HELP: Disc & Pad Replacement Problem - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

.::miLan · 05-22-2006, 03:32 PM

Help needed as soon as possible!

I ventured out to change the pads and discs on my mom's car this morning (1998 Toyota Corolla). I've done many brake changes before, but ran into a problem upon completing this job.

PROBLEM:
After draining a bit of the brake fluid, to ensure there was no excess air in the lines, and topping off the brake fluid resevoir to just below the 'max' line, I pumped the brake pedal in the car three times, without ignition, and everything seemed fine.

When I turned on the car, and pumped the brake pedal, it sank right to the floor board. Took it out for a drive around the street at low speed. The car does stop, but the pedal sinks to just about the floor - and it does not stop as new pads and discs should.

What do the brake gurus on the forums think the problem is?

If anybody might know what the problem is, please post or PM me.

Thanks in advance.

Flashmn · 05-22-2006, 03:52 PM

ABS equipped cars are bleeded differently than conventional brakes. Otherwise you wont have brakes.

JohnO356 · 05-22-2006, 03:57 PM

From your post it doesn't sound as though you bled the brakes. It requires more than "letting a little fluid out". Just bleed the brakes properly and you'll probably be OK.

Flashmn · 05-22-2006, 04:01 PM

like I said ABS isnt bled like normal brakes. Dont give misinformation in cases like this that can cause harm to him and to others when he has no brakes.

JohnO356 · 05-22-2006, 05:35 PM

Flashmn, I didn't give any misinformation, I told him to bleed the brakes properly. The type of brakes on the car is immmaterial to what I said. As long as he bleeds whatever type brakes he has in the proper manner, they'll probably be OK. One more thing, he doesn't say which type braking system he has.

Just noticed your info. Hivasti (sp?)

Flashmn · 05-23-2006, 07:14 AM

Hmmh, yeah so it seems, my appologies about the comment.

Oh and its "hyvästi" but quite close.

freakinbox · 05-23-2006, 09:17 AM

in the shop we bleed them all the same. Open the bleeder valve and pump em with someone on the other end to close it before it sucks air in. Repeat a few times and bam it's good. The other thing that causes what he's decribing is bad brake cylinders for drums and calipers for disc.

Flashmn · 05-23-2006, 10:23 AM

Remind me not to bring my car to your shop if I have ABS brakes on it.
First of all abs systems have a different way of being bled, which varies alot with manufacteurer procedures. On Saabs, you have to bleed the front calipers first, or you'll screw up. The car has to be running, naturally, as the ac pump unit has to function. On some cars you have to use a pressure bleeder to get all the air out.
Its a bigger hassle if you managed to leak out all the brakefluid from the ABS pump.

Leaking brakecylinders would be noticeable from a drop in the master cyl level, just because you have a slight leak in a brakecylinder you wont lose your brakes like that. Just ask me how I know. If you have a hole in the frigging brakelines then you'll push the pedal to the floor and have no brakes.