Loss of brake fluid
Discussion
Had a full 12k fluids service done at my Indy around 5 months ago. Drove the car around 4 months ago probably doing less than 250 miles since the service all fine. I have now moved it from storage at my Indy to my house last week and immediately noticed something was off with my brake pedal (stood for around 4 months). There was quite a bit of travel before any braking occurred where previously I felt like it was solid from the top of pedal travel. Still had high quality braking after the lack of initial engagement.
Drove it a bit more and checked brake fluid level to which I found the reservoir empty with the tiniest bit of residue still remaining. Assuming during service the reservoir would have been at least half full so it s lost a fair bit of fluid.
- no evidence of leaks around calipers or inside of wheel rims
- no evidence of leaks around hydraulic junction block near m/c
- no fluid in footwell or carpets
- outside rim of servo is dry although evidence of flaking
- no fluid on servo shaft and around the boot
- due to lack of miles since service, no major change in pad thickness.
Here are some photos of the servo and other areas. The stuff that looks like fluid on the pedal box is dry and crystal like. Same for the bit on the carpet. I wondered if this was carpet adhesive unless brake fluid can dry hard and crystalline.
I was hoping to see evidence of a leak before a start taking things apart. Could this be early onset of a leak into the servo? Should I just take it all apart are can I do any other checks to help diagnose the issue? Is the servo light corrosion at 5 o clock a result of fluid inside?
Thanks
Drove it a bit more and checked brake fluid level to which I found the reservoir empty with the tiniest bit of residue still remaining. Assuming during service the reservoir would have been at least half full so it s lost a fair bit of fluid.
- no evidence of leaks around calipers or inside of wheel rims
- no evidence of leaks around hydraulic junction block near m/c
- no fluid in footwell or carpets
- outside rim of servo is dry although evidence of flaking
- no fluid on servo shaft and around the boot
- due to lack of miles since service, no major change in pad thickness.
Here are some photos of the servo and other areas. The stuff that looks like fluid on the pedal box is dry and crystal like. Same for the bit on the carpet. I wondered if this was carpet adhesive unless brake fluid can dry hard and crystalline.
I was hoping to see evidence of a leak before a start taking things apart. Could this be early onset of a leak into the servo? Should I just take it all apart are can I do any other checks to help diagnose the issue? Is the servo light corrosion at 5 o clock a result of fluid inside?
Thanks
Edited by GRC85 on Monday 29th December 16:42
There's no slave on the brake system... you're thinking clutch.
You should look at the callipers, also the T junction near the diff for the rear hoses.
That crusty fluid is in a place where only brake fluid could be (apart from rain ingress around the reservoir or clutch cover), so you might find the servo has a good amount of fluid in it and the seals on the master cylinder have gone.
It's probably worth refilling and re-bleeding the brake system to monitor it before you start pulling things apart.
My brakes felt fine, but when I took the pedal box out to make accessing the dead clutch master cylinder, I decided to take it all apart and found the brake m/c was leaking too.
In my experience, they are pretty slow leaks, and you don't notice them readily in a dark footwell.
You should look at the callipers, also the T junction near the diff for the rear hoses.
That crusty fluid is in a place where only brake fluid could be (apart from rain ingress around the reservoir or clutch cover), so you might find the servo has a good amount of fluid in it and the seals on the master cylinder have gone.
It's probably worth refilling and re-bleeding the brake system to monitor it before you start pulling things apart.
My brakes felt fine, but when I took the pedal box out to make accessing the dead clutch master cylinder, I decided to take it all apart and found the brake m/c was leaking too.
In my experience, they are pretty slow leaks, and you don't notice them readily in a dark footwell.
PabloGee said:
It's probably worth refilling and re-bleeding the brake system to monitor it before you start pulling things apart.
Agreed. It's possible the system was never properly filled. Nothing wrong with having a look around the car with a torch though, including a check of brake lines for corrosion.Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff