then close it before the pedal is allowed up again.. then repeat. If you pump with the valve open, then you will suck more air into the system! yes, do exactly that. that's why you really need a helper. how did this come about? just when it got cold or over time it weakend? my thoughts exactly as 88.. you probably need a new MC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 yea sorry for the lack of details...but thanks to the other guys that covered it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLouisGod Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Yeap, youll need someone to press the pedal while you open the bleeder valve on the caliper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Google it...there's more than one description on how to bleed brakes out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 that's why you really need a helper Or you can get a one man brake bleeding kit (I have one and use it now and then)... but if possible a helper is the best way to make sure you get the air out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 yes, there are other ways but with helper it's the easiest and the fastest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveMyPatty Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 It seemed like it happened all of the sudden, which leads me to believe that it's not air in the system, but a problem with something else. Maybe the master cylinder as 88 said above... It's getting looked at tomorrow, no way I want to work on it in our parking lot in -15F weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 (edited) It seemed like it happened all of the sudden, which leads me to believe that it's not air in the system, but a problem with something else. Maybe the master cylinder as 88 said above...It's getting looked at tomorrow, no way I want to work on it in our parking lot in -15F weather. changing MC is not really that time consuming not is it really that involved. no matter the ease, working in -15f is a B. i don't think i have had to do anything in that kind of cold yet. knock, knock.. btw. you should (may?) hear some gurgling sounds coming from the vac booster if the mc is shot.. Edited December 3, 2006 by mzxtreme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveMyPatty Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 I haven't heard any sounds coming from the vac booster, whatever/wherever that is...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 (edited) I haven't heard any sounds coming from the vac booster, whatever/wherever that is...? the booster is that round thing on the firewall right in front of the driver.. it's also the thing that the MC hooks onto. sometimes you'll have to have the hood up and your ear close by to hear the sound.. other person would have to press the pedal.. does the pedal work better if you pump it a few times? and have you been losing fluid at all? Edited December 3, 2006 by mzxtreme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveMyPatty Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 Yes, the brakes work better if I pump it a few times (a few meaning 10-15)... It's definitely not safe. I haven't been able to see if I've been losing fluid at all, I topped it up on Thursday and on Friday my brother drove me to work. I haven't driven since because I don't feel safe driving it like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 10-15x is either some freaking bad air or the mc.. the air doesn't just worsen all of a sudden.. maybe only if it got really, really hot all of a sudden but that's not the case here.. brrr.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveMyPatty Posted December 4, 2006 Author Share Posted December 4, 2006 I'm leaning towards the master cylinder being shot. I got out my Chiltons and looked at removal/installation of the MC, and it seems pretty easy, like you said. The thing is, I don't have time to do it with work, nor do I have the time to drive all the way into town to get a new MC... Looks like it will have to go in tomorrow to get looked at/fixed and I'll have to pay for it... or it will wait until the weekend and I'll drive the fathers '02 F350 superduty... hmmmmm... I really don't want to pay for labor on it, when I could most likely do it myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 i'd pull the 2 bolts off of the MC and look in the brake booster to see if thats where hte fluid is going...theres a weep hole on the bottom side of the MC against the booster and usually the fluid leaks there when its going bad...so if not like i stated previously its prob filling up the brake booster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveMyPatty Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Problem has been solved. Somehow I got air in the lines. My mechanic bled them today while I was at work. I would have done it myself if I knew for sure I had enough fluid to do it. But, next time I will. I need to replace my brake pads, so I'll be doing that repair myself hopefully Thanks for the help everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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