1994 850 n/a Soft Brakes

Post by **shaker_chi** » 16 Sep 2015, 18:52

Have a weird brake issue I need some help with. My brakes have been working great, but as of Monday they started getting soft. I live in Chicago and I have a 45 minute commute sitting in traffic to work everyday. The weird thing is my brakes feel great when I pull out of the garage, but after about 30 minutes of sitting in traffic and fairly hard braking they get soft and the pedal goes all the way to the floor. I've removed all 4 rims and don't see any leaks and checked the master cylinder as well. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Eddie G

Post by **scot850** » 16 Sep 2015, 21:22

Can you smell the brake fluid? When my master cylinder failed on my V70XC, it leaked into the brake booster so you could not see any leaking fluid. If you can't see any leaking fluid around any of the soft and hard pipes or wheel area, this is the most likely issue, assuming you are losing brake fluid?

Neil.

Herb Goltz · Post by **Herb Goltz** » 17 Sep 2015, 08:59

Any obvious change in the fluid level in the reservoir? If not, the master would be my first candidate. Another thing worth checking would be the flexible hoses. Have someone press the brakes while you feel each hose. Also, when was the last time the brake fluid was changed-- you are describing conditions in which moisture carried in old fluid could be "boiling off" resulting in a spongy pedal.

Post by **JDS60R** » 17 Sep 2015, 09:34

When was the last time the system was bled?
Look for leaks at the master (can leak into the booster) but if no leaks then you should consider the fluid itself

Post by **shaker_chi** » 17 Sep 2015, 11:33

I bled the system about 2 months ago, but I did NOT replace the fluid. This weekend I'll replace the fluid and bleed the system. Which brake fluid is recommended? Also, no I do not smell any brake fluid when in the car.

Eddie G