No Brakes! Pedal Bottoms out, Reservoir full of fluid. What gives?

[Ziptar]

Brake pedal started going soft last week and has steady gotten worse. It will stiffen up with a few pumps but fronts grab unevenly and it pulls hard to the right. Pulls to the right if I bottom it out without pumping the pedal too. The reservoir is full and no fluid appears to be leaking anywhere.

Last year while it was at 1552 I had them do the brakes also upgraded to a 25MM master cylinder and GLI 10.1 front brakes, new stainless steel lines, pads and rotors.

At first I thought it might be a problem between the 25MM master cylinder and the original diesel brake booster but, it has been fine for a year. The master I ordered is part# 357611019A.

I guess I'll bleed them and go from there, any other ideas?  I guess it's possible the new master cylinder has gone belly up  .

[theman53]

I would guess air in lines? or if your rear brakes are drum one or both of the wheel cylinders could be leaking just enough to lose a little fluid that gets burnt up on the drum. I also had weird issues with the brake bias thing leaking that made the braking funny but I dont remember what it did now. Just some ideas, but I think you're on the right track for bleeding and it won't hurt.

[Ziptar]

Thanks, I am thinking it's got to be air or really wet fluid.

I've got rear disks but, I guess it is not inconceivable that I still might have a small seep somewhere that is sucking air.

[BigD]

Had this problem on my '85.  It was a bad caliper.  Wouldn't hold pressure and bled back to master cylinder somehow.  Caused pedal to go to the floor without pumping, and then wouldn't hold it once it got pumped up, pulled when braking hard.  Changed everything!!  Couldn't fix it!  Finally, nothing left so I changed out calipers and problem solved!!  I hate being a parts changer!  Try that, can't say that that is your problem, but it was mine.  Never had the problem since on either my '85 or '91 and still have both.  Outside stuff I am pretty comfortable with, its inside a diesel that twigs me out!  LOL

[Dakotakid]

I'd be inclined to inspect the rear actuator.

[Ziptar]

I didn't get to taking care of this until yesterday. I'll need to revisit it, the right rear caliper is either frozen / freezing up or the actuator is having a problem. The caliper works but, after much bleeding the pressure and amount of fluid is low, I'd say half or less that of the left rear.

That being said, I have really awesome pedal after the bleed. I am not pointing fingers but, maybe they didn't do the best job last year when I had the shop do the brakes. In their defense it came right down to the wire, The car was done 30 minutes after they closed and I literally left their shop in Florida and drove up to Massachusetts.  I remember feeling when I left the shop that I sort felt of gipped because the 10.1 upgrade while improved didn't brake as well as I imagined.

After yesterday's bleed all I can say is    . Now I feel like I have upgraded brakes!!!!

An inch or less of pedal travel is all it takes for an average stop, before it was half the travel of the pedal and recently the floor. I must have seemed like a crazy person to other drivers yesterday, at every light I stopped at I would say (out loud.) "THIS IS AWESOME!! HOLY CR@P!!!" 

[clbanman]

I am not pointing fingers but, maybe they didn't do the best job last year when I had the shop do the brakes. In their defense it came right down to the wire, The car was done 30 minutes after they closed and I literally left their shop in Florida and drove up to Massachusetts.  I remember feeling when I left the shop that I sort felt of gipped because the 10.1 upgrade while improved didn't brake as well as I imagined.

Reminds me of one of the few times I had a shop work on brakes.  Wife's Supra, didn't have time to work on it so had a local shop do it.  She picked it up and drove it home, told me the brakes didn't feel quite right.  My thought process ran along the lines of she's a woman and being overly worried.   30 minutes later we jumped in the car for a trip to the Upper Peninsula.  First stop sign, pedal goes to the floor.  Went back home, no fluid in the master cylinder.  Looked for fluid under the car, left rear caliper is soaked.  Jack the car up, remove the tire and check the bleeder screw - it wasn't even finger tight.   Shop got an earful on that one, and I no longer patronize them for anything.