ABS - Brake system

My brake pedal needs to be practically be pushed to the floor for the car to stop. I went to a Munro Muffler and they replaced all brake pads and turned the rotors. The problem of the pedal to the floor did not go away. The Munro tech struggled with this then popped me with this estimate - brake lines master cylinder to ABS / brake lines ABS to front brake flex hoses connections, / brake lines - ABS to rear junctions fittings at the passenger front door. Also they want to sell me a rear wheel bearing because the temperature at one point was very high. The total estimate is $840. I can remove the Rear wheel bearing to bring the estimate down to 500. I asked if we could do lines from ABS to Master Cylinder only and the tech advised against it. I feel like I am about to get ripped off and am going for a second opinion.

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I am thinking of just doing the ABS to Master Cylinder brake lines for 150. I do not think the mechanic has the issue pinpointed so he wants to basically replace everything.

Check your master cylinder to see if it is low on fluid. If it’s full and there is no evidence of a leak then the diagnosis is bogus. A brake line will not cause a low pedal unless it is leaking.

Thank you “MY_2_CENTS” There is splashing around the master cylinder area. Sure there is some corrosion around the lines, but to replace them all IMHO is OVERKILL.

If the corrosion on one brake line means it should be replaced a responsible shop will most likely want to replace them all. Having another one fail after replacing the bad one is going to cause problems in the future plus customer and shop conflicts. I myself if told one was bad I would say put all new ones on just in case another one was on borrowed time.

Of course there is the second opinion option.

sounds like a total re-build of the break system. Perhaps you should consider another opinion. I am sure you already paid $400 or more for the work that was already done (and maybe not necessary).

I believe this is why many people feel they are being taken for a ride. They come in with one problem and walk out paying for ten different things. Just because one caliper is on its way out or one part of the brake line is bad does not mean the pair needs replacing. 2 years ago my mechanic recommended the same thing for my 1999 Dodge Durango when one of the brake lines collapsed due to corrosion and after I declined he actually agreed with why I didn’t want the whole set replaced. 36K miles later it’s still going strong and I am still his customer.

edited to correct breake to brake. thanks Volvo

A photo of the corrosion would be helpful. It all depends on whether it’s a light film of whitish corrosion or a layer of heavy rust. What year is this car?

So when I look at the lines myself there is some evidence of the start of corrosion, however it does not look as bad as you might think. The other issue could be a brake caliper or rear wheel cylinder. In my case air could have gotten sucked into the system. I can let go of the brake and use it again feeling pressure, until I get to the point whereas the pedal softly keeps going to the floor. I am $420 in with four new brakes and routers turned. So now the estimate is 840 for all lines and a rear wheel cylinder. WoW!!!

just out of curiosity, did you tell the people at the shop why you are there and what problems you are having?

If you’re not leaking fluid externally and the pedal is softly sinking to the floor it’s a classic sign of a failing master cylinder.

Brake line

This one I believe shows some brake fluid splash

Those lines don’t look good to me. If I was told they needed replaced I certainly would not argue.
As Mr. Mountainbike is fond of saying ( a vehicle that won’t start is an inconvenience , one that won’t stop is dangerous ).

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Yes - They drove the car around once and said there was no issue. I made them drive it around again.

The lines do not look great but I think they are still good.

You state brake pedal goes to floor so something is wrong. If not sure of present repair place have it towed to a shop you are comfortable with. You have to be able to stop when you need to not when you can plan ahead.