Brakes withered away

[DAT RICE]

over the last 3 days, i had to press harder on the brake pedal harder and harder to stop until now I have the brakes fully pressed down and they don't work at all. My friend told me it's the brake fluid. My car has been leaking fluid already so now i believe i may have brake fluid leaking. This was after i was flying down a hwy at 96mph. i'm guessing i ruptured something. My brake pads can't be the problem. i'm the guy with the worst camry btw, it has like 3 leaking things.

[hill8570]

Brake fluid reservoir is driver's side near the firewall. Keep it topped off I(with brake fluid) while you trace the leak, although it might be too late -- if you have air in your lines you'll have to bleed the lines before they'll work for crap.

[the_professional]

^what he said, your gonna have to find the leak(s) and limit them to one section. Replace them with OEM or if you like SS lines.

Air is prolly in your brakes lines or your master cylinder is done.

[ASG14]

The fact you KNOW your brakes had issues, and you were going 96mph, is idiotic at best, deadly at worst.

Go to a mechanic and have it fixed.

[Mike Gerber]

"The fact you KNOW your brakes had issues, and you were going 96mph, is idiotic at best, deadly at worst."

Well put!

Mike

[DAT RICE]

my brakes were perfect until after i was speeding at 96mph

[the_professional]

I dont mean to be a prick on this, but im bored.

You must have known since,

Originally Posted by DAT RICE

over the last 3 days, i had to press harder on the brake pedal harder and harder to stop until now. My car has been leaking fluid already so now i believe i may have brake fluid leaking. This was after i was flying down a hwy at 96mph. i'm guessing i ruptured something. My brake pads can't be the problem. i'm the guy with the worst camry btw, it has like 3 leaking things.

Your car is leaking fluid.
But, I cant say i havent when 120+ but, i still like to pretend my Camry is a sportcar. I hope that wasnt on the jersey turnpike.
I would get those 3 things checked out though, seriously you could die. Your Camry will do plenty if its cared for.

[DAT RICE]

the leaks are diagnosed, i understand ur concern. it's just that my car is such a lemon, i thought i was getting a deal for $1100. Now i see a good v6 camry for $1000 on CL. I have no job yet, once i get one i'll fix her up, the repairs won't cost more than the car though. (i live with my parents, im 18 btw) I'm in the market for a parts car. I'm worried that the master cylinder is dead. My dad said it would be costly. I'm not sure about that. As advised i checked the brake fluid, it was gone. I filled it up. If i could make a thread just about my car i could tell you all the things wrong with it. How do i bleed the brakes? Also, i see this car http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/cto/1185939369.html as a potential parts car for me. I'll make a blog

[500KCamry]

From what you describe, its likely not the master brake cylinder. It's more likely a rubber brake line at one of the wheels, or one of wheel brake cylinders that is leaking fluid.

[DAT RICE]

Originally Posted by 500KCamry

From what you describe, its likely not the master brake cylinder. It's more likely a rubber brake line at one of the wheels, or one of wheel brake cylinders that is leaking fluid.

If that is the problem, it affects all four brakes? Cause there's absolutely no brake resistance when i floor the brakes. i haven't checked my car today yet, my keys are missing

[500KCamry]

Originally Posted by DAT RICE

If that is the problem, it affects all four brakes? Cause there's absolutely no brake resistance when i floor the brakes. i haven't checked my car today yet, my keys are missing

Once you've used your brakes to the point where the pedal travels freely to the floor, with no pressure, your master cylinder has been emptied of brake fluid and you've now got air in all brake lines. You have to refill the master brake cylinder and bleed the air out of the system one wheel at a time making sure to keep the master cylinder full while you do this.

But before you do the bleed, you have to fix the problem, find out where the leak is. Look on you wheel rims, are any of them wet with brake fluid? Or is there fluid on the ground by a wheel or under the car?

[500KCamry]

If you want to bleed your brakes ... do it one wheel at a time making sure that you keep the master cylinder full. Easiest with two people.

1. Take off the tire.
2. On the wheel brake cylinder, you'll see a rubber cap on a drain fitting, take off the cap.
3. Put a closed end wrench (it's either 8mm or 10mm) onto the fitting, then put a piece of clear tubing (like for a fish aquarium) onto the end of fitting.
4. Put the other end of the tubbing into a clear jar, partially filled with brake fluid. Make sure the end of the tube stays immersed in the fluid.
5. Now loosen the fitting 1/4 turn and tell your helper to push the brake pedal slowly down to the floor and hold it there.
6. Now tighten the fitting and then tell your helper to release the brake pedal.
7. Repeat 5 and 6 until no more air bubbles can be seen coming out of the wheel brake cylinder.
8. Put the rubber cap back on the drain fitting, put the tire back on, refill the master cylinder and do the next wheel, same procedure.
9. You have to move fluid from the master cylinder all the way to the wheel brake cylinder, so steps 5 and 6 will take longer for the rear wheels.
10. Having the loose end of the clear tubing imersed in jar of fluid does two things, (1) it collects the excess fluid you pump out of your brake system, and (2) if you don't tighten the fitting and your helper releases the brake pedal, it sucks fluid, not air, back into the system.

[DAT RICE]

do i have to do that yet? i checked the brakes after adding the brake fluid, which was gone. The brakes are working just fine now.

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by DAT RICE

do i have to do that yet? i checked the brakes after adding the brake fluid, which was gone. The brakes are working just fine now.

Must not be a lot of air in the lines if the pedal doesn't feel spongy. Since you've got an obvious leak somewhere (brake fluid doesn't just evaporate from the reservoir), I'd first track down the leak ASAP, and then bleed the brakes once you've fixed the leak.

[DAT RICE]

i checked the level of resevoir fluid since i added and it hasn't gone down at all. i don't think it's a leak, i just think the resevoir tank hadn't been checked in a VERY long time. There are no leaks coming around the tires.