94 IntegraLS

I replaced the brakes on my 98 civic dx and they've felt soft since then. I replaced the front rotors and pads and the rear drums, shoes, and both wheel cylinders. Once I was finished I also replaced all the brake fluid since it was empty from the wheel cylinders breaking in half. I've done the whole self adjusting routine by driving forward and stoping as well as going in reverse and stopping quickly. When I do that, the brakes are firm and then they slowly get soft although the brakes don't feel soft all the time. It's like a 50/50 split lol. Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this? Should I do the bleeding process once again?

Laz's EP

iTrader: (1)

You need to bleed the brakes, if it's still soft, ur Brake master needs replacing

evo_xtc

-make sure all the bleeder bolts are securely tightend, may be leaking a lil bit.
-check you brake booster for any leaks around it
-make sure the cap on the brake fluid container is tight and not loose.

94 IntegraLS

The booster and the master cylinder aren't leaking. The brakes were firm before too so I'll re bleed the brakes once again.

guessohw

If you did the swap and then filled the fluid up because as you stated it was empty due to a part breaking then you must bleed the brakes. Easy fix and take less than 30 minutes with extraperson helping bump the brakes.

94 IntegraLS

Yea, the wheel cylinder broke while I was driving so all the brake fluid was pretty much gone. I did bleed the brakes once I replaced them since I also had to replace 1 brake line. I'll re bleed the system and go from there.

guessohw

Yeah just make sure that you work your way around the car correctly and hopefully that will do it.

Zeusfire69

Sounds like a brake master cyl or booster.

Try this:

Pump the pedal when the car is shut off until the pedal gets solid and stays that way. By doing this, you are bleeding all the vacuum off in the brake booster and using only the hydraulic portion of the system. Now, hold the pedal very firmly....If the pedal sinks, then you have a bad master cyl.

If your pedal stays solid after you pump all of the vacuum out of the booster you probly have a vacuum leak in the booster or the line going to it.

One other thing to check (since you have an intermittant issue) is the check valve on the booster....it can make the pedal act strange if it is sticking...

hondaguy777

To check the master you can also remove the brake lines from it, and plug the two holes that the lines came from with a couple of bolts. Then pump the brake pedal 'til it gets hard (should take only 2 pumps). Keep your foot on the pedal once it gets hard. If you feel the pedal moving towards the floor, then you have a leak (whether external or internal) in your master.

92lxsleeper

if all else fails, try pressure bleeding.

94 IntegraLS

Master cylinder is fine because brakes stay hard when the car is off. I'm gonna bleed the brakes tomorrow and if that doesn't work I'm guessing the booster is junk. Any how to's on replacing the booster?

92lxsleeper

if the booster was junk, the brake pedal would be super hard all the time like the car was off.

NFCCWS

I wouldn't go after the booster either. Remove each wheel and check for any leaks before going out and buying new parts. Also since you are bleeding the brakes anyway check each wheel to see if they are shooting out a steady stream when the brakes are applied.

94 IntegraLS

I re bled all the brakes and now it's a bit firmer. I also did some more adjusting of he read drums. The drivers side drum spun a lil too freely so I'm guessing that drum isn't fully adjusted yet but it's definitely better now.

dieV8

+1 check for leaks, if you find no leaks check all conections to make sure they are tight. If that finds nothing re-bleed if that fails and you want to dig deeper remove the master cylinder and gravity bleed it if that fails your master cylinder probably stroked out

92lxsleeper

is your self adjuster working properly?

if it is, you can adjust it by driving slowly in reverse and engaging the parking brake while rolling backwards. do this multiple times.

94 IntegraLS

I thought you just had to apply the brakes while going in reverse? I need to replace the drivers side ebrake cable since it likes to randomly seize especially during the winter.

eingman

bleed all the brakes starting with the brake furthist from the master. it will fix the softness

Kennyjai

iTrader: (3)

im having the same issues too. with the car off, i pumped the brake pedal until it was firm but it wasn't firm to the point i can't push it anymore. i can still push it to the floor, is that because there is a internal leak inside my master cylinder? or a vacuum leak?

with the car on, pumped the brakes until "firm", held my foot there and then started up the car and the pedal sank down. this is normal right?

i can also hear like a "swoosh" or "hiss" air sound when i depress the brake pedal for the first time.

EsotericImage

iTrader: (8)

If I remember correctly, there is a sequence for honda brakes. Search on it, cuz mine went to the floor also, then I found the sequence and everything was fine afterwards.

Kennyjai

iTrader: (3)

i have a 01 teg, i did bleed it a numerous amount of times (went through 2 larger bottles of brake fluid already). i followed the OEM acura service manual instructions which said FL, FR, RR and RL. usually, its the farthest one from the MC first


i see no leak on the outside but last time i looked, the MC looked like it was leaking a little bit where it was attached to the brake booster (paint was bubbled up).

my pedal is still soft after i bled so many times, no air bubbles coming out. i'm suspecting its an internal leak inside the MC but not 100% sure.

4DoorCivic1

change your MC, thats the problem. make sure you bleed the MC before you put it on the car and bleed all your brake lines after installation of the master cylinder . had the same problem with a 1 year old MC