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View Full Version : No Pedal After replacing Pads & Rotors?



ITBK20a3
08-03-2012, 03:28 PM
Vehicle is a 2003 Silver Ep3. 77,000+ miles on it
OK story is:
Car was sitting for a year without being driven due to no job/ insurance costs. Jacked front end up, off came the wheels. Pads and rotors on the front were replaced. Only issue I had requiring extensive muscle was with the passenger front rotor securing screws to the hub, but an impact driver took those off. Replaced driver then passenger side. No issues on either side when sliding the piston into the caliper, and no obvious visible leaks of brake fluid throughout entire area under engine, near brake bleeders ect. Again NO visible spots of fluid anywhere. Took the car for a test drive down the street doing 20MPHs. Pedal went straight down to the floor. I have a pedal while the vehicle is sitting without running. A friend told me maybe a vacuum line was messed up, but i checked all vacuum lines including the lines from the brake booster. No lines split, cracked rusted ect. Nothing looks out of place. Not to sure what could be the cause but i guess i might have to check a shop out for the brake booster,or master cylender bc i do not want to do that in the driveway.
Things i KNOW for certain:
All bolts are secure.
No fluid was leaking.
Everything was lubed up properly. (slide caliper bolts)
Brake fluid in master is maxed.
No visible vacuum lines rusted throu, broken, damaged in any way.
No visible damage to brake lines.

jwdep3
08-03-2012, 03:39 PM
does it go straight to the floor and you cant stop, or do you have to push the pedal all the way down to get it to stop? and did it only happen once or does it keep doing it?

dj addicted
08-03-2012, 06:16 PM
did you pump the pedal gently after replacing the pads? I know you need to do this while the car is in motion to reseat the piston to the rotors.

ITBK20a3
08-03-2012, 07:20 PM
Jwdep3 - The pedal goes straight to the floor, but comes up on its own and it happened the whole test drive.


Djaddicted - I pumped the brake pedal after doing the driver side / before doing driver side so the fluid wouldn't be forced up and out the reservoir. I also did pump the brakes before turning the vehicle on for the test drive, and pumped the brake before putting it in gear and driving.

dj addicted
08-03-2012, 08:16 PM
then too me it sounds like you have air in your brake lines and they all (all 4) should be bled.

ITBK20a3
08-04-2012, 09:36 AM
Dj addicted - its possible I do, but I dunno how I could have. I didn't bleed the brakes since it was just rotors and pads. Brakes are a closed system so I dunno where the air could get in, unless the boot around the piston is leaking. But I'm kinda prepared for the cost of new calipers. But today it's onto the rear brakes and bleeding brakes all round to try and check off the simple possible problems. Ya kno the saying "keep it simple stupid"

ITBK20a3
08-04-2012, 02:35 PM
OK so problem was solved. the "keep it simple stupid" solution, and the fact it was NOT dark when i did the rear brakes showed me my problem, and I am embarassed to say what the problem was. Turns out going from mechanic to machinist you forget a few OBVIOUS things.

whatsvtec
08-04-2012, 03:11 PM
What happened?!

ITBK20a3
08-04-2012, 09:01 PM
What happened?!

I put a rear rotor on the driver front. Sooooo.. I had to walk around the block I test drove because the outer pad didn't have enough contact to the rotor when brakes applied.. So it flew outta the brake bracket and was sitting on the side of the road when I found it. Fixed the backing plate and now I have brakes again! Almost cost myself a caliper, and slider bolts because the piston was out so far.
Reason for low pedal : Wrong rotors in front.
Lesson : do NOT do brakes at dusk when u can't see, and don't act cocky about doing brakes because I still screw stuff up. Check work twice.. Not just bolts.. Idiot.
I was DUMb, and I dunno how I will live this down.