This is a winter car. Got it out today first time since fall. Brakes went out 100%. Nothing at all. Nothing bad happened.

Nothing is leaking. I’m pretty sure it has to be the master cylinder. Before I get the part like to see if anyone agrees or thinks it could be something else.

Pedal went all the way to the floor and nothing happened? Yes, likely bad master cylinder.

Pedal barely moved towards floor while being pressed very hard, and nothing happened? No, likely no vacuum to the vacuum booster, or maybe some other thing like maybe a bad vacuum booster.

Did we check fluid?

Fluid is full. A leak would still have some brakes until empty. The pedal is beyond soft. Like pushing air.

I changed the front pads last spring. Been having problems getting it to bleed. Bleeders frozen tight. In the last it always bleed itself after a hundred pumps. This time would not completely bleed. Brakes worked but a little soft. I believe one side was not working as good as the other.

The other day as I was coming to a stop I felt on the pedal something just went out. Felt it on the pedal went from somewhat hard to nothing. Then at that moment there was 0 brakes. Not 100% sure but I may have heard a slight noise maybe like air being released when it went to nothing.

not sure what you mean barely moves to the floor. Do you mean extremely hard to push?

[QUOTE=CathedralCub;1650819]Pedal went all the way to the floor and nothing happened? Yes, likely bad master cylinder.

Pedal barely moved towards floor while being pressed very hard, and nothing happened? No, likely no vacuum to the vacuum booster, or maybe some other thing like maybe a bad vacuum booster.[/QUOTE

From what I’m reading on the booster. If it goes out the brakes would get harder. At least temporarily and then might get soft.

this went to a instant soft 0 braking. So I’ll get a master for it. But I’ll look over the booster first.

Yeah, might be the master cylinder.

Weird that you have to bleed it so often. Did you have to replace calipers or wheel cylinders for some reason?

I have to bleed it after charging brake pads. Maybe you misunderstood me. If you can’t bleed brakes the usual way pumping the brakes like a hundred time will usually get the air out and the pedal will get hard. I’ve done this on every car I’ve owned if I the bleeder was a no go. I also partially bleed from the brake line coming into caliper. Then finish by pumping with the foot for a long time.

I’ll get a master. It’* cheap and w red Friday coming perhaps will be cheaper yet.

I've never needed to bleed brakes solely from changing brake pads. If it is not possible to change brake pads normally, perhaps there is something bigger wrong with it . . . ?

One thing that will ruin an older master cylinder is to pump it quickly all the way to the floor when it has only travelled enough to brake normally its whole life.