Brakes on all four tires now the brake paddle is soft?

Tiny
SUM2
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Success! I had to buy a one man bleeder kit from the store. I bled the brake system 5 times then turned the car on and bled the system one more time. I drove it around the neighborhood and the brake systems work perfectly! I started the job thinking I just needed to get pads all around, but then found out the master cylinder needed to be replaced from this wonderful forum. Thank you for your help cardio and KHLow! The entire job ran about $150. I saved so much money doing it myself. Now I have thick pads all around and a strong braking system. Peace of mind!
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:51 AM (Merged)
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,916 POSTS
All right. One in a row! Happy to hear you can safely buzz off into the sunset. I mean "sail off", not buzz off!
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:51 AM (Merged)
Tiny
SUM2
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
My muffler was broken from the previous owner, so I removed it while doing this job. So it does sound more like a buzz when i'm driving without a muffler! Thanks for the help!
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:51 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ROBERT1993
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
  • 1994 HONDA CIVIC
  • 1.5L
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
Ok im in serious need of some help cause I dont want to just go and start replacing parts.

What it is, is that when I push the brakes the pedal goes to the floor, but itll still stop the car, but when I do a really hard pull and go to stop afterwards the brakes are tight on it like it should be ive done bleed the brakes, and read a couple different fourm and they are saying it could be the brake master cylinder or the brake booster, I need help.

Thanks
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:51 AM (Merged)
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
A faulty booster will give you a very heavy and hard brake pedal, to test booster, with engine off, pump pedal until it becomes hard, hold foot on pedal and start engine, pedal should suck down a little, I would be thinking that you have air in the system, so start with a bleed and see how that works, if you cant see any signs of a leak, pull the master and check the rear seal, often you get a leak there.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:51 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ROBERT1993
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Well I bleed the brakes and got all the air out but it didn't help the brakes when the car is running, I pulled the master cylinder and its not leaking either, and I tested the booster by pumping the brake with the car not running and then holding the brake down while I crank the car and it started once and the pedal fell to the floor, so I repeated the process and the car wouldn't start if I had the brake pedal down but once I let off the pedal and turned it over it would start automatically on the first turn of the key
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:51 AM (Merged)
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
This does not make any sense, I can't see here there would be any connection, so to isolate the two items that may be connected, disconnect booster vacuum and plug line, try starting with brake depressed, and disconnect brake light switch and try a start and see if there is any change.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:51 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ROBERT1993
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Ok well I went and got a brand new master cylinder and replace it and bleed all the brakes again and figured out that I also had a bad rear wheel brake cylinder so I replaced that as well and then re bleed the brakes again, well that worked perfect now the pedal is hard as a rock and it takes a couple minutes to stop the car, but I hear a loud clicking when I'm hitting the brake.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:51 AM (Merged)
Tiny
CLIFFQUIGLEY3
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 1994 HONDA CIVIC
  • 330,000 MILES
Hey im having a brake problem on my 1994 honda civic cx. I just bought it, it had a bad cv axle and caliper. Replaced them both and now I have very little brake pressure when I start the car. Before I start the car the pedal feels good and firm from bleeding it and once u start it, it looses alot of pressure. I can still stop but it comes close to hitting the floor by the time it starts to stop. I dont remember if I said abs cv axle or not does that make a difference? Any info would be great
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
Try rebleeding your system or have a pro do it. Make sure master is full when you do this.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
CLIFFQUIGLEY3
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  • 3 POSTS
I do all my own work I know how to bleed brakes. Ill do it again and see thanks for the reply.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
AXIS
  • MEMBER
  • 107 POSTS
Check rear brakes and adjust if required. Too much clearance between the drum and shoes would result in the symptoms you mentioned.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
If the pedal is dropping under light pedal pressure, you may have a bypassing brake master cylinder, if you hold firm pressure and it stays up look into this as well.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JPROSTANG
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
  • HONDA CIVIC
The brake pedal goes right to the floor. I have bleed the brakes several times. There are no leaks. What could be the problem?
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,094 POSTS
There is no visible leaks, the lines have been bled and the pedal still goes to the floor, Does the pedal go to the floor with the engine not running and can you pump them up? Has the master cylinder every gone completly dry? Lets try bleeding the master cylinder itself first. With the engine not running you should be able to get some brakes when you pump them up.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
You need to look in the dust boots of the calipers to check for fluid that hasn't made it all the way out!
Try this first tho. Get 4 brake hose clamps and clamp the hoses at each wheel. Now step on the brake pedal if it still goes to the floor you either have more bleeding to do, or the master cylinder is NG, If you have a good pedal, take the clamps off one at a time and check the pedal each time, you will find the bad spot this way! When you make it to the leaky caliper removing the hose clamp will cause the pedal to sink to the floor.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JPROSTANG
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
The pedal goes all the way to the foor when the engine is running and when it is off. When it is off it is harded to push down but when its turned obn it just goes down with ease. I am pretty sure the master cylinder has gone dry.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,094 POSTS
When you bled the brakes was all the air removed from the lines? I agree with merlin, I could be wrong but something is telling me that there is still air in the lines. Try bleeding each wheel again.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JPROSTANG
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
I have tried bleeding them again. No luck so far. What is the proper way of bleeding the brakes, so I know im doing it right?
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)
Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,094 POSTS
Bleeding the lines. Do one wheel at a time. There are a couple of diferent ways people do them. Get a small piece of hose. The size that fits over the cap of the bleeder valve and put it on the end. With the other end in a bottle or can with brake fluid covering the end of the tube. Have someone pump up the brakes a few times until the pedal gets harder. When the pedal gets hard the person in the car keeps a steady pressure on the brake pedal. The one under the car bleediing the brakes opens the bleeder valve a little the person in the car will feel the pedal go down, they would keep pressure on the pedal until the one bleeding the lines lets them know the valve is closed and they can release the pedal. Meaning that you have closed the line. If one lets the pressure off the brake pedal before the valve is closed, it could suck air back in when the pedal is released before the bleeder valve is closed. With the end of the hose in a can with brake fluid it is less likely that air will go back in the line. Bleed the lines until you don't see air bubbles comming from the covered hose in the can. When the bleeder valve is closet the person in the car pumps up the brakes again. Then they hold the brake pedal like before. Continue bleeding the brake until all the air is out, after the brake is bled proceed to the next brake. Keep checking the brake fluid resevior so it does not run dry. Keep filling it each time you bleed each wheel.
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 AT 11:52 AM (Merged)

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