brake problems...

hey, i'm a newbie here with some brake questions. i've had my '99 tacoma for about 6 months and the brakes have always felt very soft. i wasn't worried until yesterday when i really had to slam them and i didn't stop very quickly at all, couldn't even lock up the wheels, and had to swerve instead. luckily there was a brakedown lane for me to swerve into. i bled the brakes months ago but it made no difference in the pressure in the system, so i'm guessing maybe it's a leak somewhere in the master cylinder? one other issue is that the light on the dash for the e-brake never comes on... i'm wondering if something was disabled by a previous owner...anybody have any ideas??

 

It could be that your brakes are worn. Time for new brakes.

 

Things to Check...

A) Air in brake lines...Bleed the brake system again.
B) Inspect all hoses and lines for any deteriorated rubber.
C) Master cylinder mounting nuts loose.
D) Master cylinder faulty
E) Incorrect shoe or pad clearance.
F) Defective check valve.
G) Clogged reservoir cap vent hole.
H) Soft or swollen caliper seals.
I) Poor quality brake fluid.

I think I covered most everything...hope this helps...

 

okay, i checked a few things. here's one thing. the brake light on dash was disconnected near the e-brake lever because the e-brake doesn't spring back into place, so that light stays on. apparently, this was someone's cheap fix. so the ebrake is one issue. i don't think it's related to the other issue of no pressure.

i just realized that when i step on the brake with the truck running, i hear a hissing noise coming from where the pushrod enters what i assume is the vacuum assist assembly. i noticed that when the truck is NOT running, i hear this hissing noise, but then pressure builds, the pedal is stiffer, and there's no hiss and not nearly as much pedal travel. what do you make of that? anyone??

and thank you for the replies.

ben