Brake Problem Help!

Hi guys, i just picked up my first G. I know cars very well and im pretty sure i know what the problem is on my 04 G, but i wanted to run it by your guys just to see what you think. The problem is that i have a very weak brake pedal. the pedal doesn't even try to stop the car until you get to the last inch of pedal all way to the floor. I bleed the brakes and im pretty sure its the master cyl.. when i was bleeding the brakes (i was on the outside and someone else was pumping the brakes for me). i started with the driver front wheel and the fluid would squirt out of there very high like it should. however the other three wheels the fluid barely came out when pressing the pedal down fairly fast. that kinda makes me think that maybe there is some more air in the line. but i did run a quart of fluid though system trying to flush out all the old fluid in the process. i did bleed both the inner and outter valves at each wheel. Fyi, i bought this car as is, so i can't tell you how long its been like this or if it happened all of a sudden. i don't see any spots under the car that looks like fluid is leaking anywhere and the brake fluid reservoir was full all the way to the top before i started. so if there was a leak, then i would think that it wouldn't have been full. if you agree and think its a master cyl. where do you suggest that i buy one? thanks for any help you can provide.

Hi guys, i just picked up my first G. I know cars very well and im pretty sure i know what the problem is on my 04 G, but i wanted to run it by your guys just to see what you think. The problem is that i have a very weak brake pedal. the pedal doesn't even try to stop the car until you get to the last inch of pedal all way to the floor. I bleed the brakes and im pretty sure its the master cyl.. when i was bleeding the brakes (i was on the outside and someone else was pumping the brakes for me). i started with the driver front wheel and the fluid would squirt out of there very high like it should. however the other three wheels the fluid barely came out when pressing the pedal down fairly fast. that kinda makes me think that maybe there is some more air in the line. but i did run a quart of fluid though system trying to flush out all the old fluid in the process. i did bleed both the inner and outter valves at each wheel. Fyi, i bought this car as is, so i can't tell you how long its been like this or if it happened all of a sudden. i don't see any spots under the car that looks like fluid is leaking anywhere and the brake fluid reservoir was full all the way to the top before i started. so if there was a leak, then i would think that it wouldn't have been full. if you agree and think its a master cyl. where do you suggest that i buy one? thanks for any help you can provide.

 

 

When you bleed your brakes you should start at the wheel that is furthest from the master and work your way around to the wheel that is closest. Start with the rear passenger, rear driver next, front passenger next and front driver last. You need to pump your brakes with the bleeder screw closed to build up pressure and then hold the brake pedal down while the screw is closed. While holding the brake pedal down open the bleeder screw till the brake is on the floor and hold it down on the floor while you close the brake bleeder screw. Repeat this step several times until there is no more air coming out of the system. Do this on the front and rear side of the caliper and once you are done removing the air from that caliper, move onto the next one.

 

To make sure that there is no air coming out anymore you should take a rubber fuel line that will fit snugly over the brake bleeding screw. Take the line and make it long enough so it can extend into a clear plastic bottle (something like a gatorade bottle). You can drill a hole in the plastic cap and insert the rubber line through the hole. Make sure that there is brake fluid in the bottom of the bottle and that the rubber line is in the fluid. You will still be able to get a wrench on the bleeder screw while the line is on it and you will be able to open and close the screw with the line attached. Pay attention to the fluid coming out of the hose. If you see air bubbles in the water then there is air in your line.

 

I hope that this makes sense to you.

you need about 3 liter of break fluid now to flush all the air out. someone screwed up and got air in. it's very easy to get air into the resevoir. i screwed up when i did my brakes last time. get lots of fluids and it'll work right again.

To see if the master is bad make sure all air is out of the system. Then place pressure on the brake pedal and see if it starts to fall. If I remember you will also find that there is a small hose around the Master that can bee pinched. make sure the hose is not pinched.

thanks, but i ended up figuring it out myself. it kinda was the master cylinder. i tried another thing, ive found that if a master cylinder might be bad, then if you kick the pedal hard and fast that you should be able to get the rubber seal in the cylinder to hold and thus feel pressure in the pedal. after two or three kicks, it fixed it self. so clearly there was a small piece of rust or sand that got in there and let the fluid blow by. however now i have another problem, the brakes feel fine, but when i take a hard corner, the brake light flashes at me for a couple seconds. any ideas? i haven't had time yet to check the fluid level, but my guess is it might be low?

....when i take a hard corner, the brake light flashes at me for a couple seconds. any ideas? i haven't had time yet to check the fluid level, but my guess is it might be low?

 

Low brake fluid level. Usually shows up first in hard left hand turns.

thanks, but i ended up figuring it out myself. it kinda was the master cylinder. i tried another thing, ive found that if a master cylinder might be bad, then if you kick the pedal hard and fast that you should be able to get the rubber seal in the cylinder to hold and thus feel pressure in the pedal. after two or three kicks, it fixed it self. so clearly there was a small piece of rust or sand that got in there and let the fluid blow by. however now i have another problem, the brakes feel fine, but when i take a hard corner, the brake light flashes at me for a couple seconds. any ideas? i haven't had time yet to check the fluid level, but my guess is it might be low?

Glad to see your working the kinks out.