Brakes going weak
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 137
Likes: 1
From: Easley SC
Brakes going weak
Last Wednesday I drove about 7 miles into town and noticed that my back left disk brake was smoking. I let the brakes cool for about two hours and went home with no problems. On Friday I drove back into town with no problems and when I left I noticed my brakes getting weaker. In three more miles my brakes were gone. At a stop I can pump the brakes about six times and get them working again for about fifteen seconds. I made it home safely and none of the brakes were smoking. I believe my brake master cylinder has gone bad. Any other diagnoses?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 755
Likes: 32
From: Roswell Georgia
Usually when the seals go bad in the master cylinder, the red brake comes on when you press on the brake pedal due to the pressure loss as fluid seeps past the seals. Did that occur when you had to pump the brakes?
I believe that when you smoked the left rear disc brake that you may have boiled a good portion of your brake fluid. Although the fluid appears to recover once it cools, it's toast and needs to be changed. If the brake fluid got hot enough, it could have affected the master cylinder's seals although that is not likely. (You would have lost all braking immediately in that case.)
The source of the problem with the left rear caliper needs to be corrected. Usually the emergency brake cable will bind and not fully or even partially release the rear brake even though the red brake light goes out. (A rusted cable is the usual culprit.)
Go ahead and flush your brake system to get new brake fluid to the calipers, and then bleed the brakes. You should be okay then.
Good Luck!
I believe that when you smoked the left rear disc brake that you may have boiled a good portion of your brake fluid. Although the fluid appears to recover once it cools, it's toast and needs to be changed. If the brake fluid got hot enough, it could have affected the master cylinder's seals although that is not likely. (You would have lost all braking immediately in that case.)
The source of the problem with the left rear caliper needs to be corrected. Usually the emergency brake cable will bind and not fully or even partially release the rear brake even though the red brake light goes out. (A rusted cable is the usual culprit.)
Go ahead and flush your brake system to get new brake fluid to the calipers, and then bleed the brakes. You should be okay then.
Good Luck!
