soft/low brake pedal

[pete30nz]

I wonder if the brake feel is normal but compared to other cars there is more travel.

Have you driven other VR,VS cars to compare yours to?

I do have a VS with out abs brakes, and the pedal is high and little travel when braking.
I have wondered about this being different with the pedals.

Pete

 

[pete30nz]

Brake pedal travel can be engine tune related. If the engine isn't running well than you won't get full vacuum and the brake booster needs good vacuum to work properly. If as suggested earlier the pedal is firm when the engine is off the hydraulic system is functioning correctly. If the pedal gets long with the engine running than the issue is booster/vacuum related.

Doing some basic engine checks/maintenance might help.

Hello, yes the pedal gets longer/ more travel when the car is running. The pedal when engine is off isn't rock solid, but is higher. When I pressed the pedal to the ground I can get it there with engine turned off.

I have new valley gasket to do at some stage, hopefully this would help.

Should the booster make a wooosh wooosh sound when pushing the brake pedal? Mine does.

Pete

 

[Immortality]

Nope. No sound. It's possible your booster is leaking via the pedal input shaft. A new booster may well be in order.

 

[pete30nz]

Hi people, I've found another brake booster for the VR, I'm planning on fitting it tomorrow, so I'll let you know if it makes a difference.
It's definatly got less hiss / wooosh sound when pushing the rod on the ground holding the booster body as an initial test out of the car

Pete

 

[pete30nz]

Hi people, I've found another brake booster for the VR, I'm planning on fitting it tomorrow, so I'll let you know if it makes a difference.
It's definatly got less hiss / wooosh sound when pushing the rod on the ground holding the booster body as an initial test out of the car

Pete

Waiting on test driving the car, as it's got a flat battery.
Booster fitted, brakes re-bled, and pedal feels firmer. Just going to try it again after I start the car to build up vacuum in the booster.
Should have an update tomorrow

Pete

 

[pete30nz]

Hi people,

Took the car for a drive the last two evenings, and the brake pedal is still soft and squishy.
I will have a further look at brake hoses at some stage soon.
Do shiny brake pads like this add to a bad pedal?

 

[vs-lover]

Different pads have a different feel to them, Protex pads seems to feel soft a squeamish while Bendix seem to feel somewhat harder on application. Different compounds equal different feel.

 

[pete30nz]

Maybe it's a pad problem, or still air in the abs unit, hoses, or leaking inside the master I guess.
I thought I'd covered some bases.
I won't take it to a mechanic, I'll do my own work for many years yet

Sigh, I dunno what next..

Pete

 

[Trevor loves holden.]

Don't you need a tech tool to bleed the ABS brakes if you let the pump run dry, I wouldn't take it to a mechanic I would use a brake specialist.

 

[pete30nz]

Don't you need a tech tool to bleed the ABS brakes if you let the pump run dry, I wouldn't take it to a mechanic I would use a brake specialist.

Some mechanics / brake specialists want to create other jobs, so I find it hard to trust them.
I can do the job, I just need a tool.

Probably do need a abs scan tool to pulse them.