Thread: Soft brakes

Hey team

I noticed quite recently that my brakes are feeling quite soft when I try to stop suddenly at slow speeds. In general I have not noticed any problems with the brakes while driving, they feel responsive and the car slows without issue. It’s only at slow speeds when I try to push hard on them that I notice. The brakes don’t clamp with any sort of firmness, the pedal is firm but kind of goes soft at the same time and I have to put heaps of pressure to stop the car quickly.
It’s not noticeable when driving normally. The car slows and stops without issue around town etc. it’s only noticeable when I want to stop in a hurry.

Does that sound to you like I just need to bleed the brakes? I had the rear pads and fluid flushed at the last service 5-6 months ago, so I am surprised it would need to be bled again.

I can happily bleed the brakes myself, but if you think it sounds like something more serious I’ll need to book it in

is the fluid still clear or gone "milky"?

Whats the car

Fluid still full or getting low??? Classic for doing it. Does a pump of brakes fix issue??

Check for vaccum leaks?

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Could be old flexible hoses. When they get past their use by date they will bulge under pressure and use up some of your stopping power.

Otherwise it could be a master or slave cylinder seals beginning to fail. But this usually shows up as tiny black bits in your flushed out brake fluid.

2009 Suzuki escudo.
Fluid still full, and still clear. I’ll give it a flush as I have everything needed and will go from there.

What car? Manual setup, electronic?

It could be several things, but adjust rear shoes first if it has them. Could be a vacuum leak to of in the booster.

Bleed brakes adjust rear shoes then check front caliper sliders you might have a siezed one

If its fading away im picking master cylinder, or booster especially if the fluid is clear and up to level. By fading without losing fluid and having new'ish fluid in the system it means its loosing pressure

@blip is possibly onto it. If rear brake shoes have worn and have not been adjusted you will be using some pedal travel distance moving slave cylinders far enough to take up excess clearance between brake shoes/ brake drum, effectively giving a ‘spongey’ brake feeling. Brakes still work though. Automatic adjusters are prone to not working correctly due to ‘gumming up’ with brake dust etc. Ford Couriers and others are chronic for this. May be worth checking out.

Just giving him the cheap options first. People put the wrong grease on the sliders and they start sticking as normal grease swells the rubber. Use rubber grease

Originally Posted by blip

Just giving him the cheap options first. People put the wrong grease on the sliders and they start sticking as normal grease swells the rubber. Use rubber grease

Just did the brakes on neighbours car and some numpty used copper anti seize on the guide pins, i use permatex ultra was about 30$ for a 2oz tube have done the guide pins on 7 cars so far so goes a long way still 1/2 full