Help me be a hero: GF's 2005 Nissan Altima Brake Issue

On cold mornings: She starts the car and slowly proceeds to drive out of her apartment parking lot. Comes to the stop sign, goes to push the brake pedal and it barely moves. Obviously brakes don't engage.

As the car warms up, the brakes operate normally.

Does not happen in warmer temps.

Sounds hydraulic to me, as if the brake fluid is too viscous from the cold and not operating as it should. I have no idea what type of fluid is in this thing. One thing of note: she is clueless about car maintenance and honestly has no idea what has or has not been done to her car.

 

http://community.cartalk.com/discussion/2287774/brakes-dont-work-in-cold-weather

http://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/altima/10273-brake-pedal-hard-startup.html

 

http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2005/nissan/altima/service_brakes_hydraulic/problem.aspx

 

Kind of what I suspected.... sadly no real solution/information.

I'll flush her brake lines first and see if that helps.

 

I'm thinking it is b/c you live at high altitude..perhaps the booster or a vacuum issue.

How long has she had the car? How long has it happened? Has she done anything to it since it first happened?

I'd also guess you may have old brake fluid. If the fluid has attracted water it could freeze. Wouldn't hurt to flush the system at that age anyways.

 

From reading those links (and others) could be. Anything obvious to look for or diagnose?

I think she's had it 5 years. My best guess is: no. She's not much of a car maintenance kind of person. I'm slowly changing that.

Will be my first step.

 

I live south of Boston MA and I've heard of the brake fluid causing this issue over the years..probably could use it anyway at this point is my guess.

 

Probably water in the brake fluid. Good practice is to flush the brake hydraulic system every 40k miles.

 

I asked her if she's ever had the brake fluid changed, as far as she knows. Negative.

I asked her if she's ever had work done on the brakes since owning the car. Negative.

I hope it's just old brake fluid.