Q:I blew a brake line and need to fix it. I don‘t have much experience with brake lines but I think it‘s something I could do if I knew where the brake lines were or knew exactly what to look for. I know i should take it in if I‘m inexperienced but as i‘m pretty broke and not completely helpless with a wrench i‘m going to try to fix it myself if anyone can help me. No need for people to tell me i‘m risking my life by not taking it to a mechanic as it won‘t be driven until it‘s fixed

Theres a brake line going to each wheel. You can start at each wheel and follow them back to the front. You sometimes have to add fluid and have someone sit inside and push the pedal while your under it looking for leaks. With the age of the vehicle, you touch one and others break- you'll end up rebuilding all the lines from front to rear and don't do it with pre built lines from the auto parts store. You might as well buy a 25 ft coil and a flaring tool and get to work, first practicing on how to make flared ends and then bending brake line. This is extensive work for people that do it every day let alone someone that hasn't done it before!

Q:i just had my brakes replaced i have a 1994 pontiac grand am se they said my rotors were good however when i left the shop a few days later my brakes were going to the floor when i took the car back to have them recheck since they replaced my brakes they said my brakes were fine that it was my ABS that wasn‘t working and I would still be safe driving,I don‘t feel comfortable with my brakes flooring everyonce in awhile and the cost to fix the ABS is enourmous for me does anyone know what the ABS is exactly for and is there anything else i can do besides repairing it?

Possible causes: Brake fluid is very low: Check the master cylinder fluid level and fill to the marked level. The Master Cylinder is bad: Replace master cylinder. Air in the hydraulic system: Bleed hydraulic system Large leak in brake hydraulic system: Locate and repair leak

Q:The other night, I‘m guessing my wheel cylinder went bad and leaked all of my brake fluid out. That‘s when I realized the parking brake/emergency brake light stayed on. After limping home with no brakes, I replaced the wheel cylinder and refilled my brake fluid. I tried my best to bleed the brakes according to a few videos I watched online. But now my parking brake light will not turn off. Any ideas? I‘ve read that the light also serves as a warning for problems with the brake system. But why hasn‘t it turned off?

If it stays on bright even when you lift up on the e-brake pedal, be aware that light doubles as a warning for a brake system leak, if the Combination valve (aka metering proportioning valve) is tripped to shut off one side of the brake system, it will stay on until it's reset or the pressure is balanced out. You can unplug the wire on the Combination valve to see if it is the cause on the light coming on. You'll need to reset the Combination valve and bleed the brake system. The brake Combination valve is under the Master cylinder bolted to the frame. . It will have one or two buttons located on it. The reset button usually has a rubber cap on it. It is an L-shaped metal valve. Push the reset button located on the valve with your fingers, which will reset it so the valve is working properly again. If the pressure is restored to the brake line and your brakes seem to be working properly again, then the reset button worked. If not the valve may need to be replaced. If the proportioning valve needs to be reset, brake fluid will not be getting through to the brakes system that explain why the light still on after you bled the brake system. So reset the valve and bleed the brake system and the Combination valve should be stabilized out and the light on the dash should goes offHTH

Q:2000 Isuzu Trooper. Left rear (driver side) is very hot VERY HOT !I took it apart and tried to press the piston back with a C clamp. It sticks out about 3/4 inch.Is that ok. Should I only replace the rotor and pads ?

the piston has to go back far enough to be flush with the caliper, you can't use a c-clamp on the rear calipers to get it back in place as the piston turns in instead of pushing in, not like the front calipers, go to autozone or any auto store and buy the special tool for rear calipers to be able to get the piston pushed back in properly.

Q:I found some good info online (at ehow) on maintenance on scooters/mopeds - how to clean carburetor, change oil, gear fluid, etc. but i‘m having trouble finding how to‘s on inspecting/cleaning/repairing/replacing brakes. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance

Take it back to where you have it rebuilt and have them fix it.

