No brakes!!! Please help!

[Lunkan]

When I drove the car during the weekend, I noticed the brakes didn´t do to good and the BRAKE light was lit. So tonight I took the time to bleed them, which was no problem. BUT, now I have no brakes at all and I can´t find any leaks. The BRAKE is ofcourse still lit.

Please help, I don´t get it...

/Andreas

 

[89ICBM]

Hi Andreas,

Check your vacuum hose going to the brake booster. It's the large hose on the driver side of the vacuum block. If this comes loose or is cracked you will have no brakes.

 

[Lunkan]

Originally posted by 89ICBM
Hi Andreas,

Check your vacuum hose going to the brake booster. It's the large hose on the driver side of the vacuum block. If this comes loose or is cracked you will have no brakes.

Thanks for the reply, but that was the first thing I checked. No cracks or leaks

 

[bruce]

Originally posted by Lunkan
When I drove the car during the weekend, I noticed the brakes didn´t do to good and the BRAKE light was lit. So tonight I took the time to bleed them, which was no problem. BUT, now I have no brakes at all and I can´t find any leaks. The BRAKE is ofcourse still lit.
Please help, I don´t get it...

The only reason for the lit to be on, is either from the emergency brake being on, or the balance bar in the proportioning valve is slide over. Follow the brake lines down from the Master Cylinder, and they'll meet at a unit where several addition lines attach. You should see a single wire attach to it. Carefully remove the connector, and turn the key on, if the lit is now off, then the problem is the balance switch is stuck off center. Meaning one side of the system had/had lost the ability to hold pressure.

 

[Lunkan]

Re: Re: No brakes!!! Please help!

Originally posted by bruce
The only reason for the lit to be on, is either from the emergency brake being on, or the balance bar in the proportioning valve is slide over. Follow the brake lines down from the Master Cylinder, and they'll meet at a unit where several addition lines attach. You should see a single wire attach to it. Carefully remove the connector, and turn the key on, if the lit is now off, then the problem is the balance switch is stuck off center. Meaning one side of the system had/had lost the ability to hold pressure.

Thanks for the info, I´ll have to check it tomorrow. Now it´s bedtime (time is 00.30 here in Sweden)

What if it is the balance switch? How would I be able to fix that?

 

[Lunkan]

I just had a look, and the light is out when the connector off. When putting the connector back, the light is lit again.

Damn, and I was going to have emissions today in 3 hours from now

 

[Lunkan]

I think I made a really stupid thing, I emptied the whole system a month ago (including master cylinder). So I guess the problem is that I´ve got air in the M/C. I´ll try to bleed it and see what happens...

 

[joejakegrace]

I'm laughing reading this. I had my car about a week - took it around the block and pulled into my driveway and headed toward my garage at about 15 mph. Put the brake pedal down and "thunk" - (vacuum line) - yeeeeeeesssssssssshhhhhhhh - clean the pants. Put a clamp on it as it came off again one time after that! - Doesn't "light" the brake light though.

 

[87buick3825]

Make sure ya bleed the master cyl first

 

[Lunkan]

Originally posted by 87buick3825
Make sure ya bleed the master cyl first

Yes, I know. I just have to wait until I can get some help with pushing the brakepedal.

 

[mark b]

While you are waiting for someone you could let it gravity bleed. Just fill it up, slightly crack open the bleeders and let it drip. You may want to do something to make it a little neater
Just make sure the master cylinder does not go empty.

I actually know some mechanics that do brakes last thing in the day and let them gravity bleed overnight.

Also - not sure if you have them, but those vacuum "Mty-vac" units are nice. They make a cheaper plastic one that is used for bleeding brakes. I think it's under $30 (USD) now.

I haven't tried the "one-man bleeder valves" that are available now.

 

[Lunkan]

I found a neet little thing http://www.biltema.se/Archive/Product_images/19/Huge/19-148_h.jpg which only costs $5.50 and works flawless.

 

[Lunkan]

Ahh, finally I have breaks again. Too bad I couldn´t sort it out last night, now I have to book a new emission test...

After 30min of bleeding the system, the BRAKE light died. Jesica wasn´t TOO happy to sit in the seat "push down, hold, release.... push down, hold, release..." She´s not too keen of the car at the moment, thinks I spend more time with it than with her