Lost my brakes today... wtffffff

Kevin · 06-04-2009, 03:03 AM

Hello all.. so today i was leaving work.. (at the malll).. i was in the parking lot.. and i drove.. made a right turn while braking.. and suddenly a hear a small pop from the front right side.. and udeenly i lose ALL my braking power.. i was like wtf!!.. i'm sure i have good brakes and pads. im not sure about my break lines. but i had one of the rear lines replaced. i checked the reservior and it is still full.. i check the lines from the abs and they are fine. and there arent any visible signs of leaks... i was messy around in the parking lot seeing if i could pump the brakes.. to get home . and it seems that if i SLAM the brakes... i get reall good brake pressure as long as i hold on reeall reall hard.. and if i try braking normally... it just goes straight to the floor and there is absolutely no brake power.... and same if i slam it.. and i dont hold on hard.. it just kind sinks to the floor too..
my car is an 87 turbo manual. right now i parked at my friends house. im planning on biking over there tomorrow to check it out. do u guys have any suggestions?

IHateHacks · 06-04-2009, 12:14 PM

Brake line is bad.

If the hole is in a rubber line the fix is quick and easy, if the hole is in a hard metal line, you will have to fabricate your own.

Brake fluid needs to be changed once every year or you risk impurities causing damage to the brake system.

btwilson86 · 06-04-2009, 01:39 PM

Could also be a brake master cylinder. If it is no longer distributing the brake pressure as it should, your pedal will just sink to the floor without brake pressure until it hits the bottom. That's what happened in a 92 Jetta I had awhile back...

But definately check all of your rubber brake hose, look for wet spots near your braking system. If you had recently driven, try and see if you can smell burning brake fluid or see steam coming from one of your rotors.

The fact that your fluid level is still fine, however, leads me to lean more towards your master cylinder.

Kevin · 06-04-2009, 04:31 PM

is there a way to check if it is the master cyclinder?

mirage83 · 06-04-2009, 05:50 PM

Unless you're visibly losing brake fluid, your symptoms are typical of the master cylinder being bad and fluid leaking past the seals in it. The brake pedal slowly sinking to the floor is something of a giveaway if there's no fluid missing from the mc.

You can rebuild it yourself or buy a new/reman unit. If you do the work make sure to bench-bleed the mc before installing it. That'll make bleeding the rest of the system quicker.

06-04-2009, 03:03 AM	#1
Kevin 3" Exhaust Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 194	Lost my brakes today... wtffffff Hello all.. so today i was leaving work.. (at the malll).. i was in the parking lot.. and i drove.. made a right turn while braking.. and suddenly a hear a small pop from the front right side.. and udeenly i lose ALL my braking power.. i was like wtf!!.. i'm sure i have good brakes and pads. im not sure about my break lines. but i had one of the rear lines replaced. i checked the reservior and it is still full.. i check the lines from the abs and they are fine. and there arent any visible signs of leaks... i was messy around in the parking lot seeing if i could pump the brakes.. to get home . and it seems that if i SLAM the brakes... i get reall good brake pressure as long as i hold on reeall reall hard.. and if i try braking normally... it just goes straight to the floor and there is absolutely no brake power.... and same if i slam it.. and i dont hold on hard.. it just kind sinks to the floor too.. my car is an 87 turbo manual. right now i parked at my friends house. im planning on biking over there tomorrow to check it out. do u guys have any suggestions?

06-04-2009, 01:39 PM	#3
btwilson86 Super Moderator Join Date: May 2007 Location: Billings, Montana Posts: 1,034	Could also be a brake master cylinder. If it is no longer distributing the brake pressure as it should, your pedal will just sink to the floor without brake pressure until it hits the bottom. That's what happened in a 92 Jetta I had awhile back... But definately check all of your rubber brake hose, look for wet spots near your braking system. If you had recently driven, try and see if you can smell burning brake fluid or see steam coming from one of your rotors. The fact that your fluid level is still fine, however, leads me to lean more towards your master cylinder. __________________ 1989 7MGTE R154 Targa Top White Package w/Blue Interior Driftmotion 57trim CT26, Upgraded Intercooler, 2.25" Hard Pipes, 3" Turbo Back Exhaust with Test Pipe, HKS VPC w/GM 3 bar MAP sensor, APEXi S-AFC, Walbro 255lph fuel pump, ProSport EVO Series Boost / Fuel Pressure / AFR gauges, Lotek a Pillar Gauge Pod, HKS Type 0 Turbo Timer, Eibach Lowering Springs, Tokico Illumina II TEMS struts, custom powder coated Motegi Racing TrakLite wheels

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06-04-2009, 12:14 PM	#2
IHateHacks 20psi boost Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Haven/Hamden Posts: 793	Brake line is bad. If the hole is in a rubber line the fix is quick and easy, if the hole is in a hard metal line, you will have to fabricate your own. Brake fluid needs to be changed once every year or you risk impurities causing damage to the brake system.

06-04-2009, 04:31 PM	#4
Kevin 3" Exhaust Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 194	is there a way to check if it is the master cyclinder?

06-04-2009, 05:50 PM	#5
mirage83 12psi boost Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 359	Unless you're visibly losing brake fluid, your symptoms are typical of the master cylinder being bad and fluid leaking past the seals in it. The brake pedal slowly sinking to the floor is something of a giveaway if there's no fluid missing from the mc. You can rebuild it yourself or buy a new/reman unit. If you do the work make sure to bench-bleed the mc before installing it. That'll make bleeding the rest of the system quicker.