What does this mean? (mechanic / brakes related)

[Foote 10+ year member]

Ok. So, I heard a squeal. was told it was "indicator" squeeling on the brakes. So I got some new pads...took off the tire; put the new pads on. I bled the brake fluid out of the caliper in order to help compress the cylinder thingy. Then, I put the pads in; reattacthed the break line...then did the same on the other side...

Now, I turned the car on and hit the breaks a few time..it felt pretty loose but I wasnt sure. I kept and kept and kept pumping it but it didnt get tighter. So, I drove it down the road and theres like no breakage. I can push it in with very little resistance and it doesnt slow the car down; except just a bit. If I press REALLY hard it stops the car decently. ...So thats the problem now. The squeel stopped. But the brakes arent really brakeing.

To fix this, my friend tried "bleeding" the brakes. I'm unfamilar with the process or what to do or how it works. But he said it gets air out or something. He did it on 3 of the 4 tires. Whatever he did...somethign like unbolted something while i held the brake down then re tightened it... repeated on 3 out of the 4 tires...the last one he said it should be fine since with the back wheel off, with the brakes pressed you can see it moving or something.

Then we put more brake fluid in it; put the tires back on and pumpped it up and stuf again...and got back on the road...did the same thing. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Any tips? My gf is really getting upset with not being able to drive it. So quick help and good advice would be really appreciated. Absolutely not enough money to take it to a mechanic. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif Plz help.

Thanks.

Oh more info: The car is a 1993 GMC Safair XLT vortec one...and..the problem seems to be with the front brakes.

Click to read more...

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

did you let the master cylinder run dry while you were bleeding? and next time you dont need to bleed your caliper to replace your pads, a c clamp should work fine to push the piston in with out taking out some fluid. i have not had trouble doing that on any car i have had to do brakes on unless that van is different for some reason.

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

I dont even know what the master cylinder is...but here is what he did when "bleeding" (i dont even know if he did it right)

He told me "press the brake in and out 5 times, then hold it down" While I held it down he loosened the bolt that held down the brake line into the caliper, just enough to let a little fluid leak/spray out (it leaked at first, then it started to kinda spray after he did it a few times); then quickly tightened it back; and I released the brake. He repeated this a few times on a few different tires at random; each time in between adding a bit of brake fluid to a slightly less empty little..box things under the hood. ...Don't know what they are called.

Really, I don't know if he bleed it right. Looking online it looks like he didnt do it correctly. And it looks pretty hard and complicated. (I'm obviously not very mechanicly savvy) How much would i be charged to have this done by a "professional"?

 

[HyPnAwTiKpImP 10+ year member]

I dont even know what the master cylinder is...but here is what he did when "bleeding" (i dont even know if he did it right)
He told me "press the brake in and out 5 times, then hold it down" While I held it down he loosened the bolt that held down the brake line into the caliper, just enough to let a little fluid leak/spray out (it leaked at first, then it started to kinda spray after he did it a few times); then quickly tightened it back; and I released the brake. He repeated this a few times on a few different tires at random; each time in between adding a bit of brake fluid to a slightly less empty little..box things under the hood. ...Don't know what they are called.

Really, I don't know if he bleed it right. Looking online it looks like he didnt do it correctly. And it looks pretty hard and complicated. (I'm obviously not very mechanicly savvy) How much would i be charged to have this done by a "professional"?

it was done right maybe just need to do it more till no more air is in it .. make sure that the master cylinder has brake fluid .

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

it was done right maybe just need to do it more till no more air is in it .. make sure that the master cylinder has brake fluid .

Whats the master cylinder? Is that the little um..box thingy with the gaskets under the hood? If so, that joker is full. Actualy, there are 2 of em (id guess one for the rear and one for front). And they are both full.

Also, you said maybe just do it more? How much more? And does it have to be done to all 4 tires?

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

I dont even know what the master cylinder is...but here is what he did when "bleeding" (i dont even know if he did it right)
He told me "press the brake in and out 5 times, then hold it down" While I held it down he loosened the bolt that held down the brake line into the caliper, just enough to let a little fluid leak/spray out (it leaked at first, then it started to kinda spray); then quickly tightened it back; and I released the brake. He repeated this a few times on a few different tires at random; each time in between adding a bit of brake fluid to slightly less empty little..box things under the hood. ...Don't know what they are called.

