vsm_EJ6

I'll be blunt, I did not search, I don't have time to. I need to post this, get to class, and hope for the best responces.

(97 Honda Civic LX)
Last night my brakes were working fine, up until about.. 10pm EST. (That's when I parked my car for the night, and they were working fine) I woke up at 5am EST to give my friend a ride to work, and my brakes felt spongy. I had to push them to the floor, and only when I push as hard as I can, do I get a responce. We filled the master cylinder with brake fluid, and got him to work. Before I left for work myself, I filled the master cylinder to the top, and left for work. Now, if my brake lines were NOT leaking, would the master cylinder stay filled to the very top? Or would it drain down a bit, because now it's down to about.. where I can just touch fluid with my fingertip.

A couple of other things:
My brake light is on

What could it be? It happened all of a suddon over night. Give me the best advice you can give, what I should replace, get looked at, etc. Thanks a ton.

Last thing, anyone give mef a possible estimate on the cost of all this as well? Thanks.


Modified by vsm_EJ6 at 6:50 PM 12/2/2005

spoonracer84eg

Hmm... I would pull wheels off check rotors, pads and maybe do a brake bleed. My ebrake isnt even connected so that has nothing directly to do with it.

Hatchy-Ownzjo0

Could be a slow leak.. If the fluid leaked low enough then air got into the system, which would explain why your brakes are acting they way they are. I recommend bleeding your breaks and then seeing if the fluid still leaks out. If it does then you should prolly pin point the problem. Could be the master cylinder or a leak in one of the lines or something.

sockvtec

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spoonracer84eg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hmm... I would pull wheels off check rotors, pads and maybe do a brake bleed. My ebrake isnt even connected so that has nothing directly to do with it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

well it obviously has nothing to do with rotors or pads...

and why disconnect the ebrake? under heavy braking, your rears are also incorporated to help out...i think its like 15% in the rear and 85% in the front or something...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hatchy-Ownzjo0 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Could be a slow leak..Could be the master cylinder or a leak in one of the lines or something.</TD></TR></TABLE>

most definatly check that out

littleredcivic

check your rear drums. it is likely that the brake cylinder is leaking at the seals and has soaked the pads making your parking brake not work right and affect your brake response. fluid that disappears is not a good thing. if your brake light is on, that is for sure not a good thing. you may also have a faulty master cylinder. check under the dash and inside the hood and look for brake fluid.

spoonracer84eg

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sockvtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

well it obviously has nothing to do with rotors or pads...

and why disconnect the ebrake? under heavy braking, your rears are also incorporated to help out...i think its like 15% in the rear and 85% in the front or something...

most definatly check that out</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was stating the fact that my ebrake is disco'd right now and pointing out the fact that it has nothing to do with "spongy" brakes.

JDM-97CX

The reason the master cylinder was low to begin with was because your pads are probably very thin. The brake system is closed and it does not consume brake fluid, so without a leak the only reason for low fluid in the reservoir is thin brakes.

sockvtec

oh ok

original poster: have you found the problem yet?

IHateJDM

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sockvtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
and why disconnect the ebrake? under heavy braking, your rears are also incorporated to help out...i think its like 15% in the rear and 85% in the front or something...
</TD></TR></TABLE>

the ebrake has nothing to do with your rear brakes working normally, ebrake is cable driven, braking with the pedal activates the calipers hydraulically.

Have you checked your master cylinder for any leaks yet?

EL Vap133

How is the brake fluid level in your MC?

sockvtec

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by IHateJDM &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the ebrake has nothing to do with your rear brakes working normally, ebrake is cable driven, braking with the pedal activates the calipers hydraulically.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

oh ok, that sounds logical.....so that means if you park on a hill and put it in gear that they lock up or does that only do the front?

IHateJDM

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sockvtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

oh ok, that sounds logical.....so that means if you park on a hill and put it in gear that they lock up or does that only do the front?</TD></TR></TABLE>

if you leave it in gear, its actually your motor's compression holding the car in place. Your transmission can't move without spinning the motor, and the motor doesn't want to spin because of your compression. the e-brake is different, it just has 2 cables connected to the handle and to the rear brakes.

vsm_EJ6

Okay, I put my car in a dry spot, filled the MC, pumped the brakes. Repeated the process, and I saw the liquid pouring from my brake lines. It's a hole in my brake lines, by the passenger rear tire. I'll have it fixed sunday.

monkeyass9

could be a collapsed brake line

sockvtec

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vsm_EJ6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Okay, I put my car in a dry spot, filled the MC, pumped the brakes. Repeated the process, and I saw the liquid pouring from my brake lines. It's a hole in my brake lines, by the passenger rear tire. I'll have it fixed sunday.</TD></TR></TABLE>

hmmm, well im glad you found the problem....

how did it get a hole in it??

vsm_EJ6

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sockvtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

hmmm, well im glad you found the problem....

how did it get a hole in it?? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Probabley bottoming out on my driveway. My car could make it in my driveway at an angle, and still it'd bottom out. Coming in, I probabely clipped it JUST right, to where it caught my line. Who knows.

spoonracer84eg

Here we go...

Brakes are hydraulically actuated.

With the emergency brake handle they are mechanically actuated.

vsm_EJ6

updates
Car is fixed! Brakes feel great.

Had the following done:
New brake line put in (for passenger rear tire)
Front pads put in
Rear brakes adjusted

I was going to change my shoes, but the person who did the work said the rear shoes were almost brand new. The reason they sucked so bad, was because the brakes weren't adjusted at all. So, he fixed all that for me, and the grand total is:
$120.00! Not too bad, considering a shop would've cost me $350.00+.

Thanks everybody for all the advice!