Help! my brakes are gonna kill me!

[gofaster]

Ok so I just got back from driving and it got real scary real quick. The brakes are just about worthless at this point. If you apply steady and building pressure, the brake pedal goes to the floor and does just about nada. If you jab at the bakes real quick you will getthrown forward then the brakes lose pressure again. Other than the fading pressure I can't feel anything weird through the pedal. I just popped the hood and I don't see anything weird and the brake fluid level is at about 1/2 way between the minimum and maximum. Ducked under the car and I didn't see anypuddles either except for the air con letting the water out. So what the hell is going on here?

[maroonaccord2.2]

This happened to me about a year ago, I had to replace the brake master cylinder. It was leaking down the inner firewall.....

[gofaster]

thats just itI cant find any leaks anywhere, on either side of the firewall or along any lines that I can see

[ExplodingCake]

thats just itI cant find any leaks anywhere, on either side of the firewall or along any lines that I can see

master cylinder could be your problem.

[Maple50175]

Brake master cylinder my main man

[DilutedImage]

Yep, it's the Brake Master Cylinder. There's an internal seal that can leak, and you won't see any sign of it (Maple- I think it was you that brought that to my attention before. Thanks!). If that's the case, be sure to check your brake booster when you change out the BMC; you don't want to leave fluid in there.

2¢

[DilutedImage]

p.s. In the meantime, down-shifting and the e-brake are your best friend!! .. It certainly IS scary when your brakes go out on you while driving; that's an experience I'd rather not have again!

[gofaster]

and how much will one of these things run me at a salvage yard normally? or has anyone looked?

[maroonaccord2.2]

Ehhh, I'd buy one new. Mine was not a HONDA part, it was like $70 I think..... some wholesale parts place online.

[hamgumball]

I've been needing one too. You can find one on ebay for cheap.

[The G-Man]

Get a new one. I got one at Advance Auto Parts for $55 new. Not Honda, but it has been working for over a month, and even if I have to replace it in 2 years it will still be worth $55.

[OwninUSince1902]

definatly an internal leak if your not losing any fluid and yea i would get a new one and im pretty sure that you have to bench bleed it before you hook it up

[DilutedImage]

Yep, like everyone said, get a new one. With how scary it is to lose brakes, do you really want to put a junkyard BMC in there!? .. And yes, it needs to be bench bled before you put it on. Don't be lazy (like me) and try to skip the bench bleed (my bleed plugs were stripped); it's a PAIN to try to get the system bled if you do.

[The G-Man]

My new MC came with plugs to do the bench bleeding. Just clamp it to a table, or vice, put the bleed plugs in, and tubes. Route them back up to the resiviour, sp? and stick a screw driver in and pump the bubbles out of the fluid.

[gofaster]

*UPDATE* bought a remanufactured unit from O'Reilly's for 40.99 plus 20 dollar core charge. Changed it last night, got lazy and didn't bench bleed the thing, spentthe betterpart of the night bleeding now the brakes better than ever. Correction we bench bleed the thing, we just waitd until it was attached to the car to do so, worked like a charm.