Major Brake Problem!
#1
03-18-2011, 07:18 PM
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Snyder County, Pennsylvania
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Major Brake Problem!
Hey everyone, I have a 1998 Durango 4X4 5.2L Auto I started having a big brake problem. So, I was cruising down the road at about 40mph and went to to press the brake and it was firm but, then it would get loose making me press it further down and get it firm again. It would keep doing this till i had the brake pedal all the way to the floor and then the ABS and Brake light would come on. After I'd get going again it would just help again once i pressed the brake. I couldn't find any leaks and the brake fluid resevior is full. I don't want to take it to a shop unless i have to because I'm strained for money at the moment. I did let my cousin top up the fluids in it about a 3 weeks ago and he said he thinks he may have accidently pored a splash of power steering fluid in the brake fluid resevior but i wasn't to worried about it because he said it was less then a spoonful. I'm not sure if its something else or if he pored way more then half a spoonful in it or what. Any help?
#2
03-18-2011, 07:32 PM
Record Breaker
#4
03-18-2011, 08:10 PM
Record Breaker
#5
03-18-2011, 08:49 PM
Captain
If you don't have any leaks, I'd be looking at either your master cylinder having an internal leak, or your brake booster acting up. The ABS light will come on if there's low or too much pressure in the brake lines while the brake lights are on, so at the end of your travel you probably lose all pressure meaning your master cylinder seals are bad, could have been eaten up by the PS fluid.
#6
03-18-2011, 08:51 PM
Captain
#7
03-18-2011, 09:02 PM
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no its actually the opposite, if i pump the brakes fast i lose pressure faster
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#8
03-18-2011, 09:07 PM
Captain
Then I'd check out the brake booster like widow suggested and make sure it's all working correctly. And deffinetly get that PS fluid out of the brake system ASAP, it will eat away the seals in the brake system just like brake fluid will eat up seals in a PS system. Taking your car in to get the brakes bled will run you about $80, so if you can do it yourself then do so.
#9
03-18-2011, 11:41 PM
Hall Of Fame
Sounds like a Master Cylinder or a bad caliper on the side you hit.
What should be done if power steering fluid is put in the brake reservoir?
The safest solution is to replace and/or overhaul all hydraulic brake parts that contain rubber (i.e.: calipers, wheel cylinders, master cylinder, hoses). I�ve seen people try to get away with replacing just the master cylinder, but they soon became believers. The petroleum residue left in those systems continued to eat away at cups and seals, effectively ruining the brakes. After replacing the appropriate parts, the system should be flushed with denatured alcohol, or at least several cans of brake fluid. Sorry but this may turn out to be a very costly mistake.
Modern brake systems require glycol or silicone based fluids. Of the several properties brake fluid must have, one is that it must not deteriorate the metal and rubber parts it contacts. The problem with p/s fluid is that it attacks rubber components, causing them to swell, distort and eventually leak.
If you added just a little bit of p/s fluid to your brake fluid reservoir, immediately realized your mistake and suctioned it out, you might not have a problem. However, using your brakes after adding the fluid pushed it beyond the master cylinder, contaminating the entire hydraulic system. Once brake systems are contaminated, the effects are soon realized. The safest solution is to replace and/or overhaul all hydraulic brake parts that contain rubber (i.e.: calipers, wheel cylinders, master cylinder, hoses). I�ve seen people try to get away with replacing just the master cylinder, but they soon became believers. The petroleum residue left in those systems continued to eat away at cups and seals, effectively ruining the brakes. After replacing the appropriate parts, the system should be flushed with denatured alcohol, or at least several cans of brake fluid. Sorry but this may turn out to be a very costly mistake.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_should_be_done_if_power_steering_fluid_is_put _in_a_brake_reservoir
#10
03-19-2011, 12:35 AM
Captain
You might get away with disconnecting the master cylinder lines, and open the RR caliper and just start sucking all the fluid back out the master cylinder lines, then open the rest of the caliper bleeder valves and do the same and you might be safe. Hydra is all about spending the money and doing it right the first time, which isn't a bad thing at all don't get me wrong. He knows best.