Dudes, i need your help.
The del sol is having some issues with brakes.. i had my girlfriend take it to Midas because the brake pedal was gradually going to the floor and losing brake power.. they noticed that some fluid was leaking in spots and replaced the rear wheel cylinders, front brake pads, and bled/refilled the system. Brake response got better, but the pedal to the floor issues still remains.

The puzzler is that the brake pressure is only lost on certain days.. 6 days out of the week the problem does not occur. The other day of the week, it starts getting scary, so she just pumps the brakes rapidly when she drives it. not cool.

what could this be? master cylinder?

also.. seems to happen in extended city driving or on hotter days.

 

I would guess it's the master cylinder

 

that's my first guess, but why would it be somewhat random like that?
has anyone else had this problem?

 

I had that same problem, brake pedal would get really soft and start to travel to the floor board sometimes it would go all the way down and the car would start to creap forward (got pretty scary). I ended up replacing the Brake Master Cylinder and it fixed the problem. Hope this helps!

 

booster...i had problems like that too. it was mostly on hot days for me...like if i was sitting stopped on a hill, the pedal would slowly fall in and i'd have to pump the brakes to firm it back up again.

 

I actually had that exact same problem. I bet if you look where the master cylender mounts on the booster there will be a little leak at the bottom, you will prob. see the paint on the booster flaking. my pedal would change with the weather conditions i did a break conversion an after i put the integra master in it its perfect again! Maintains pressure well.

 

hmmmmm. good info
is replacing the master cylinder pretty simple? looks like it.

Would it be okay to replace the master cylinder with one off an integra LS/GS/RS? or would that make the brakes too touchy/hard?

 

thats been happening to me lately too! but when i turn a really sharp corner... i end up having to yard up the e brake at a stop and pump the brake till its good to go

i should problllly get that fixed

bump cause i want a straight answer

 

around turns huh.
also i notice that there are 2 wires going into my brake fluid container.. wtf are those for?
master cylinder sounds like the culprit but if there are sensors in that area then they need a look..

 

no you will brake better, gsr has a bigger piston then the civic master cyl. it will work, it says the size of it on the side of the master cyl. good luck

 

My pedal floats also, and changes with the weather. I can not remember the name, but there is a hose bout 1/2 thick that comes off the booster i believe and it has a directional regulator "little white plastic piece on mine" those can leak as well if the hoses are not proper on each side. Someone has got to know the name of it lol, i forgot.


ps hose attaches to firewall

 

the main reason why you would see it after driving longer periods of times is cause the fluid gets hotter and also thinner. therfore make the internal leak easier to get by the cups inside. but if there are no visual leaks then it is deffintally a master cly. good luck and be safe driving like that, hate to see anymore wrecked hondas!

 

HMMM.. that makes sense now. Girlfriend says it happens more often during spirited driving or stop 'n go.

I do not see a visual leak at all.. except some brake fluid that has overflowed out of the little brake fluid container. I suppose the master cylinder is not functioning correctly then..

the master cylinder is the metal unit with the brake fluid resovior on top of it, correctamundo?
Looks like a bolt off, bolt on type a job.

 

its pretty easy, just make sure to use a line wrench on the lines so you dont strip them out cause then tha turns a simply job into a hard job. and also when your bleeding it start at the master cly. pump the brakes, hold the pedal down then open one of the lines at the master, repeat steps untill no air comes out then do the same thing to other line, and then to all 4 wheels then you should have a pretty good pedal.

 

but start on the front drivers side, then the front pass, then rear pass then rear drivers...if im correct...

 

Okay so here's the deal.
Girlfriend freaked out and took it in to get fixed
$185 from a local mechanic.

Dude says that the master cylinder was practically dry inside.
Girl says it's fixed but we'll see.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nix94delsol &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">but start on the front drivers side, then the front pass, then rear pass then rear drivers...if im correct...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just got it backwards. Always start furthest away from master cly right rear, left rear, right front, left front.

Well at least you got it fixed. that is the most important, just watch for external leaks and make sure that was it.

 

external leaks were cured before we replaced the master cylinder.
rear brake cylinders were leaking.. needed new lines... front pads.. rotors..
pretty rediculous. paid $1600 for the car.. put $700 into the brakes...

lesson: check for a fresh lemon smell before buying an old *** honda.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Neptronix &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Okay so here's the deal.
Girlfriend freaked out and took it in to get fixed
$185 from a local mechanic.

Dude says that the master cylinder was practically dry inside.
Girl says it's fixed but we'll see.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Was it dry because it was leaking or dry because you hadn't added brake fluid?

 

well, it had been flushed and filled twice, soo... hmmmmm. Dunno dude

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Neptronix &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well, it had been flushed and filled twice, soo... hmmmmm. Dunno dude </TD></TR></TABLE>

Well then how did the almighty Midas not know the MC was leaking when you took it in?

 

there were leaks everywhere else..
friggin' midas.

girlfriend is 200+ miles away so when brakes fail i don't get to see them before they get fixed ;P.