i feel like i have to press really hard for my brakes to stop...

even at a red light or something i have to put a lot more force on the pedal just to keep the car stopped. and when stopping from 50 or so it doesn't feel like any other car i drive or have driven.

 

so since im just talking about pedal feel... my guess is they need to be bled?

That could be any number of things, worn brake pads/rotors/drums, brakes contaminated with oil or grease on the friction surfaces, faulty brake booster, sticky calipers, etc.

Could be a faulty Brake booster.

Could be a faulty Brake booster.

 

 

My same thought........a faulty brake booster!!

That could be any number of things, worn brake pads/rotors/drums, brakes contaminated with oil or grease on the friction surfaces, faulty brake booster, sticky calipers, etc.

 

eh.

the fronts dont look so bad.. the rears i think are about ready.. in fact i think ive heard it grind..

 

i feel like with worn pads, its a different feel.. it just feels like theres an air pocket im forcing down..

 

where is the brake booster? and how does that work?

Ir's the big round black thing between the master cylinder and the firewall.

 

Has a vacuum line running to it from the intake manifold. SOmeone here recently had a bad hose.

Ir's the big round black thing between the master cylinder and the firewall.

 

Has a vacuum line running to it from the intake manifold. SOmeone here recently had a bad hose.

 

that HUGE thing that has a cable running to the throttle body?

 

i thought that was cruise control.. maybe im looking at the other big roudn black thing..

o.k. my memory isn't that great. But it IS the huge thing - like a foot around. IIR the cruise thing is smaller.

 

I'll edit this later if I'm wrong.

It is the huge black thing that the master cylinder goes into. There is a test you can do for the booster that involves about three steps to help tell if it is faulty. There's several other huge black things under the hood. Just make sure one isn't a racoon before starting the engine.

Edited April 17, 200916 yr by porcupine73

heh.

 

someone said it coudl be the calipers frozen in place cuz the slide pins werent greased well or have worn away or something?

Lets do a simple test.

 

Pump the brakes ten times with the car off.

 

Press the brake pedal. Start the car. When the car starts the brake pedal should move towards the floor. If it does not the Power Brake booster is bad or the Little check valve for the brake booster in the intake manifold is stuck.

 

The brake booster is between the master cylinder and the firewall.

 

 

nipper