No brakes.

[DoctorRobert]

Hey guys...

Big problem with my car... I have no brakes now. Earlier this week my brakes locked up while I was driving down the road... after about 30 minutes they freed, I drove the car home, and changed the back brake pads. My step-dad was helping me do it, and he opened up one of the bleeder valves, because the caliper wouldn't turn back in. Well, after that I drove the car and had horrible brake pressure, but it was still drive-able. Well, tonight I bled the brakes, and they will not build back up. I have no pressure and no brakes.

Any ideas?

I have never had problems before this week with the brakes.

[Loki]

Sounds like you may not have bled the brakes correctly.

[DoctorRobert]

Well, how do I correctly bleed the brakes?

I've done it a thousand times on my '65 C10, but never on a powered brake vehicle.

[MastaYu]

You need to change the frnts too

[DoctorRobert]

Planning on it, but the store had to order them, so I didn't get it done that day... but that shouldn't cause no brakes, right?

[biggie]

If you bled the brakes, should have done all 4 corners. First guess is air pockets in the system.

[DoctorRobert]

I did do all four corners. When I bleed the brakes almost no fluid comes out of the bleeders, and pressure NEVER builds up on the pedal.

It goes from having no brakes, to a VERY, VERY tiny amount of brakes. Not at all enough to drive on.

[biggie]

I did do all four corners. When I bleed the brakes almost no fluid comes out of the bleeders, and pressure NEVER builds up on the pedal.

It goes from having no brakes, to a VERY, VERY tiny amount of brakes. Not at all enough to drive on.

Opening the bleeders with someone pumping the pedal and nothing comes out? Something is wrong there.

[DoctorRobert]

Yeah, almost nothing comes out. Just a dribble, then nothing.

Will a booster from an '89 240 work in my '93? There's a junkyard that will sell me one for $40, but if it doesn't work I can take it back and get my money back.

The only reason I would buy one from a junkyard would be to find out if that is the problem or not, then when I feel more rich buy a new one.

[DoctorRobert]

My brakes are working again... atleast a little bit. Today we pumped up the brakes and they actually pumped up and sent a strong burst of brake fluid out. The only thing I have done differently was to take a turkey baster and suck all of the old brake fluid out of the reservoir and put fresh in. After that I had brakes again, but only a little bit. Still not the pressure like I used to have. The back brakes don't seem to be really grabbing now. I had my friend watch them and he said when I slammed on the brakes the front brakes locked up, but the back kept turning... is that normal?

The pressure also still builds up very, very slowly. Is there anyway to actually test the booster to see if it works or not?

[Maltrice]

You might also have a bad o ring in the master cylinder not allowing you to build pressure back up correctly. Also I haven't seen the most important question asked, what made them lock up in the first place? you defiently should get your master cylinder/booster checked, they are pretty cheapy from the parts stores even if you go with a rebuild kit.

[Bob_b]

There is a change you've killed the master brake cilinder. The booster won't be the problem.

Bleed the system one more time. First at the back, then the fronts. Keep pumping untill you get good squirts of oil. (and always put a hose on the valve, or it will suck in air once you let go the pedal)

sorry for my English, I'm dutch

Oh best tip ever: buy an eazybleed. Small investment, but it's worth it!

[DoctorRobert]

You might also have a bad o ring in the master cylinder not allowing you to build pressure back up correctly. Also I haven't seen the most important question asked, what made them lock up in the first place? you defiently should get your master cylinder/booster checked, they are pretty cheapy from the parts stores even if you go with a rebuild kit.

Actually I did ask what made them lock up in the first place... that was my first post before they went out... then I did this. Yeah, I have no idea right now what made them go out. I never got an answer on that, other than a search that turned up a non-definitive answer of the booster.

[DoctorRobert]

There is a change you've killed the master brake cilinder. The booster won't be the problem.

Bleed the system one more time. First at the back, then the fronts. Keep pumping untill you get good squirts of oil. (and always put a hose on the valve, or it will suck in air once you let go the pedal)

sorry for my English, I'm dutch

Oh best tip ever: buy an eazybleed. Small investment, but it's worth it!

Yeah, the first time I bled it, it didn't send any fluid out, but after sitting over night it "magically" built pressure back up and has been sending out good squirts of fluid, and I did bleed them again. I'm going to again tomorrow. After you release the fluid it takes a good while for pressure to come back. Too long. I've bled many brakes before, and never had this... Thanks!! Oh, and I actually have been eyeing an easy bleed every since the second time I had to bleed the brakes in my truck...

[DoctorRobert]

Well, just so there is a conclusion, it was the master cylinder. Changed that and all was fixed.

Plus while the car was brake-less I Seafoam-ed it, and in conjunction with having unplugged the transmission revolution sensor it runs great!!