Q:I just leased a new BMW. The brakes failed and I got into a car accident. I am afraid to take the car to BMW in that they may lie to me and tell me the car is fine. The brakes work now but not very well. Should I take the car to them or to someone else to get proof of a problem with the brakes.Also when they see the car, will I get in trouble for the damage then and there, being that it is leased?Thanks for the advice!

It is very very very unlikley that the brakes failed on a new BMW. Since 2001 they have implemented a feature that if there are any malfunctions within the braking system, when you hit the pedal, it will apply maximum braking force no matter what amount of pressure you put on the pedal. Also assuming this is a 2013 it is PACKED with advanced safety features, and the car would have known something was wrong long before the accident and would have audibly warned you. But even if all these systems did fail on the car which they didnt, BMW of course is going to find nothing wrong. Dont take it to someone else to have them inspect it, because your going to have to pay out of your pocket to diagnose a car that your basically renting. As far as the damage, you dont get in trouble by anyone, the dealer isnt going to tell the leasing company there is damage to the car. Get it fixed through your insurance and own up to your accident.

Q:BMW 523li instrument shows the brake system please be careful to stop what is the reason to find out

Is the brake system is faulty, specifically what is the reason it would go to 4s detected the fault code to know.

Q:I replaced my rotors and my front calipers, then I had no pressure.(brakes) So then I bled them and bled them some more. Still nothing. So then I replaced the master cylinder. Then bled them and bled them and bled them. Still no brakes. What am I doing wrong. I have gone thru 3 bottles of DOT4. Please help.Chad

Standard brakes, (not anti lock), start to bleed at the farthest point from the master cylinder, that is, rr, then lr, then rf then lf. If power brakes, do not use power, bleed with engine off. On normal anti lock, start at the lf, then rf, then lr then rr, again, do this with engine off. If after you installed the new calipers, and no pedal, make sure you have the right combination of pads and calipers, also check thickness of rotors. All have to be close to factory specifications or no pedal. If you have no pedal, there is a good chance some wrong parts are involved.

Q:The context is the following (the occurrence of the term is emphasized by me):The above provisions are deemed to be fulfilled when the pressure in the service brake storage device(s) is maintained at a pressure of at least 80 percent of the control line DEMAND PRESSURE or equivalent digital DEMAND as defined in paragraph 3.1.2.2. of Annex 4I am puzzled by the use of demand here. What is it? I am a non-native English speaker and I have to make a translation of this paragraph.

seems to me that. driver presses brake, car's computer calculates how hard to brake and demands the pressure to be applied to the brakes. The above provisions are fulfilled if 80% of the pressure the car needs to brake can be applied. thats my interpretation. Im guessing its about safety? There's a certain amount of pressure that needs to be applied to the brakes to stop the car and as long as 80% of that pressure can be applied the system is working safely.

Q:It‘s got 8500 miles on it.When its moving , lets say when I push it I hear scratching I think it‘s the breaks because the sound is kinda similar to a sound a car makes when a brake job is needed.I tested the brakes they hold perfectly. Does this mean I need new brake pads? How can I troubleshoot this and know what it is that I need?Thanks in advance :)

One of the advantages of a hydraulic disc brake system is that it's self-adjusting. On the downside, this nicety often makes it hard to determine if the pads are worn without physically inspecting them. One indicator of pad wear is the fluid level in the master cylinder. As the pads wear the caliper piston moves farther out in its bore. Fluid from the master cylinder must then fill the space behind the piston. The first clue that the pads need an eyeballing may be a drop in the brake-fluid level. Typically, brake pads will have some sort of visual indicator to let you know how much life is left. These may be painted strips, slots cut into the pads or a step milled into the pad material. As the pad wears, so do the indicators. When they disappear, it's time to replace the pad. Some manufacturers may specify a minimum thickness for the pad material. In most instances this is somewhere between 2.0 and 1.5mm. The wear indicators are visible without removing the pads from the caliper, though you might need to remove an inspection cover to see them. I'm not sure on the GSXR's. If you wait until you can hear the metal against metal grating of the pads grinding through the rotor, and assuming you get the bike stopped without hitting whatever it is you're trying to avoid, consider the pads and rotors trashed beyond redemption.