Really, I don't know if he bleed it right. Looking online it looks like he didnt do it correctly. And it looks pretty hard and complicated. How much would i be charged to have this done by a "professional"?

no it sounds like he had the right idea but i mean he should of just done the other wheel and did he start at the wheel that was farthest away from the master cylinder? (the thing he was filling up under the hood) i don't know if that part is crucial but i have know, ive always been told to start at the wheel farthest fromhe the M/C.what did you think he did wrong? and it sounds like he kept tmaster cylinder full of fluid( assume that what he was adding fluid up under the hood).

 

[HyPnAwTiKpImP 10+ year member]

Whats the master cylinder? Is that the little um..box thingy with the gaskets under the hood? If so, that joker is full. Actualy, there are 2 of em (id guess one for the rear and one for front). And they are both full.
Also, you said maybe just do it more? How much more? And does it have to be done to all 4 tires?

only has to be done to the front. and yes that is the master cylinder .if they r full try it couple more times .sometime it take 3 to 7 tries to get the air out .

Edit : do one wheel at a time.. pump it 5 times then hold then untied the screw. tight the screw back up then release the brake . do this till u it not squirting fluids . then do the next wheel

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

no it sounds like he had the right idea but i mean he should of just done the other wheel and did he start at the wheel that was farthest away from the master cylinder? (the thing he was filling up under the hood) i don't know if that part is crucial but i have know, ive always been told to start at the wheel farthest fromhe the M/C.what did you think he did wrong? and it sounds like he kept tmaster cylinder full of fluid( assume that what he was adding fluid up under the hood).

Ya well...I'm not sure...Um..lets see...he did the rear driver side first. But, instead of doing the rear passanger; with it jacked up he told me to hit the brake, when I did the tire moved a bit. He said this meant "the back is compressing right" So we moved to the front and did the front driver side 3 or 4 times and the front passanger side 2-3 times. At first it kinda oozed out; then it kinda shot out. But, even still..when We lowered it and tried to drive it felt just like it did the first time.

I'm pretty sure the fluid was NOT compeltely let out before we started doing this process. It was probably low. But, we just added fluid to it; then started the "bleeding" thing where u loosend and tighten the little bolt thing into the caliper.

 

[Haunz 10+ year member]

You need to bleed all four.. dosen't matter where you start.. if it's still doing the same thing after you are sure all the air is out of the system you need a new master cylinder..

quite often they will work fine even with bad seals... until you bleed your brakes and air gets inside them..

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

only has to be done to the front. and yes that is the master cylinder .if they r full try it couple more times .sometime it take 3 to 7 tries to get the air out .

ya might as well do it a couple more times and see what happens.

 

[HyPnAwTiKpImP 10+ year member]

r the rear brakes drums???? if they r drums u dont have to bleed all of them just the front if they all calipers then yes u would have to bleed them all

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

r the rear brakes drums???? if they r drums u dont have to bleed all of them just the front if they all calipers then yes u would have to bleed them all

The rear brakes are drums.

Ok, looking up online HOW to bleed the brakes I see one main difference: He never used a tube in the "nipple" or whatever. He just released the bolt and it oozed/shot out then he retightened it. Could this be the cause? Or is the tube in the nipple thing just to keep things clean?

Also..how do you KNOW when all the air is out? And, also..do you have to completely empty the brake fluid before bleeding or whatever...?

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

sounds like you let air in the lines by "bleeding" them. i think you may have loosened the wrong bolt.

 

[HyPnAwTiKpImP 10+ year member]

The rear brakes are drums.
Ok, looking up online HOW to bleed the brakes I see one main difference: He never used a tube in the "nipple" or whatever. He just released the bolt and it oozed/shot out then he retightened it. Could this be the cause? Or is the tube in the nipple thing just to keep things clean?

Also..how do you KNOW when all the air is out? And, also..do you have to completely empty the brake fluid before bleeding or whatever...?

the "Tube" is one way . this way is for a single person .if u dont have anyone else doing it with u and ur the only one doing it this will work for u . just put the tube on the nipple into a jar "make sure there is no air leaks on the tubing to jar" and u will see it go in there with bubb;es once its done u can tighten the screw .

2 people u would do what i mention in my post just do it couple more times should do it till it its not spraying anymore make sure u get a full release of brake fluid

and no u dont have to empty out the brake fluid to do this . some people open the whole screw and let a lot of fluid come out . the purpose of bleeding was to let the air out so all u need is is half a turn on the screw when releasing it then tighten back up

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

sounds like you let air in the lines by "bleeding" them. i think you may have loosened the wrong bolt.

what bolt should i loosen? I loosened the only one going from the line to the caliper. Like..if you take the caliper off the rotor, then its hanging to the line by that one bolt.