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Car Forum / Chrysler Cars / April 200699 Caravan, Soft Brake?
HELP !!! I'm at my wits end...... I have a 99 Caravan and recently replaced a rear axle lina and wheel cylinder and a front calaiper flex line. I blead the brakes (but only those lines) until I figured all the air was out. The brake at this point was good, almost perfect, only a little spongy. Then, a few days later I lost the brakes again. I assumed that I had disturbed the steel line going from the flex line to the master cylinder, but when I checked the fluid level in the resevoir was fine?? Then I was told, or, you have air in your lines, bleed them all, starting from the farthest point and work your way forward. So three containers of brake fliud later.................. Still not right. This is what is happening to my brake right now. If I push on the peddle it seems fine, but, if I slack off slightly as you would in slow rolling traffic, and then press again it goes further towards the floor, slack off again, and it goes more, till after about 3 or 4 pushes, its right to the floor. I'm still not losing any fluid, so it isn't a leak. Could my master cylinder be bypassing on one line only?? If it was the front one on the master the fliud wouldn't be able to leak out? Any suggestions or comments. PLEASE and Thank-you David > HELP !!! I'm at my wits end...... > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > David If this vehicle has ABS brake System you are going to need a scan tool to bleed the hydraulic assembly. Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech >> HELP !!! I'm at my wits end...... >> [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > Glenn Beasley > Chrysler Tech No ABS on this one Glenn, I'm told now that it may be the check valves. >HELP !!! I'm at my wits end...... Does the brake pedal continue to sink while you are sitting at a light? Steve B. If the brake is up when I initially push on it, and I maintain a constant pressure on the pedal it generally stays up. David >>HELP !!! I'm at my wits end...... >> > Does the brake pedal continue to sink while you are sitting at a > light? > > Steve B. >If the brake is up when I initially push on it, and I maintain a constant >pressure on the pedal it generally stays up. > >David You say it generally stays up. If it *ever* doesn't stay up and you aren't loosing fluid then you most likely have failed seals in the master cylinder. Some times when you bleed a master cylinder you can damage the seals doing so. Brake fluid absorbs water and water causes rust in the system. The master cylinder normally has a short range of travel and keeps the bore within that range of travel shiney and smooth but the bore outside the range of travel gets rusty and pitted. Then when you come along to bleed the brakes you run the master cylinder through its full range of travel and the rubber seals end up getting damaged by the rough and rusty areas of the cylinder where they have never been before. Hope you find the problem soon. Let us know what it turns out to be. Steve B. > HELP !!! I'm at my wits end...... > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > David Sounds like it's time for an overhaul or new master cylinder, _provided_ everything else is in good working order. HTH, Andy. Turns out that I was my own worse enemy. When I changed out one of my brake lines I used an old bottle of brake fluid that had been sitting on a shelf in my shed. Apparently it must have somehow gotten contaminated because the master cylinder on my van had some crud in the resevoir. The mechanic who changed the cylinders for me said that the seals deteriorate rapidly when exposed to contaminated fliud. He also told be that fliud stored in a container with no cover on it will "go off", and thats even if nothing falls into it, just from the air I guess. A word to anyone doing brake work, always be sure to use fresh or new fluid. The stuff you bought last year and used a bit of and then shelved, is possibly gone bad, and for the sake of a couple of bucks, you could save yourself some hastle. I won't do it again, thats for sure......... David > HELP !!! I'm at my wits end...... > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > David > Turns out that I was my own worse enemy. When I changed out one of my brake > lines I used an old bottle of brake fluid that had been sitting on a shelf [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > that fliud stored in a container with no cover on it will "go off", and > thats even if nothing falls into it, just from the air I guess. Absolutely. Alcohol-based brake fluids absorb moisture rapidly from the air. > A word to anyone doing brake work, always be sure to use fresh or new fluid. > The stuff you bought last year and used a bit of and then shelved, is > possibly gone bad, and for the sake of a couple of bucks, you could save > yourself some hastle. Yes, this is pretty common knowledge. Matt |
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