Hello again everyone, so I “finished” the brake job on my 2006 Hyundai Tucson. The brakes were going to the floor, so I replaced the master cylinder, as well as the brake pads because they were getting thin. Then I bled the brake lines and the abs module using the abs bleed function on the bidirectional scan tool I purchased. There were no more air bubbles in any brake line, and there are no leaks that I can see. The brakes work about 85 % now. They feel firm at first, but then they squish down ever so slightly. They don’t go to the floor by any means, and the car stops fine, but there is a little more give to them than there was originally. This is my first brake job, so I’m trying to learn as I go. This is a spare vehicle, so I’m not in a huge hurry to get it repaired. Anyone know why the pedal might be squishy? Big thank you
Sorry to say but especially with your “first brake job” you may have left some air in the lines so a redo is in order, paying particular attention to the proper order,furthest first.
If not resolved time to check for sticking calipers. Take the SUV for a short drive.
Does any wheel feel hotter than the others or does any rotor fail to clear the light rust?
Did you bench bleed the master cylinder? If not take it back off bench bleed it and re-bleed all the brakes. **If ** you have rear drum brakes be sure to adjust them correctly.
Also make sure you bleed out all of the old brake fluid. It absorbs moisture over time and that can lead to squishy brakes.
Did you crack the lines open right at the master cylinder with someone lightly pressing the brake pedal?
Did you follow the proper brake bleeding sequence?
https://www.htmanual.net/repair_procedures-1003.html
Tester
also, there is a break in procedure for when you install new brakes. new brake pads will feel different than the old ones until you break them in and put a little bit of miles on them. especially when you install new rotors too. the procedure is something as follows…
Perform 5 moderate to aggressive stops from 40 mph down to 10 mph in rapid succession without letting the brakes cool and do not come to a complete stop. If you’re forced to stop, either shift into neutral or give room in front so you can allow the vehicle to roll slightly while waiting for the light. The rotors will be very hot and holding down the brake pedal will allow the pad to create an imprint on the rotor. This is where the judder can originate from.
Then do 5 moderate stops from 35 mph to 5 mph in rapid succession without letting the brakes cool. You should expect to smell some resin as the brakes get hot.
After this is complete, drive around for as long as possible without excessively heating the brakes and without coming to a complete stop (Try for about 5 minutes at moderate speed).
This is the cooling stage. It allows the heated resin in the brake pads to cool and cure.
After the brakes have cooled to standard operating temperature, you may use the brakes normally.
How To Break In Your Brakes
Here are the basic steps on how to bed your brakes:
- The bedding-in process requires lots of accelerating and quick decelerating. Perform this process early in the morning and in a low-traffic area so that you avoid other vehicles.
- From 60 MPH, apply the brakes gently a few times to bring them up to their usual operating temperature. This prepares your pads and rotors for the high heat generated in the next steps.
- Make a near-stop from 60 to about 10 MPH. Press the brakes firmly, but not so hard that the ABS engages or the wheels lock. Once you’ve slowed down, immediately speed up to 60 MPH and apply the brakes again. Perform this cycle 8-10 times. Do not come to a complete stop! If you hold the brake pedal down while stopped you will leave excessive pad material on the rotors and ruin your braking performance.
- Once you’ve performed that final near-stop, accelerate and drive a bit more, trying to use the brakes as little as possible so they can cool down. Again, do not come to a complete stop while the brakes are still hot. (Avoid traffic!)
- If you are bedding in performance/racing brakes, you may have to perform extra near-stops from a higher speed.
Some more notes about bedding:
- Brand new brake pads and rotors will have very little braking power on their first few applications. Gently apply your brakes from low speeds a few times to establish some grip before you take your vehicle onto the highway or busy roads.
- Don’t immediately bed your brakes if you have brand new rotors with phosphate, cadmium, or zinc plating. Do some normal driving to polish the plating off the rotors before bedding in your brakes.
- After you perform the break-in cycle you should see a light gray film and a slight blue tint on the rotor face. The gray film is material from the pads transferring onto the rotor face, and the blue tint indicates that the rotor has reached the proper break-in temperature. These are good signs that you have bedded your brakes properly.
Tester
And if all those suggestions don’t work, find a shop that will power flush or power bleed your brakes. You could buy the equipment and DIY but unless you plan on doing this again, it could be cheaper to have it done.
Sometimes you get a bubble in a line that just goes back and forth in the line and never gets to the wheel cylinder or caliper to get bleed out. Power bleed is the only way to get it out.
Thanks for the help everyone. I’m glad I found this forum, all that advice is golden knowledge 