So I went to make an emergency stop yesterday and uhhh ohhh, the brake pedal went to the floor. I figured it was the master cylinder because I still had a bit of braking force.
I pull into the gas station and noticed the reservoir was empty. I added fluid and pumped the brakes, thats when I noticed that the fluid was leaking from the line under the car.

I still will have braking power to the fronts because of the proportioning valve correct?

I was able to get the car home driving slowly and using the brakes and emergency brake.

Should I get the whole line replaced or get the mechanic to put a splice?

 

i would replace both rears while you're at it.

 

if that line is really rusty (likely), i'd just replace it. if it's not too bad, just cut and flare and install a new section. or if the line isn't all that long, find a clean one at the wreckers and replace it

 

No, you won't have front brakes because air is being introduced into the system. Once the reservoir is dry, you're basically using air to compress the fluid that's still in there. Air doesn't like holding up to being compressed.


I'd replace the entire line.

 

Replace everything. If the brake line is gone your other brake lines and fuel lines are next. Might as well bite the bullet.

 

^^^^ i concur

 

i think it would be a bit extreme to say replace everything.
sometimes a line may be chafing or had incurred some kind of damage which over time rusted it through.

 

Man just be safe and replace the entire car. Things garbage now..... Right?

 

I know what mine look like after 18 years of water, dirt, and salt. If one is gone the others will follow. Maybe not now, but a year from now. And they are most likely to fail when brake pressure is highest...

Besides it's a PITA job and you're better off doing both at once.

 

^ Maybe take a look at the other one, sure, but replace it since the other one failed? It's like snapping an axle, and replacing both. Associated predictions like that end up costing people a lot of money, when they can just use a little bit of reasoning.

 

Yeah, it's called preventative maintenance. For something like an axle, if properly serviced it can last the lifetime of the car. So no I wouldn't recommend replacing both axles at once if one fails. Also there's no labor penalty for doing the axles at two different times.

But for the brake line if it's failed it's due either to age or damage, and I find it very unlikely that one would be affected and not the other. And there is a huge labor penalty of doing them one at a time vs together. He will have to remove the subframe again, remove everything covering the lines on the undercarriage again, and change the brake fluid again. Alternatively, replacing it now adds $60 and almost no additional labor. When you change your timing belt what do you do about your water pump?

 

I normally do my own work but without a hoist it was a major PITA. He's done the 2 brake lines to the rear, not all the way up to the proportioning valve but up to a good section of line. He is charging $600, I found that a bit steep?

 

**** ME!!
600$? i pay that much for the entire car!
you could have just paid 40$ and gotten the line from the wreckers and done it yourself. all oem.

that being said, it's not thaaaaat much i guess. could have gotten cheaper, of course. i just forget how much people pay for these jobs sometimes. that, and i am about as cheap as they come. or i should say, i value my money greatly.
so he flared new lines in?

 

Holy cow! A roll of 20' of brake line is under $25. Bend your own ****ing lines at those prices!

I did my entire front lines (ABS delete) on my Integra for probably under $50 all told. Seriously, how can a mechanic justify $600? Did you pay for his classes so he could learn how to be a shady accountant too?

 

Ok I understand that if I did it myself I could save a tonne of money and normally I do my own work. In fact, besides my clutch this is the only time I've used a mechanic.
You have to figure he needs to make money, how much would a mechanic would have charged? Yes he flared a new aftermarket line into the existing line.

 

don't sweat it, man. most the people on here are do-it-yourselfers who don't manage a shop and so don't understand all the costs behind it. you're not just paying for parts and labor. shops have added expenses. on top of keeping the lights on, they have to attempt to make some profit. it's a bit steep. but it's not totally outrageous

 

sounds alright for me. you're removing the subframe so you have to realign afterwards. plus removing gas tank. it's quite the job really.

 

I agree, it is a little on the steep side, but as mentioned it is a business that has to make a profit, bills have to be paid, that hoist was not free.

I also do "most" of the work/maintenance on my car myself, but there are some things I will pay someone else to do, I will check around for a price I can live with, for the brake lines I would definatly have hit up my local PicknPull and done the job myself, 4 jack stands and a creeper and a Sunday and it's a done deal. 94

 

He also replaced the fuel lines, they didn't look too good $800 for all 4.

 

Honestly it's about what I'd expect for having someone do the work.

 

Update, when I came in person I guess my friendly demeanor alone helped drop the price.
He said, I think $700 is fair, which I accepted. Brakes work fantastic, better than before the line went, I guess the lines could have been expanding.

So I have 4 new lines, the one EVAP line he didn't replace.

 

i have a question for you. im having this exact problem too. did he have to remove the gas tank to replace the whole line?

 

It is necessary to remove the gas tank to replace the fuel lines, but not the brake lines.

 

I'd check all of the lines, personally. I've seen too many people putting compression fittings on their brakes instead of properly flaring and using the correct unions.

I assume you bought it used. God knows what the prior owner did. Just my 2 cents.

 

my best guess on why it failed in the first place is the location the OP lives in. it's just hell on anything metal

i remember the first time i ordered jdm parts from an importer in NE canada. i seriously wondered if they fell off the ship on the way over and sat in the ocean for a week.