40+ years ago I had a problem like this where I suspected the master cylinder. I replaced it but there was no change. Turns out I had not tightened the lug nuts on one wheel and it simply pushed the pads back.
1 Like
That is why I always say to clamp off the brake hoses and confirm before replacing… A loose wheel bearing can do the same thing…
2 Likes
I need help with this car again. I had to remove the brake master cylinder in order to remove the intake manifold, to replace the coolant crossover pipe and associated hoses, and replace the starter. I installed a remanufactured master cylinder, filled the reservoir with new brake fluid, and the brake pedal just goes to the floor with no resistance.
Any ideas please? This is the only vehicle we own which has a functioning heater and A/C, and with the upcoming heat wave, we’d really like to be able to drive this. Obviously, we need the brakes to work properly in order to drive it.
A 2002 Daewoo Lanos is the only thing with AC . Maybe it is time for you to find a newer decent vehicle.
1 Like
Did you bench bleed the master before install? And were you as careful as possible about keeping air out of the lines while it was off? And did you bleed everything when finished?
Other than that, if this was a “new” reman maybe it was bad off the shelf.
2 Likes
No.
Not really, as the car was disassembled for a few months due to my busy work schedule.
What are my options now to get this working? (And although I appreciate the advice to buy a newer vehicle, I’d rather fix this one. I really like the seats and how this rides.)
If you didn’t bleed the master before installing it, and if the brake lines have in fact been open for months, you have just pushed air into all the lines.
At this point, what I would try is to finish assembling everything and try a gravity bleed. Fill the reservoir full and leave the cap off. With the car sitting level, open up the RR bleeder with a pan under it, and go have a sandwich, checking periodically that the fluid level in the reservoir remains above the low mark. Let it drip until there is clear fluid dripping out, with no air.
Repeat this procedure for the other three wheels.
If the brake pedal is better but still not perfect, bleed the brakes with an assistant: Open the RR bleeder, have a helper slowly push the pedal to the floor and hold it there. Then close the bleeder, have your helper slowly release the pedal back to the top. Repeat several times for each corner.
I thought you fixed the A/C in your Corolla a while back with a relay?
5 Likes
That’s where I would start as well. Should work.
2 Likes
Hi. I assume RR stands for right rear? What sequence do you suggest for this? And all I have to do is open the bleeder screw, without applying the brake? I have an “Automotive Brake Bleeding and Test Kit”, Autocraft AC3310, which contains a handheld vacuum pump, vinyl tubing, and various adapters. I have never used this type of tool, and this is still new and unused.
I did, but that was a short-lived fix. The compressor went bad, and doesn’t pump properly. When running, the high side is too low, and the low side is too high. I have all the parts, but never installed them.
Yes. Right Rear, Left Rear, Right Front, Left Front is what I would do. You can try your vacuum kit or keep pumping like crazy with a helper, but it’s been my experience that gravity bleeding requires little effort (just time) and is effective.
The shoemaker’s kids have no shoes 
…I have a couple of auto maintenance items in my fleet that I keep putting off too.
1 Like
No offense, but maybe the time has come to get rid of ALL of your old(er) cars and buy a new . . . or nearly new, as in only 2-3 years old . . . car once and for all
Trust me, it gets real old real fast having to work on all of your unreliable cars every single weekend and throw money at cars that are worth chump change on a good day
2 Likes
To be fair, the last time this car needed major repairs was in 2021, and I drove it payment-free until last summer when I paid to have the shocks and struts, and certain other suspension parts replaced.
Right now, I’m doing a lot of work to this car, but I suspect that once completed, I will continue to drive this thing, payment-free for a number of years without major issues.
And what it would fetch on the open market is really unimportant. I am not a dealer or reseller, and this is a personal vehicle, not business inventory.
While I might keep driving something old I will always have something newer and equiped with reliable heat and air for the wife and myself to use.
I doubt that will be the case
and that’s based on a huge sample size and decades being in the business
I’ve always ridden things out like Ben does. Once in a while I’ve had to get neck deep in lots of work to keep something on the road. But mostly my old not-yet-junkers over the years have been just fine. And I also like having no car payments, and cheaper insurance, and paying less in personal property tax. To each their own.
2 Likes
Update: I completed the gravity bleeding process, and the brakes work, however the brake pedal has no resistance until the last 1" of travel, then the brakes are applied. This is actually the reason why I replaced the master cylinder, rather than just reinstalling it. The master cylinder is OEM remanufactured, made by A1 Cardone.
After the most recent change of front brake pads and rotors, using a piston retractor, this problem began. Before that, there was about an inch or so of pedal travel with no resistance, then the brakes were applied, and it certainly didn’t go all the way near the floor.
What can I do to fix this?
Sounds like there’s still air in the lines. What happens if you rapidly pump the brake pedal a few times (car running)? If you pump it and it then firms up, that’s the telltale sign of air in the lines. Bleed again…
I just tried that, and pumping the brake does not make it firm up. Can there still be air in the system somewhere, even though I gravity-drained quite a bit of brake fluid from each wheel, until it came out clear? There is no ABS on this vehicle.
Clamp off all 3 or 4 brake hoses (all 4 wheels), how does the pedal feel??
Not looking to see if single rear hose or one per wheel…
If the pedal has little to no movement then unclamp one hose at a time (order does not matter) the pedal should only drop a little, 1/2" to maybe an inch, if firm then reclamp and move to the next wheel, do this for all brake hoses, if one drops very low, then your issue is at that wheel and below the hose being clamped off…
If clamping off all 4 wheels at the hoses you still have a low pedal, remove the master and bench bleed it, you may not be getting full travel on the car and still have air in the system…
I’d clamp hoses 1st before bench bleeding to possible save time…
1 Like