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Tom Powell
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Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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 Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 8:14 am Post subject: low brake pedal |
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I'm on a ski trip from SoCal to Tahoe. Halfway through the trip I noticed that my brake pedal seems to be getting lower. The brakes still work and the fluid level checks ok. I assume that this might mean that the front brake pads need replacing, but it started rather suddenly rather than gradually like I would expect from brake pad wear. Is it a failing master cylinder?
Aloha
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bluebus86
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Joined: September 02, 2010
Posts: 11075
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 8:26 am Post subject: Re: low brake pedal |
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| Tom Powell wrote: |
I'm on a ski trip from SoCal to Tahoe. Halfway through the trip I noticed that my brake pedal seems to be getting lower. The brakes still work and the fluid level checks ok. I assume that this might mean that the front brake pads need replacing, but it started rather suddenly rather than gradually like I would expect from brake pad wear. Is it a failing master cylinder?
Aloha
tp |
get it fixed asap, something is wrong, the pedal should not suddenly drop as you discribe.
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Tom Powell
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Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 8:46 am Post subject: Re: low brake pedal |
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| bluebus86 wrote: |
| get it fixed asap, something is wrong, the pedal should not suddenly drop as you discribe. |
It didn't drop suddenly. It seems to have gone about 1 1/2 inches and did so 1/4 inch at a time during 400 miles of driving on highways, through towns and stopping for fuel.
Aloha
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dobryan
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Joined: March 24, 2006
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Location: Brookeville, MD
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bluebus86
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Joined: September 02, 2010
Posts: 11075
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 10:35 am Post subject: Re: low brake pedal |
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| Tom Powell wrote: |
| bluebus86 wrote: |
| get it fixed asap, something is wrong, the pedal should not suddenly drop as you discribe. |
It didn't drop suddenly. It seems to have gone about 1 1/2 inches and did so 1/4 inch at a time during 400 miles of driving on highways, through towns and stopping for fuel.
Aloha
tp |
that is sudden enough to indicate you have a failure someplace. pads did wear that much in 400 miles, (unless you are dragging a brake)
get her taken care of before you drive back home, you dont want to loose them totally driving down from the mountains.
good luck
if pedel is still firm, I think you may have lost either the front or the rear circuit, if fluid level is unchanged, Id suspect an internal master failure, regardless get her taken cared of immediatly
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dobryan
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Tom Powell
Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 10:49 am Post subject: Re: low brake pedal |
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| bluebus86 wrote: |
| ... if pedel is still firm, I think you may have lost either the front or the rear circuit, if fluid level is unchanged, Id suspect an internal master failure, regardless get her taken cared of immediatly |
That is the info/opinion I'm seeking. I don't have a failure and it has not been sudden. The brakes still appear to work 100% but I would like to understand the drop in pedal. I'll be doing some testing on flat ground and possibly seeking a repair facility before heading downhill.
Aloha
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Tom Powell
Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 4:11 pm Post subject: Re: low brake pedal |
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| bluebus86 wrote: |
| ... if pedel is still firm, I think you may have lost either the front or the rear circuit, if fluid level is unchanged, Id suspect an internal master failure ... |
I did a bit of testing by charging down the driveway and slamming on the brakes. I could not identify any problem or failure. How do you test/determine if either the front or rear circuit has failed?
The good news is that everything from where I'm staying to the flat main road has four foot snowbanks on the side of the road.
I live in Hawaii and drive #1 Vanagon there. I keep #2 Vanagon in SoCal. Perhaps the low pedal is only a difference in the Vanagons which I noticed on the way North to Tahoe and perceived as an impending problem.
More testing will be in the future before driving downhill to SoCal.
Aloha
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djkeev
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0to60in6min
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Joined: November 27, 2006
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Location: OR & CA (Oregon/California)
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 4:57 pm Post subject: Re: low brake pedal |
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i'd think you have an internal leak on the master brake cylinder... It's hard to tell because no visual clue except the feeling on the brake pedal
I got the same problem few years back... new master cylinder solved the problem.. |
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Jake de Villiers
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Joined: October 24, 2007
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Tom Powell
Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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| Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:33 am Post subject: Re: low brake pedal |
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| Jake de Villiers wrote: |
| Hey Tom, how's the pedal feel with the handbrake up? |
Two feet of snow last night and snowing this morning. No driving, no testing for awhile.
Aloha
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davevickery
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Joined: July 16, 2005
Posts: 2887
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:56 am Post subject: Re: low brake pedal |
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Yah see how the brakes feel with the ebrake on. That takes slack out of the rear brakes and if the pedal is higher then you can adjust the rear brakes. Sometimes the automatic adjuster is on wrong, or not self adjusting, it can even get loose enough the adjuster rod falls off.
There isn't really anything to adjust with the front discs. If there is air in the system the pedal would be spongey. If something failed, I don't think the brakes would feel normal, they would either leak past the seals, or externally and I woudl think you could tell something was way wrong. I'd pull the drums off and take a look, and tighten up the adjuster and see if that helps. |
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Tom Powell
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Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:10 pm Post subject: Re: low brake pedal |
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I've read, "The handbrake will normally be kept in correct adjustment by the self-adjusting action of the rear brake shoes." I also believe that I've read that the rear brake shoes adjust when the vehicle is rolling backwards and the handbrake is engaged.
My handbrake was barely holding the vehicle in place when idling in drive. I rolled backward a bit and engaged the handbrake. The handbrake was immediately improved and will hold the vehicle in place now.
My rear brakes have always made a slight scraping noise when first driven after a few days of sitting. This has been true of both of my Vanagons. This anomaly became non existent on my recent ski trip with the SoCal Vanagon, but has returned after the rolling back and engaging the handbrake exercise. I'll consider this being back to normal operation.
I've mashed the brake pedal and held it while in the driveway and there is no slow drop in the pedal as would occur with an internal leak in the master cylinder.
Over the last few weeks there does not seem to be any change/difference in brake pedal travel or height above the floor when the brakes are applied. I'll attribute my perception of that to being accustomed to my Kaneohe Vanagon and now driving the SoCal Vanagon.
Aloha
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