Brake Booser Failure??

[bcossa2001]

96 Accord EX--132K miles--just bought used.

Today I washed the engine, changed out the PS fluid, changed out the brake fluid, and seafoamed the intake through the brake booster hose.

Now the brake booster won't work--the brake pedal slowly goes to the floor and won't hold pressure neither with the engine on or off.

I re-bled the brakes but no good--the booster won't hold pressure.

Could I have messed up the booster somehow??? Is there something else in the system that I should check??

 

[Chris142]

Booster is fine the master either got air in it or just decided to die today.

 

[bcossa2001]

I can't find any evidence of fluid leak anywhere...if the master died wouldn't there be a fluid leak???

 

[spasm3]

the fluid leak is internal and not a visible leak

 

[bcossa2001]

The car sat in a garage for nearly 2 years without being driven when I bought it...maybe a seal has gone bad???

 

[Warstud]

The brake booster hose you took off isn't making a good seal. Trying tightening the clamp or replacing the hose.

 

[440Magnum]

Its not the booster. A brake sinking all the way to the floor is a bad master cylinder (internal leaks) or else a fluid leak somewhere else in the brake system. The fact that you say it sat for years convinces me even further. Brake fluid left sitting after years of use is full of water and other contaminants- just eating away at the internal parts of the cylinders and lines.

A bad booster will make the pedal feel hard as a rock, but it won't make it sink to the floor.

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Booster is fine the master either got air in it or just decided to die today.
YEP it there is no fluid leaking!!!The master cyl is like a syringe if the seals are shot the syringe won't push the fluid. Did you push the brake pedal to the floor when bleeding?

 

[bcossa2001]

No....the first bleed I used a mity vac. The 2nd bleed was the 2 man with someone in the car while I cracked the bleeder valve.

I'm confident the reservoir level never got too low while I was bleeding. I DID use a fluid extractor to initally remove the old fluid prior to bleeding--maybe some air got in then...

Looks like master cylinders are about $50.....not too bad...

 

[mechtech2]

The pedal going to the floor is not a sign of a bad booster. Being hard and high IS.
Bad master cyl, line leak, or a need for brake bleeding are my first thoughts.

I wish you did not Seafoam your engine.
Always problems just to see smoke come out the tailpipe.

 

[bcossa2001]

There was almost zero smoke out of the tailpipe so I think I will not be doing any more seafoaming.....