Need Advice! Brake Fluid disappearing and Brakes have "dead" spots.

[Un-Mechanic]

Recently I noticed my Brakes on my 94 Camry are getting weaker and weaker. Well "spongier" anyhow. I checked the Brake Fluid and it was almost dry! Filled the Brake Fluid level to Max level, within 2 days Brake light was on and sure enough the Brake Fluid level was low again.

So a couple of questions? Is the low Brake Fluid causing the spongy brakes? Or are the spongy brakes causing the low Brake Fluid?

If I'm losing Brake fluid somewhere, where should I start to look?

[Strider327]

More than likely you have air bubbles in your brake lines. If they are busted your fluid should be empty within every 2 days you pour more in. Best bet is to check it and completely bleed the brakes out on all 4 sides and completely pump in new brake fluid. If your lines not completely destroyed, I recommend getting some stainless steel braided lines instead of toyota OEM. OEM just costs more and is not as efficient as the steel lines.

Good Luck

[DFBonnett]

Originally Posted by Un-Mechanic

Recently I noticed my Brakes on my 94 Camry are getting weaker and weaker. Well "spongier" anyhow. I checked the Brake Fluid and it was almost dry! Filled the Brake Fluid level to Max level, within 2 days Brake light was on and sure enough the Brake Fluid level was low again.

So a couple of questions? Is the low Brake Fluid causing the spongy brakes? Or are the spongy brakes causing the low Brake Fluid?

If I'm losing Brake fluid somewhere, where should I start to look?

The question is where is the fluid going. If you look underneath at the inner side of each wheel, do you see wet spots or anything running down? If you do, wipe some off and smell it. Does it have a strong odor?
If nothing on the wheels, you may have a leaking master cylinder and the fluid is getting sucked into the booster. In either event, it is not a DYI for a beginner.
FWIW
YMMV

[Un-Mechanic]

Thanks for the advice. I am going to bleed the lines and check for leaks tonight. Hopefully I'll know something by tomorrow. If it's leaking that much in a matter of days surely I won't have too much trouble finding the leak.