Toyota Nation Forum banner

Help '06 Brake Fluid Leak

11K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  SilverStar73 
#1 ·
I have an '06 Camry 4cyl with 84,000 miles on the clock. The brake fluid in the mc is leaking down. It takes about 3 weeks for it to leak down enough for the brake light to come on. I have checked the mc,booster, hose from booster to engine,traced the lines to the ABS,traced the lines to each wheel,checked the calibers,rear wheel cylinders,and under the dash. Can not find a leak any where. Any ideas? Thanks.
 
#4 ·
If that's the hose that runs from the booster to the back of the engine, I did check it and it was dry as a bone. I followed the lines to the wheels and can not find the leak anywhere. This really has me buffaloed. When it leaks down enough for the brake light to come on, it should be wet somewhere but I can't find it. Thanks for your reply.
 
#3 ·
There was a recall from Toyota for a leaking seal on Master cylinders if any Non Toyota brake fluid was added. It affected Highlanders mostly but it may have been fir Camry as well.

I would call the dealer and see if its applicable. This way if the booster is damaged its also covered.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SilverStar73
#5 ·
There was a recall from Toyota for a leaking seal on Master cylinders if any Non Toyota brake fluid was added. It affected Highlanders mostly but it may have been fir Camry as well.

I would call the dealer and see if its applicable. This way if the booster is damaged its also covered.
I'll check and see if there was a recall on the Camry. Thanks for you reply.
 
#7 ·
With the mileage, I would replace the master cylinder. When you remove it, I will bet you a burrito that you will find a little fluid on the piston end of the mc and therein is the problem. Think. Where else could it be going?? Any leak at any of the wheels will be very noticable, and any leak in a line is going to drip or squirt when you press the brakes. You will find fluid all under the car somewhere. That isn't happening. Must be the master cylinder, and given the age, time to do preventative maintenance and cycle it out.
 
#8 ·
Just checked about recall. Camry is not covered.

But if you do replace the master yourself make sure you do it properly. Improper bench bleeding, improperly Lubimg of piston seal etc. can cause problems.

Also newer Toyotas have a weird master cylinder design in that if you remove it and tilt it downward it's not held together by a snap ring or anything. Tilting it will cause everything to fall out which is unlike most master cylinders I have personally dealt with.

Also if you are handy enough you could simply rebuild your master cylinder with new seals and springs(if applicable) and save some money. Reman master cylinders are not all created equal. Read reviews on the supplier of a reman master if you go that route.
 
#11 ·
With engine running stand an brake pedal(hard pressure) with both of your feet for a couple of minutes. You may feel the pedal going down slightly.

Recheck entire system for leaks(wheels off). Brake fluid leaks from lines are sometimes hard to distinguish from other fluids(i.e. rustproofing), in which case spraying a little mist of water on fluid in question would produce a milky mix(brake fluid absorbes water oil does not).

Not familiar with Toyota mc., but usually if leaking at rear toward the booster youd see fluid leaking at front(of booster) making it's way down or see paint peeling off of booster face.
 
#12 ·
With engine running stand an brake pedal(hard pressure) with both of your feet for a couple of minutes. You may feel the pedal going down slightly.

Recheck entire system for leaks(wheels off). Brake fluid leaks from lines are sometimes hard to distinguish from other fluids(i.e. rustproofing), in which case spraying a little mist of water on fluid in question would produce a milky mix(brake fluid absorbes water oil does not).

Not familiar with Toyota mc., but usually if leaking at rear toward the booster youd see fluid leaking at front(of booster) making it's way down or see paint peeling off of booster face.
The brake pedal goes down more than slightly. It goes down closed to floor. I bled the brakes while I had the wheels off and the pedal still goes down. Still no signs of a leak. Haven't taken mc off yet.
 
#13 ·
If you rapidly pump the pedal does firm up? If so there is still air in the system. If it doesn't then look into a bad MC. There may be other areas like ABS or rubber brake hoses swelling.

You can loosen the MC nuts and carefully move it forward a little bit to check for leaks in the back.
 
#17 ·
No, not yet Don. Haven't had alot of time lately. I had the car serviced and inspected Friday and asked those folks to look for a leak and they didn't find one either. The fluid had already dropped from max to min. My neighbor is a retired mechanic so I'm going to go ahead and purchase a mc and get him to make sure I replace it correctly and see what happens. Thanks for asking. I'll let you know.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top