brakes failed, works slightly, i hate my car

sitting in the drive through, i pushed on the brakes when i was stopped and the pedal had little resistance and then went all the way to the floor

inside the car, i can hear a WHOOSH sound sorta when i hit the pedal.....if i pump the pedal to the floor once or twice and keep pumping i will have NO resistance .....but i can let it sit for a couple seconds and it will return to moderate resistance

there is brake fluid, but im gonna go back to my car in a little while and top it off and see what happens

EDIT: there is a BRAKE LIGHT on all the time

i dont know anything about the brakes/master cylinder, or how to check the brake computer (i dont know where it is let alone get codes from it)

please help

[This message has been edited by r3lic76 (edited 01-14-2003).]

the brake light IS ON

i drove it home and it hasn't gotten worse

the brake problem is with the car ON and OFF

[This message has been edited by r3lic76 (edited 01-13-2003).]

Have you looked for leaking fluid, like either a leaking caliper piston or broken brake line or not enough fluid ( which means a leak). The pedal should not go to the floor.

yea i checked under the car and didn't see anything i checked the brake fluid level and it is still full even after driving it home

my friend gave me a good idea, take it out somewhere and brake it hard going 30 and see if it pulls to one side or the other

could my booster be bad or something because i hear air inside the car and in the engine compartment

ALSO, i pumped the pedal with the car off and it felt like it went back to normal (didn't goto the floor unless i press really hard) then i started the car and it was easy to press the pedal to the floor

[This message has been edited by r3lic76 (edited 01-13-2003).]

Since you have ABS, it's not a traditional master cylinder/brake booster setup.

If you're sure you don't have a blown caliper or brake line, it sounds like it could be a solenoid valve stuck open. The ABS unit has a series of valves that open and shut rapidly when ABS braking is activated, to keep the wheels from locking up. If a valve is screwed up and continuously diverting pressure from the wheel(s), that could explain your problem.

Try this.. Drive the car around and get on the brakes a lot to get them good and warmed up. Note any pulling, as your friend mentioned. Also feel each caliper through the wheel (be careful not to burn yourself!). Let us know if any are cold. There are more tests we can do, but let's start there.

Also, there should be instructions on the site somewhere (try searching the forums) to retreive the codes from the ABS computer. If the light is on, you have stored codes, and they might help in diagnosing this problem.

sorry, but my ABS light is NOT on....it was only on (for a few seconds when i start my car) which is normal

Problem DIAGNOSED!!!!

in my drunken curiousity....i decided to see if i was leaking fluid at the calipers (it stopped raining here)....and sure enough i had a leak at the front right tire....i jacked up the car (while drunk hehe) and my rubber brake line was severed...it was stretched too....hmmm

im gonna have a shop fix it tomorrow so i can drive to sacramento....i dont really have the tools or the know-how to fix that brake line so hopefully it will be like $40 to have a shop fix it for now and i can go ahead and put steel break lines in later

I heard that the brake fluid leak at the caliper ruins my brake pads????!! is that TRUE????

Yup..buy new pads.

At least yours failed at a drive-through. I had a rebuilt (the LAST on of those I ever bought) M/C fail in the XR7 as I was coming off the interstate at about 75 mph to an off ramp that leads to a stop light (straight shot off the interstate). About 1/2 way down the ramp I go to hit the brakes and the pedal starts to hit resistance..then goes to the floor..I'm still doing about 65 mph, and running out of road fast!
I'm in 4th gear..so I start the rapid downshift to scrub off speed as I approach the red light at the intersection..the car hops sideways a bit as I slam it into 2nd....as I get to the light I'm still doing about 20-25 as a couple cars pass..but it's clear behind them..so I drop it into first and make my turn. I'm able to limp the rest of the way (about a mile) to work and get it taken care of..but I tell you realizing you have no brakes at 65 mph is a real sphincter clincher that's for sure. The M/C was only 2 months old!

Yikes!

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Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental..
83 Pseudo-Coupe, 87 Ranger (soon to be 2.3T), 84 XR7, 86 XR4 and 62 Mercury Monterey (old n slo)
NATO Member

Originally posted by r3lic76:
in my drunken curiousity....i decided to see if i was leaking fluid at the calipers (it stopped raining here)....and sure enough i had a leak at the front right tire....i jacked up the car (while drunk hehe) and my rubber brake line was severed...it was stretched too....hmmm

Cool! I'm glad it was just something simple. And it's a good thing you weren't too drunk, or else you might have tried to duct tape it back together. [Image: smile.gif]

I still make fun of a friend of mine when he tried to replace a horn after a few too many. It took 3 of us an HOUR to fix his mess. Which is really amazing considering I know automotive electrical stuff pretty well, one guy designs automotive electrical systems for a living, and the other is the head technician for a Ford dealer. [Image: eek.gif]