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Fluctuating brake pedal

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  • #839932
    Corey MillerCorey Miller
    Participant

      I have a 1997 murcury mountaineer new pads and since i changed the pads the brake pedal. At times the brakes wont catch till 3/4 way down or is at the top it varies. the brake fluid is leaking somehow and wondering what would cause the different pressure?

    Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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    • #839933
      Ryan MarvinRyan Marvin
      Participant

        Are you sure it isn’t just air in the lines? If you aren’t seeing any visible leaks, I would first bleed the brakes. I’m wondering if by compressing the piston, you somehow sucked in a bit of air in the line. Never a bad idea to bleed the lines just for the sake of doing so during a break change anyway.

        #839934
        Corey MillerCorey Miller
        Participant

          Im not sure but i did vleed them when i done it. Ill have to wait till Monday to make sure of it. But i was wondering if anything else could cause it. Bc u can sit there and pump them up at a light and down the road it go soft.

          #839935
          Ryan MarvinRyan Marvin
          Participant

            If you bled all 4 properly (on most vehicles starting from farthest away from master cylinder) and working closer one wheel at a time and you find its still “spongy” or your foot is going almost to the floor… you may be looking at a master cylinder replacement. Hopefully you kept a watchful eye on the master cylinder when you bled them as air in the master cylinder is no good!

            Best Regards,
            Ryan

            #839939
            CameronCameron
            Participant

              [quote=”Coreymiller” post=147493]Im not sure but i did bleed them when i done it. Ill have to wait till Monday to make sure of it. But i was wondering if anything else could cause it. Bc u can sit there and pump them up at a light and down the road it go soft.[/quote]

              I agree with Ryanflex.

              If you have bled the brakes properly and you have removed the wheels and checked all 4 corners of the car for fluid leaks and it is dry, the only remaining issue would be the master cylinder(MC). If the seals are worn and the MC is leaking internally you WILL have the problem you have described.

              When brake bleeding it is essential you do not press the brake pedal beyond its normal point of travel. If you do you will push the pistons in the master cylinder beyond their normal operating point where you can pick up foreign matter that may have built up over years on the MC walls and potentially damage the seals. There may also be internal deterioration of the MC walls..

              I think you will be looking at a MC replacement here. If so buy a new quality unit and not a rebuilt unit.

              https://www.google.com.au/search?q=brake+master+cylinder&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CBwQsARqFQoTCOr2leHDlMgCFQqglAodofcHEA&biw=1152&bih=621

              #840554
              Richard EbbinghouseRichard Ebbinghouse
              Participant

                I had replaced the master brake cylinder on my 2004 Honda Odyssey, followed by replacing rear brake rotors and pads. One slide pin was stuck and I lubed IT with Eric’s preferred lube, Silicone Paste. However, I still had problems with the brake and replaced the slide pin a few weeks later, because it seemed to be sticking. So, after bleeding and bleeding, my brake pedal was still soft. (I had bench bled the master cylinder when I installed it about 10 months ago.) I then recalled Eric’s video on when everything else had been done – no air in the system – take it out in a safe place and lock up the brakes a number of times. http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-brake-problems?start=8#DealingWithaSpongyBrakePedal

                IT WORKED!!! You can see Eric doing the same thing on Barbara’s van in Fixing it Forward. If everything else has been done and you don’t have air in your brake system, give this trick that Eric shared a try.

                #883660
                Richard EbbinghouseRichard Ebbinghouse
                Participant

                  Update: I found out that the slide pins on the front brake calipers were rusted solid. I was not able to use the calipers. I discovered this when replacing the rotors. Once I replaced the calipers with new ones, the brakes bleed fine using gravity bleeding and also the ABS quick stopping referred to in Eric’s video. If you have been living in the South where rust is not a major problem and move to the North, don’t forget about rust parts. My van was a “Northern” van I bought to replace my former Southern Van.

                  #883667
                  MikeMike
                  Participant

                    Thanks for posting the resolution.

                    It illustrates the importance of checking all 4 wheels and all 8 pads when troubleshooting brake problems.

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