Hi, I have a 2003 Dodge Neon SE.

I have had it 7 months, driven it 3000 miles, and had nothing but trouble. I had the brake rotors replaced (and drums too possibly if I remember correctly)a couple weeks after I got the car when I noticed the brakes were about to give out. Though the brakes were working fine now, but I read that pumping the brakes can not hurt brakes and can be beneficial to the car's brakesr, so I tried it I pumped them quite hard (all the way to the floor of the car 5-6 times), maybe too hard. I took the car for a drive for a couple blocks to after that and got a hissing sound when I pressed on the brakes, slightly louder if I pushed the brake down more vs. slowly and lightly. The car's braking distance/response improved ever so slightly and the brakes are not soft. I typically brake slowly and gradually to avoid excessive wear on the brakes.

Could I have damaged anything? I had just driven about 20 miles before pumping the brakes and they didn't hiss during that time.

 

I think the worst you could have done would have been messing up the master cylinder, but if they're braking fine, then it sounds like there really isn't anything wrong. When you say they're 'hissing' do you mean like the standard squealing you hear from brakes, or something different?

 

It's like air whooshing out of the brakes similar to the sound when a balloon is blown up. I don't get it much if I barely push down the brake. I'm praying I didn't mess up the master cylinder! I just replaced the starter today after ti failed suddenly! lol

 

Huh, I've literally never heard that noise. Would you mind making a video of it?

 

Find a brake shop like Brake Check etc that will check em for free-normally air noise u hear inside would be from a vacuum assisted brake booster-

 

air whooshing out, is the pedal hard or soft? After pumping then you stated you were bleeding them? opening the bleeder valve of just pumping them? sounds to me like you might have damaged the brake power booster its the round thing that has the master cylinder attached to it then to the fire wall. there are many places that give free brake inspections, For the future brake pumping is done when bleeding the brakes if you pressed the pedal as hard as you could to the floor 5 or 6 times with out releasing the bleeder valve for air you most definitely hurt something.

 

thpcs, I realize that a balloon being blown up doesn't describe it well. It's like air whooshing out or being put under pressure- a hiss.

The brakes are not soft. I'm able to depress the brake with a normal amount of pressure.. 73novass, I was not bleeding the breaks, just pumping them too hard. I drove my Neon around a short distance today and yesterday and did not have any problems. The hissing sound seems to have gotten much better and is barely audible now. Since I'd much rather be safe than sorry, I'm getting the brakes inspected when I go to the mechanic for an unrelated repair my car needs. Either way, I definitely won't be pumping the brakes like that again!

I'll let you know how the brake inspection goes. Thanks so much for all the help everyone! I really appreciate it.

EDIT: I also realize in my first post that I said the brakes went all the way to the floor when I pumped them. I misspoke. I should have said as far down as they would go which was pretty far down, but I don't believe they actually touched the floor of the car.