Wierd Brake Issue

[CalsonicGTR]

Every so often when I am driving, my brake pedal goes to the floor. It seems to happen at random every other day or so. Also, when stopped at a light, the brake pedal goes down incrementally the longer I'm on it. That doesnt happen all the time either, but more often than the other thing. What should I look for?

 

[rakkasan]

sounds like you have air in the lines

 

[gaboonviper85]

keep a very close eye on your brake fluid.... Sounds like a leak or your brake booster is leaking vacume pressure via the diaphram. Look up the toyota procedure for testing your brake booster I don't have the service manual but you should be able to find the procedure.... Look for oil leaking from behind the booster and go over your brake lines and calipers... There is many possibilites that could cause this so your gonna have to get dirty and inspect..

 

[gaboonviper85]

The more info the better... When did you do your brakes last, when was the last time you flushed the brake system, when did it start doing this, when was the last time you put brake lines in, was the brakes bled in the right order?

 

[CalsonicGTR]

Ok, I tested the brake booster according to the TSRM and it is working fine. The brake fluid level hasnt changed at all and I can't find any leaks. The fluid is somewhat dirty though, so I'll need to change it somtime soon. Brakes were last done by the previous owner a bit over a year ago. It looks like the next step is to bleed the brakes and put new fluid in. Can I do this without taking the wheels off? I live in an apartment until summer and they frown upon doing work in their parking lot.

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

Ok, I tested the brake booster according to the TSRM and it is working fine. The brake fluid level hasnt changed at all and I can't find any leaks. The fluid is somewhat dirty though, so I'll need to change it somtime soon. Brakes were last done by the previous owner a bit over a year ago. It looks like the next step is to bleed the brakes and put new fluid in. Can I do this without taking the wheels off? I live in an apartment until summer and they frown upon doing work in their parking lot.

Yes, you just need a helper or a brake bleeder vac pump. Lot easier to jack the car up to reach the bleeder fittings. Just turn the front wheels as you need to and hook a old vac hose to it and keep pouring the fluid and pumping the pedal until you see clean fluid comming out.

 

[CalsonicGTR]

Just to update, the brakes have been bled with new fluid and it has actually gotten a bit worse. Looks like the master cylinder is done. Anyone have any experience with the remanufactured units Advance Auto Parts sells? Toyota wants about $250 and it would be until middle of next week before they would get it. Much less expensive at Advance as well.

 

[Mr.PFloyd]

This is like my clutch master problem. Yeap lol.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Get it from Toyota or expect to replace it every other year if you are lucky. You'd be lucky if an advanceauto special even works out of the box.

 

[Ckanderson]

Get it from Toyota or expect to replace it every other year if you are lucky. You'd be lucky if an advanceauto special even works out of the box.

:rofl: what are you talking about?

driftmotion has them for sale, and their is no reason why you should be replacing a MC every other year.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

I didn't know driftmotion sold them.

I'm not joking about receiving broken new parts from advance. Has happened to me on numerous occasions.

In my experience, advance auto and jap parts do not mix too well, I have my assumptions on that but I'll keep that to myself.

Just my opinion about advance auto. Feel free to shop there yourself.

 

[Ckanderson]

I didn't know driftmotion sold them.

I'm not joking about receiving broken new parts from advance. Has happened to me on numerous occasions.

Just my opinion about advance auto. Feel free to shop there yourself.

I understand you might have recieved defective ones. happens from tiem to time. we all get them from the same few places anyways....

i was laughing at the comment of replacing them every other year.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Story behind that comment-

Had a "customer" with a 4 cyl MX-6 that had a no start condition, yadda yadda, turns out he swapped the distributor with an advance auto special, a year later, guess what?

I've had a rear caliper come out of the box fubar'd.

And an alt for a customer with a 92 SHO, pulley wouldn't even spin out of the box.

I can go on and on, thermostats, starters, previous owner swapped my master cyl with an advance and guess what, it leaked!!!. I've learned to go with OEM or go home.

And because of all this nonsense, they won the rights to all of my reclaimed oil, ATF, coolant, gear oil, brake fluid, hydraulic oil. You can tell which advance I live near because they have a perpetual sign on their door NO MORE USED OIL and I still drop it off late at night. Suckers.

 

[CalsonicGTR]

Anyone know where I can get a gasket for the master cylinder? The remanufactured one did not come with one and I'm not going to reuse the old one on something like the brakes.