Brakes feel WIERD!!!! HELP!!!!

[centaurus3200]

well, it turns out it was a loose connection to the starter. the shop fixed it for $40.


a brief synopsis: when the AAA guy wiggled the starter wire, it fired right up, but the anti lock light stayed on and the brakes felt real mushy driving it to the shop.

the shop called the next said they fixed the starter the light went off. so no worries, right?

wrong, the brakes still feel real mushy. did air get in the lines by moving the car with out it on (so, without hydraulic brakes)

i have no idea, please help. as far as i'm concerned, the car stops like a 72 nova and that's not safe enough to drive.

Robby

 

[centaurus3200]

do you guys think it's the brake booster or the master cylinder? the pedal feels mushy and makes a bit of a weezing sound. the pedal also, never rebounds quick nor does it pop to the top like it did just days before.

worst case, if the anti lock did crap out, the the pedal should feel the same and the car should still stop like it used too, right? the pedal just wounldn't pulsate back.

again, the light does not come on anymore. this problem is ******* me off more and more. i'm usually pretty patient wuth the car. i know it's 10 years old and things happen, but it was just my birthday and this is the present the car got for me. THANKS, you shouldn't have!

Robby



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92 SHO MTX
silver on gray with all options
kyb struts
sho shop motor mounts
edelbrock RPM exhaust with 3.5" beveled chrome tips
sho shop aluminum sub frame bushings
sho shop 29mm rear sway bar
shop shop sub frame connectors
Alpine CDM-7824 deck
all work performed by Sho Shop and Shonut
Shonut rebuilt tranny with new clutch and boy does it feel good.

 

[sdpatt]

The starter motor wire would have no effect on the brake system. The brakes are hydraulic with a vaccum booster assist. The ABS system can be disabled without an effect on the hydraulic portion of the braking system.

You mentioned moving the car without "it" on. What was "it?" Moving the car without the engine running would have no way of affecting the brakes. If you are talking about a brake caliper or something that opens the hydraulic portion of the system, then heck yes, it would get air in the system.

In your second post, you mentioned a slow rebounding brake pedal and a wheezing sound. The only way you can get a wheezing sound fromn the brakes is a vacuum leak in the booster diaphragm. Does the pedal slowly sink to the floor if you keep pressure on it? That would confirm the leak. Get this checked. Quickly.


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Scott

1991, 252K miles, glass hood, police grill, SVO shifter, Catz fogs,
K&N, 73mm MAF, Superchip, PP Y-pipe, Borla cat-back, 190 lph pump
Eibach/Tokico/polyurethane, SHO Shop front & rear strut braces,
16x7.5" Moda R1, 225/55ZR16 Bridgestone RE730, -1 deg camber x 4,
Class II hitch, Silver award at the SHOklahoma Car Show

 

[centaurus3200]

scott, you are the man!

i was coasting the car back down a hill to get it into a "non-ticket" spot because we have street cleaning. so, i used the brakes repeatedly with the car not running. so this would cause air to get into the brake lines, right?

as far as the brake booster, i have not held constant pressure on the brake pedal for and extended amount of time, but i will try that. i did slam on the brakes when i got the car running. the pedal did not go to the floor. the car did stop but more like an old VW bug and not like a modern car. it wasn't overly dangerous, but the car usually does A LOT BETTER. i'm driving my girlfriend's car now.

just to confirm, you are saying that with the car on and parked, depress the pedal and hold it there, if the pedal slowly goes down to the floor, then its the booster. if it stays put, then it's air in the lines?

again, thanks for your help! i will take it to the shop this weekend to have the brakes bled and get the booster replaced if needed.

see yam
Robby

 

[centaurus3200]

hi scott,

i re-read your post, i misunderstood. using the brakes with the car off WILL NOT let air into the brakes, right?

i have not changed the brake fluid in the 4 years i've owned the car, the last time they worked right was going from nick chrimes' house to mine in the rain. it's about an hour drive. there was a lot of subtle braking, like lightly dragging them to keep from getting too close to cars.

i've heard that when you do this, especially with old brake fluid, you heat up the brake fluid to the boiling point. this happens easily with old fluid because it has a lower boiling point. then you run the risk of air getting in there.

think this is how air got in the system? i will have them check the booster as well, but i just hate it when my car stumps me (it's been doing a swell job as of late)


see ya,
Robby

 

[centaurus3200]

never mind, i took it to a shop and they said, "you're kidding, right. it stop like a sumbitch!"

they took me for a ride and slammed on the brakes and the car almost pitched me through the windshield. then i drove it and it was fine.

what gives? it has been raining for like a month straight. maybe there was a bunch of road gunk on the rotors and pads. who knows.

maybe i was used to driving my girfriend's audi A4 which stops like an F1 car.

bottomline. the fluid levels are fine (knock on wood!), no leaks and the abs pulsates back. don't worry, i'm sure the car will find some way to spnd my money in the future.

whatever.

 

[SLOSHO89]

LOL, Thats some weird $h1t.


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