Thursday, January 04, 2007 - 05:42 am, by: Scott Ferguson(Scott_ferguson)
I was forced to hit the brakes decently hard yesterday and as usual i felt the ABS going, a decent amount of pressure on the brake pedal.
Ok ... then the brake pedal tension disappears for a bit and the pedal travels quite far before i feel any tension again, I let off of the pedal and try again and the pedal is back to normal.
Thursday, January 04, 2007 - 08:42 am, by: Keiran Beytagh(Kezzainc)
Had this before also... Dont know the tech side to this but i've had this happen on a few cars but no problems after the instance. From a very old Mazda/Ford to my UZZ30 when ABS was working.
Nothing like the feeling when your brake petal hits the floor!!
Thursday, January 04, 2007 - 09:54 am, by: Tim Appleton(Timbo)
Sounds like you may have an air bubble in your ABS. I'm not sure of it being just the ABS, but if your pedal hits the floor then 99% of the time it's air in the system.
The ABS system is not bled in the same fashion as the rest of the brake system. I don't fully understand the make-up of the ABS unit, but after some research a while ago I found that you there is a system to open the ABS unit up when bleeding the system that nobody wants to tell me about. You might try Toyota to bleed the ABS and brakes for you, or a brake specialist shop. It would be a good time to change your brake fluid as well, and a full bleed of the most important system on your car can't hurt.
Thursday, January 04, 2007 - 10:59 am, by: Matthew Sharpe(Madmatt)
Could also be hydrated brake fluid. Non synthetic and semi synthetic brake fluids will absorb any moisture they come into contact with - when they get too much water in them, the boiling point drops significantly, leading to the dreaded dead pedal as the fluid vaporises and compresses. Brakes fluid should be fully flushed every 2 years or so.
Dan McColl Goo Roo Victoria Bog Standard Active and a pos factory Manual XF Falcon.
Thursday, January 04, 2007 - 03:25 pm, by: Dan McColl(Hoon)
If you have TRC it will be because the accumulator has been depleted by the ABS operation. As you say, a few seconds later it should have built up sufficient pressure to work properly again.
If you're not getting any warnings, then I'd say it is ok.
Thursday, January 04, 2007 - 08:35 pm, by: Brian Timms(Turbo_brian)
I was driving a Honda Prelude once that did exactly this, a new Master Cylinder later, it was fixed.
Basically (not sure if this relates to Soarers or not), I hit the brakes so hard, that I fracturer the rubber that pushes the brake fluid, so it would take 1 push to get pressure into the system, and on the 2nd push, it would feel solid.
The other issue was that at the lights, foot on brakes, you would stop, the pedal would eventually travel to the floor, and slightly later the car would start rolling again, but re-pushing the pedal would bring the car to a stop, and the pedal would be solid again.
Might be worth just getting the brakes checked, the only 2 things I get re-checked by a pro are suspension and brakes, only because these 2 components are the things that will save your life.
Thursday, January 04, 2007 - 11:04 pm, by: Aaron Mead(Aaron)
Ive noted on older cars that master cylinders, dependiong on design, often allow fluid to travel past the cylider sleeve and pool in behind the master cylinder, only to come back after releasing the pedal through vaccuum.
Ive noted it a couple of times on HARD braking. Bleed the brakes properly (follow the correct pattern) then try it again to ensure that its not an air bubble.
Friday, January 05, 2007 - 01:50 am, by: Scott Ferguson(Scott_ferguson)
I do have TRC so i'm assuming that it's likely just that the accumulator was depleted. But that being said these are brakes so I will be changing the brake fluid.
To explain the situation more thoroughly the pedal does not slowly transit to the ground when constant pressure is on it such as at a red light.
It was just this once and my foot didn't hit the ground it just dropped about 2-3 inches. Then the tension was back again but at a point further down the travel of the pedal than was normal yet release and try again and everything is back to normal.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007 - 03:28 am, by: Scott Ferguson(Scott_ferguson)
Well I've had the car since September and this is the first time that this has happened so not terribly concerned but will definately change the brake fluid and keep and eye on it.
Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 01:20 pm, by: Peter Burrett(Burrett)
>....I've had progressive variability in braking which culminated last weekend with two brown trouser moments (flat to the floor, no brakes)....took it out to Neil's very carefully, and it appears that I have a master cylinder fekked as a result of contamination of brake fluid, possibly with oil... no idea how that could have happened
Friday, February 09, 2007 - 06:43 am, by: Matthew Sharpe(Madmatt)
I poured white ceiling paint into a 10 litre pail of tinted wall paint a few weekends back... managed to get it all out with only about 1 litre of wasted paint. Makes me wonder if I've ever done something like that with the car and not noticed!
Friday, February 09, 2007 - 04:36 pm, by: Don Bagnall(Baggs)
Yes Pen, I can see it now............"Somewhere on a Soarer assembly line in 1997, a disgruntled employee decides to have his revenge, and pours incollect blake fluid into Sailplane".........
One decade later in the sleepy NSW village of Canbella, Mr.Bullett tlies to stop his onlushing Sailplane..........but alas.....NO BLAKES!!!!
Bullett San has pleasance of mind to go to Sensai Gliffiths, who is MASTER of Sailplane repair technique (4th Dan Black belt in Sailplane diagnosis!).
Soon Bullett San dliving all normal.....BIG relief!
Meanwhile, disgluntled employee no care, him living in Colorado on dude ranch with hot babe from Atomic Kitten!..........he live happily ever after.
Lemember: "For Number One Service........go ONLY to Gliffiths San's Sailplane Diagnosis & Lepair"
Friday, February 09, 2007 - 06:18 pm, by: Peter Nitschke(Pen)
Please consider... It's only one decade since it was made, but if some oil got put in say 5 years ago, even if it has since been flushed, would it still eventually rot the seals?
Don Bagnall Moderator New Zealand I have WAY less Soarers than Hayden :-(