96 Outback 140k. Keep having to add fluid every 600-2500 miles. Light comes on when low. No visible leaks. My Mech has put some sort of "brick", pressure on the pedal for days, no leaking found. Checked all visible hoses, Master, behind booster. He has looked at it several times over months. This week took to a different town and went to recommended locations and guys at Les Schwab and Midas. Both found no leaking. One suggested removing the seats and then the floorplate ?? to look at hidden brakelines. Anyone know how to do that? Can I do it?

 

ANY other suggestions? This is driving me crazy, I love this car, have owned since new, but feel it is unsafe to drive.

 

Live on Olympic Peninsula, but car is now in Puyallup, Tacoma area if you can suggest a great, and reasonable brake guy, anywhere in the N.Seattle to Olympia area. I'm Desperate.

 

Thanks for advice, suggestions.

 

Jim

 

PS Talked to one dealer in Bremerton... useless

Hi 96OutbackGNW and welcome! Anyone know is there any way brake fluid could get sucked in the booster vacuum line?

96 Outback 140k. Keep having to add fluid every 600-2500 miles.[...]

How much fluid are you having to add each time?

 

 

Hi 96OutbackGNW and welcome! Anyone know is there any way brake fluid could get sucked in the booster vacuum line?

http://www.abcauto.com/MessageCenterDetail.aspx?ContentID=13

Have you looked at the calipers behind each road wheel? Have you traced the brake lines back to each road wheel looking for any wetness caused by a leaking brake line. Usually, any substantial brake fluid leak is not that difficult to spot. I am surprised that so many mechanics have looked at your Subie, and haven't found a leak.

How much fluid are you having to add each time?

 

A few oz. It dropped 1/4 - 3/8".

 

A friend took it to another repair place today. I had to be in a different town. This repair shop went over everything again, showed my friend every inch of brake hose, did a pressure test. Said there is no leak! Suggested maybe the cap wasn't on right, or that the sensor in the tank has gone stupid. I'll just keep an eye on it. Nice to know 4-5 shops say it doesn't have a leak.

 

Thank you for your ideas, suggestions.

This is a great car. In a couple weeks I'll have had for 12 years. Kind of ratty on the inside as it's the haul the dogs, haul everything car, but it has never let me down, cross country 3 times. Has many miles to go.

Did you change locations? Maybe you are using the brakes more causing the fluild to go down as the the pads or shoes wear.

96 Outback 140k. Keep having to add fluid every 600-2500 miles. Light comes on when low. No visible leaks. My Mech has put some sort of "brick", pressure on the pedal for days, no leaking found. Checked all visible hoses, Master, behind booster. He has looked at it several times over months. This week took to a different town and went to recommended locations and guys at Les Schwab and Midas. Both found no leaking. One suggested removing the seats and then the floorplate ?? to look at hidden brakelines. Anyone know how to do that? Can I do it?

 

ANY other suggestions? This is driving me crazy, I love this car, have owned since new, but feel it is unsafe to drive.

 

Live on Olympic Peninsula, but car is now in Puyallup, Tacoma area if you can suggest a great, and reasonable brake guy, anywhere in the N.Seattle to Olympia area. I'm Desperate.

 

Thanks for advice, suggestions.

 

Jim

 

PS Talked to one dealer in Bremerton... useless

A few oz. It dropped 1/4 - 3/8".[...]

[...]Maybe you are using the brakes more causing the fluild to go down as the the pads or shoes wear.

That's why I asked about the amount of fluid needed. Obviously, normal brake friction material wear eventually requires adding fluid at the master's reservoir to offset that going to the wheel hydraulics. Assuming there are no external leaks or a leak into the booster, if driving conditions don't explain things (for example, mountains eat brakes) it's possible that some accelerated wear is occurring due to the brakes not releasing fully when the pedal isn't being depressed. Also, some brake friction material just wears very rapidly.

this is a great lesson in life and organizations. if they're asking the wrong question it's hard to find the right answer. the question isn't "where is the leak", it's "why is the fluid dropping". have they carefully inspected all the pads, i would think a brake shop would? a sticking caliper will wear the pads faster, which pushes the piston out and reduces (not looses) the amount of fluid showing in the reservoir.

 

of course there's still the possibility that it's loosing it. what work have you had done to the vehicle in the past? list any other work that's been done that you can think of (not tune-ups).

this is a great lesson in life and organizations. if they're asking the wrong question it's hard to find the right answer.[...]

Right; a good diagnostician assumes nothing, and isn't led down a possibly wrong path by information from a customer, patient, client (or forum member ).

 

 

of course there's still the possibility that it's loosing it.[...]

Yes, unfortunately even after several shops declared it free of leaks.

Also keep in mind that brake fluid is water soluble. Meaning that water will wash away brake fluid. I know it rains in your neck of the woods a lot, I lived there for a while.

 

How many times have you had to add fluid, and over what period of time? How many times has the light come on due to low fluid level. How low is the fluid when the light comes on, in relation to the Min and Max level marks.

 

If the brake light is coming on every 600-2500 miles and the fluid level is actually low enough to be the cause of the the light illuminating, then this is not normal brake wear. If it was due to brake wear you would be replacing brake pads more often than changing your oil and filter.

For me the obvious question would be-are you seeing any tell tale signs of leaking on the garage floor or anywhere on the under carriage of the car. There are some very good points through out this thread and one that caught my attention the most is that if you have to add fluid every 600 miles,then there has to be a leak somewhere brake pads do not wear that rapidly-but I would definitely look for drip spots on the floor and around all cylinders. Brake fluid doesn't magically disappear,even getting sucked into a booster would create signs.

Years ago I heard of a car that ate brake fluid no one could find a leak on. It turned out that a pinhole in the vacum chamber sucked fluid into the engine. No idea if this could happen to a Subaru.