BAH!! This is neverending!!!!!!!! Working.. on the bonne.. removing my ICM for the delco unit, comming Thursday. Well, a several days ago [approx 2 1/2 weeks ago, about when my Power brakes went out], there has been a puddle by the driver'* side wheel. I always thought it to be water.. until today. I look at it closer today, and notice it is dripping. So, i'm like WTF?? look at it, and it is comming out of a small crack [there from the factory] right around the wheel well. So, I narrowed it down, I no longer have a coolant leak, so its not that, can't be tranny fluid, because this is thin as water, not oil that is too thick. ****!!!!!! BRAKE FLUID!!!!!! Look at my resevior.. EMPTY! Now, I am pissed! What happened here? Line explode? I have yet to disassemble, since I am not going to be home this evening, and won't have the time to dig into it. Also, just to confirm, when opening the cap, there should be fluid right there, correct? Because, there is this little thing sticking up, that is just flat out empty. Also.. this has me confused, how could this be leaking fluid, if I have a firm pedal? I always thought if you are leaking fluid, or a line exploded, you would have a very soft pedal.


-justin

Probably a junk line. You'll still have pedal perssure because there'* no breaks in the rear lines or the other front line. And yes you should have a full resevoir. You might not have lost enough fluid to loose the brakes.

Should that little mushroom type thing be exposed? I tried cleaning my resevoir.. I can't really tell if it to the full line.. it is really yellow in discolouration [plastic] and you really can't see through it, but it doesn't look like it has anything in it. Which may explain why my accumulator isn't working, and why my BRAKE and ABS lights are on.. I tried holding the brakes to see if more fluid would come out, but it didn't do anything.. but its got something to do with the brakes, I just know it. Should I just order two new lines from AZ? Or should I wait?

EDIT: I will be buying three cans [two if over $10] of cheapo DOT 3 brake fluid.. that way I will be [hopefully] better able to find the problem.


-justin

I'd buy new lines. Can't go wrong with safety. Just fill it up to where the resevoir begins to crown...or at least above the minimum line.

Bought 3 bottles of valusuck brake fluid.. and two new front rubber lines. Going to replace the lines, and fill up the MC tomorrow.. got a friend who'll help out bleeding the brakes. Hopefully this will fix it, because other than that, it will probably be expensive.. time consuming, and impossible to find, diagnose, and fix the problem. Keep your fingers crossed .


-justin

There is a slightly different procedure for bleeding your brakes vs a traditional braking system. If I'm not mistaken, the system needs to be depressurized prior to bleeding. This is done by 25 or more pushes of the brake pedal until they are hard as a rock. Check Padgett'* website to verify.

Yes, you are correct. I have all the articles printed out for TEVES brake troubleshooting/repair. Plus my trusty FSM has all the info I need too. Can you use a stick of some sort to hold the brake pedal down.. and then go and close the bleeder valve.. then take the stick out, and have the pedal depress. I kinda need to do this one manned.. my mom is too good to pump brakes, and my friends.. well.. yeah, they are another story.


-justin

Typically, brake bleeding is a two person job. fuddyduddy uses the "speed bleeders" or "one man bleeders" on his car and says they work very well. I went so far as to buy some for mine but never installed them. I ended up taking the car to a garage and paid to have them bled. I did it three times and was still not happy with them. The majority of the problem was the ABS though and not how I bled them.

I'll be able to pull it off.. otherwise i'll be rolling around with some air brakes..


-justin

When the reservoir and accumulator is run dry, you have to pressurize the fluid into the system, because it relies on pressure, not vacuum to circulate the fluid. You can either get the proper gm tool or you can stick a cork with an airhose in the top of the reservoir and force presurize it with compressed air. ghetto, but it works.