More Brake Problems - Need HELP!

[jbh0521]

I posted a few days ago about our brake problems. Today my husband replaced the master cylinder, bled all of the brakes and the brakes are still spongy. He has inspected the brakes and sees no abnormal or severe wear, has checked for leaks and has found none. Does anyone else have an idea of why it still takes pressing the pedal to the floor to get the van stopped? We are about tapped out on cash and really need to fix the problem ourselves, if possible. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[phil-l]

Since no one else has responded...

A spongy brake pedal almost always means there's air somewhere in the system. When replacing significant brake components (like calipers or master cylinders), I've occasionally had a lot of trouble getting *all* of the air out of the system. One particularly annoying project required at least a full quart of fluid be pumped through the system, one pedal stroke at a time (*after* everything was back together!), before I finally got rid of all of the bubbles and got a firm pedal.

[chasealley]

Sorry I'm kinda late to the party on this one.

Just a point to remember, the order that you bleed the brakes is important as well. You can't just open the bleeder on any wheel and get a satisfactory job. That is, which wheel you bleed first, second, third and fourth is important. I don't remember why exactly. I imagine if you pick the wrong one first you could be pulling air through the system as you move along to the next wheels.

However, according to the Haynes manual it says if the car has ABS you may still have a spongy wheel when done. They suggest you take the car to a shop that can perform a 'final bleeding procedure' with a special scan tool.

Great. Another job lost to a computer.....

[12Ounce]

Bleeding brakes is usually/typically best done by a two-person team. And it is an "acquired skill" ... you aren't going to be good at it the first time you try. It might be best, and not too expensive, to have a brake shop just do this single thing ("bleeding") for you. They probably have other customers who bring their cars in for small tasks.

Also make sure the fittings around the master cylinder are snug. If loose, some will let air get sucked in the system.

[Rotorman]

Originally Posted by 12Ounce

Bleeding brakes is usually/typically best done by a two-person team. And it is an "acquired skill" ... you aren't going to be good at it the first time you try. It might be best, and not too expensive, to have a brake shop just do this single thing ("bleeding") for you. They probably have other customers who bring their cars in for small tasks.

Also make sure the fittings around the master cylinder are snug. If loose, some will let air get sucked in the system.

You got it 12once: I just would put some grease around bleeder valve and tighten them up on all four wheels. Make sure there is no leak around m/c,brale lines, and wheel cyclinders. Then perferm a gravity bleed, this is where you need 2 qts of brake fluid and patience with a bleeder bottle attached to the bleeder valve. Keep the m/c full open the bleeder valve attached to the bottle with a little brake fluid. Then observe if you see a little bubbles if it is it mite take you 30 minutes to get no bubbles from that valve. Start at rt r, left rear,Front passenger, then front drivers , patients is the key, when no more bubbles appear tighten down the bleeder valve, Good luck.