On my 96 EX I have had ongoing brake problems. At first they just felt kind of worn out like they didn't fully stop you as fast as they should but they might have been fine. When having a shop do the axles I told them to check the brake. They changed the pads and said thats what it was. So I get it back and I'll be darned if they wern't worse than the first time. Sometimes the pedal would go to the floor. It stopped you but barely when it did this. They would work fine some and sometimes would be very mushy and barely work. People thought that I was crazy as they would drive it and it would be fine until recently it really got bad. The shop told me it was the master cylinder so I went to Honda and bought one and had them install it. Dag on if they arn't the worst they have been now. The pedal will go about half way down before it grabs at all. So how I normally press them doesn't do **** not even slow you down the slightest bit. You have to get on them hard to slow down at all. I called them and they told me the problem is the pins are locked up or something and need to be taken out and cleaned. Shouldn't they have done this when they did the brake pads? They said it wouldn't fully let the brakes work properly. Does this sound like what it is or does this sound like more BS? I wish I had just worked on them myself from the beginning like I usually do I just don't have time for it and really don't have time for this bull crap and I can't stand how they are right now. This was a pretty good shop or used to be. I don't know anywhere any better.

The dealer here is the worst for ripping people off but I'm to the point where I'm about to take it there unless it is the pins I may do that myself. Does that sound like what it is or is there something else that would cause this? This is the kind of stuff that makes me hate this car. Then again at other times I love it so idk.

 

Find another shop pronto and check your brake booster too - you may also have corrosion issues with the calipers if you never change the brake fluid.

 

my thoughts exactly have them change the brake fluid and check the vaccum also look at the pcv like thing in the booster line I would do that first start with the simplest thing first them look at the booster

 

Changing pads Without resurfacing the rotors always causes a spongy brake. The center of the rotor gets 'dished' and then the pads try to flex to meet the rotor face. A case of the stingy man that pays the most.
On the other hand, as long as I've been working on Hondas I've always cleaned and relubed the slider pins, that is a part of the job when doing a brake pad replacement. Sounds like some "flat rate fever gravy grabbin" tech just slammed the new pads and let it fly out the door.
Your statement the brakes were worse after the master cylinder replacement leads towards improper bleeding of the brake system.
If the shop was sleazy enough to replace pads with out cleaning/lubing the slider pins, they could well be slimy enough to let the car go without properly bleeding the system.

 

IF its not either of these problems, check your lines that go to the brake. there might something wrong with the break fluid reaching your brake system. you might have a leak or a loose line. check all your break lines and make sure they're good.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hondadude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Changing pads Without resurfacing the rotors always causes a spongy brake. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I haven't found that to be the case.