I saw a post from 2003 about this problem and it wasn't really resolved. This post is long to give an accurate desciption of my problem.
My 1995 LSC I bought 4 months ago had an intermittent problem when I press on the brake pedal. The brakes would work but lose pedal travel (go halfway down) for a brief second and act like the anti-lock is coming on. I would lift my foot and full brake travel and the brakes worked like normal.
The master cylinder checked out fine. 1 month after I bought the car, I replaced ALL calipers, rotors and pads (the pads were shot, ruined the front calipers), but still had the same intermittent problem after the replacements.
Last week, I was driving and put on the brakes and immediately I had no brake boost. No power brakes anymore. The pedal is very hard to press, but the car will stop. Even holding down the pedal it stays firm where it is. So there is no leak or bad master cylinder.
If I am at idle and hold the brake pedal down, two things happen. There is a hissing sound from inside the car from the firewall, and the engine will lope (rpm up and down) and lunge the car forward. If I take my foot off the brake, the engine will idle normally.
I took the vacumn hose off the booster check valve and there is strong suction from the engine. I replaced the booster check valve since it was only $9 hoping that would do it.
The brake fluid is really dirty. Not clear at all. New fluid was put in when the brake were done.
My question is:
Is this a description of a bad brake booster? Another vacumn hose I didn't check? Or is there another area for me to look?
Can I do the brake booster myself? If so, how?
Thanks
My 1995 LSC I bought 4 months ago had an intermittent problem when I press on the brake pedal. The brakes would work but lose pedal travel (go halfway down) for a brief second and act like the anti-lock is coming on. I would lift my foot and full brake travel and the brakes worked like normal.
The master cylinder checked out fine. 1 month after I bought the car, I replaced ALL calipers, rotors and pads (the pads were shot, ruined the front calipers), but still had the same intermittent problem after the replacements.
Last week, I was driving and put on the brakes and immediately I had no brake boost. No power brakes anymore. The pedal is very hard to press, but the car will stop. Even holding down the pedal it stays firm where it is. So there is no leak or bad master cylinder.
If I am at idle and hold the brake pedal down, two things happen. There is a hissing sound from inside the car from the firewall, and the engine will lope (rpm up and down) and lunge the car forward. If I take my foot off the brake, the engine will idle normally.
I took the vacumn hose off the booster check valve and there is strong suction from the engine. I replaced the booster check valve since it was only $9 hoping that would do it.
The brake fluid is really dirty. Not clear at all. New fluid was put in when the brake were done.
My question is:
Is this a description of a bad brake booster? Another vacumn hose I didn't check? Or is there another area for me to look?
Can I do the brake booster myself? If so, how?
Thanks