I have been driving my older car. Yes, it's from 1981. I have noticed that when I press the brakes, the pedal is very spongy. I drove the car yesterday and it stops but it takes more time and effort. I was at a stoplight yesterday and I had the brake pedal pressed. All of the sudden, it felt as if it lost pressure. The brake pedal continued to move to the floor and the car began to move again. I then let off of the pedal and pressed it again to build up pressure. The car stopped. What can be wrong? I changed the back brake cylinders a few months ago. Any help is greatly appreciated!
fire45112007-07-17T09:24:34Z
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You have a leak somewhere in your braking system. It may be a bad wheel cylinder, a bad line or hose, a leaking caliper, or a bad master cylinder!
Do not drive the vehicle. You can experience a total brake failure at any time.
Inspect the lines, calipers and wheel cylinders and if they are good, replace the master cylinder!
The spongy brake pedal feel was caused by air in the brake system. The pedal going to the floor can be either an external(visable)leak or an internal leak in the master cylinder.If the master cylinder is full and there is nothing leaking externally when you apply the brake(car parked),then there is an internal leak inside the master cylinder requiring the master cylinder to be replaced. 1. Bleed the new master cylinder 2. Bleed the entire brake system after this installation is complete.
You need to check the brake fluid level and bleed the brake system. There is air in the brake lines, the hotter temps outside are causing the air to expand and that is why your problem is getting worse. Just bleed the brakes and be sure to keep the reservior full while bleeding the system. Pump the brakes a few times then hold them while someone else opens the bleeder on the brake cylinder once in has opened close the bleeder before letting off of the pedal. Repeat these steps until all of the air is out of the line probably about 10 times. Then move to the next brake cylinder. Keep watch on the fluid level and lay the top on the brake fluid reservior while pumping or the fluid will squirt out of there...Good Luck
You either have a leak in the brake system and brake fluid is leaking out, or you have air in the brake system. Check around the brake cylinders for obvious brake fluid leaking. If you don't find any obvious leaks, try bleeding the brakes to see if there was any air that got into the system. Important: When bleeding the brakes..... start at the brake cylinder that is furthest from the master cylinder (typically the passenger side rear)........ then move to the drivers rear.... passenger front..... and finally the drivers front. Make sure you have a solid brake pedal that holds firm when you apply the brakes for a period of time. It's possible that the seals are leaking on the older cylinders that you didn't replace, or air has gotten into the system past weak or leaking seals.
The seals are worn in the master cylinder. The master cylinder is usually just below the reservoir where you add the brake fluid.
You could also have a leak. Check your brake fluid reservoir. If it is low, you have a leak. Look under the car for signs of a leak. Brake fluid is clear and oily. Look at the inside sidewalls of the tires. If it looks wet, the brake at that wheel is leaking. Look at the rubber hoses near the suspension. On a car this old, the brake hoses mat have cracked.
You should have this repaired ASAP. Don't mess around when it comes to your brakes.
On a car this old, it would also be a good idea to change the brake fluid and flush the brake lines. Brake fluid can get old. It can absorb moisture. By flushing the brake lines and adding new brake fluid, you will get a more solid brake pedal.