imported_Gatsby

Hi.

I got my car back from the body shop after 1 week, and I noticed the brakes have become very weak. I told the body shop guy who is also a mechanic, he checked it out and after a short test drive said it was normal! He mentioned it could be my rear shoes, that have ran out and are causing this, or the rear brake cyliders. I got the feeling he didn't really felt like fixing any brake problem at the moment....

I changed the front pads a few months ago and the pedal was nice and hard before I took it to the body shop. Now, the brake pedal is soft and the braking action is weak...

Does anyone know about the possibilities that could contribute to this weakness?

I don't suspect the shop people drove my car that hard or whatever since there wasn't a niticeable change of Kms on the odo since I dropped the car there... Maybe brake fluid has become dirty?

Whiplash

what was fixed on the car??
anything that would lead to brake work?? anything that would mean cracking the lines??

air somehow got into the system??

punkindrublic

are the rotors rusty from not being used?? i didn't drive my car for like two weeks a long time ago and noticed it took a few days to get the brakes all clean and working good

imported_Gatsby

Car needed some body work, as compliments of the damned winter and snow claimed my rear quarter panel! They did an excellent job however, fixing the smashed body and painting it so good, I felt I really wanted them to paint my whole car!

I don't believe repairs had anything to do with he braking system, however, car wasn't driven for a 1 week if that makes a difference...

Now, back to normal driving sessions, car is being "intensively trained (not being abused though)", every day, with an evident weakness of braking action, that makes me wonder if its even safe, driving the car as if its Tsukuba Circuit in Toronto!

But then seroiusly guys! I'm worried the brakes might fail me! What the hell is wrong with them? Should I change something?

imported_BoOsTd

could be any part of the brake system if you feel there is a significant change from before u brought it to the body shop... Worn pads just dont happen over night(over a time of sitting not being used), especially shoes, they last twice as long as the front pads....

what are the symptoms, does the peddle feel mushy, or spongey, or solid but low in the peddle travel (connects close to the floor) ??

Could be anything from low fluid, to air in the line, boiled fluid, leak in a line, blowen master, pooched booster, broken spring.. list goes on, maybe the body shop was using a torch close to a line and melted it or something , its hard to diagnose without a complete visual inspection...

Or maybe you just got used to the car u drove while the civic was being fixed,and then u jumped in the civic and it felt weird...

Whiplash

i'd start with an inspection..
check yer lines, pads, shoes, discs and drums..
if everything looks good swap out the fluid..
if that don't do it (and you don't feel that it might be something along the same lines that Zex stated above, that you got use to a temporary car with great breaks) then you're looking at possibly one of the other things Zex mentioned

imported_Gatsby

Thanks guys.

I will inspect it components and see if anything looks fishy...

Thanks again.

imported_BoOsTd

Check fluid level (this is your first indication of a system leak)

Check all Lines and fittings for signs of leakage. (look for traces of fluid around bleeders and fittings)

With the Car off press the pedel a few times make sure its nice and hard, if the peddle continues to sink slowly or quickly after the initial pressure build theres something liekly wrong.

Make sure its not spongy feeling, or hitting floor.

Remove Drums and inspect the wheel cylenders by takeing a small screwdriver and lifting back ther rubber boots (look for fluid under the boots) Be very careful when doing this so you dont damage the component or boot.

While the drumms are off check for anything else suspisious like worn/ glazed shoes, any broken springs, and check the adjusters...

check the inside of the drumm for signs of glazeing or gougeing, take some sand papaer and lighly scuff the inside of the drum before u put it back on.

You probably dont have the proper tool to measure the drum diameter and rotor thickness and (edit)*pad/ shoe thickness so use your own judgement, or take them into somone that can do this for you...

Fronts check for pad ware/ rotor ware or glazeing (glazing will be shinny spots on the pad surface)


maybe the rotors are rusted to hell also.

Flush the brake fluid, replace and bleed the system.

If all of this checks out for you and you still dont feel confident in them, take your car to a professional for an inspection... not something to ignore...

Good luck :cheeres: