1st Gen Taco 1999 brake pedal bottoming out (found no clear answer here hence the posting)

Hi everyone!

I came to this wonderful forum for an answer to my current woes, but after reading everything found I am none the wiser.

For starters my Taco is a cheap example driven sparsely and I am not that great on the maintenance department since I clock like 1500 miles on a good year, tops.

As per my skills, I can fix almost everything and work things around. I am more experienced with motorcycles than cars.

Anyway, to the issue:

After leaving my Taco parked 2.5 months in the Florida Sun, I went to use it and immediately noticed I had no brakes.

We opened the brake fluid reservoir and pumped up brake several times, bubbles came out and the thing started working again, but never really as good as before.

Now it has been parked for another 1.5 months, in the shade this time, and no brakes whatsoever.

With the engine off I have brakes. If I start the car and car in Neutral, I have brakes. When I start rolling the brake pedal gets very very light and bottoms out with next to no braking power.

If I pump the pedal I regain some braking power, but after rolling a bit it gets to the same. It got to the point that braking is a surprise and not a certainty.

I have looked around, see no leaks, no loss of brake fluid, no lowering of the level on reservoir, no evident sign of trouble.

Yes when I bought this car the brakes where a bit spongy, like you can feel some mild vibration on brake pedal, had it checked and this was attributed to being an old car.

I am going to do a fluid bleed and renewal for starters, but since the car will have to get towed I need to be able to be ahead of things and hence this posting.

Summing up:

- When car idle brake seems to work well.

- When car rolling brake pedal bottoms out and almost no braking power.

- After a few pumps brake pedal recovers strength but this diminishes quickly to the point it is dangerous and unreliable.

- Car has not been greatly serviced.

- No idea of brake pad thickness or drum brakes but my experience is that these will make noise if worn. Will check them on brake bleed.

- No idea how to troubleshoot this cheaply.

Many thanks in advance for any input!

Bests

 

If you had air bubbles in the system, you have a leak somewhere, and air is getting in. The source of that air could come from a few different places, but given your description, I'd be willing to bet it's the brake booster & master cylinder. Or rather that the master is leaking INTO the booster- which is why you can't find the fluid.

Either way- start simple- pop the wheels off and inspect the calipers, trace the brake lines up and make sure they are sound. The rear wheel cylinders would be a little bit tricky to get to (you have to remove the drum) but follow the brake lines up to the LSPV. In general, try to rule out a leak in a brake line or component. If you can't find one, then it's likely the master & booster.

 

Hi and thanks for the input Andy!

Thinking twice, I am not sure about my own "bubbles came out" statement...

Will follow your advice, but wouldn't be obvious to spot a leak by seeing the brake fluid level dropping also a stain in the floor?

Also, fluid level is not decreasing.

Thanks

 

How closely have you inspected the lines and fittings, or are you just banking on seeing fluid on the ground?

 

Bleed the brakes first. Check for any caliper pistons retracting after letting off the brake pedal. If problem persists, replace master cylinder

 

Sure Andy, point taken. Have not done any work yet.

Will start by bleeding brakes/replacing fluid, as this is the simplest option.

 

Thanks Drab. Please allow to ask you, what the "caliper pistons retracting after letting off the brake pedal" indicate? to me that the system works...

 

Calipers can sometimes do that, usually because the piston is binding in the bore. Not in the normal sense, like actual spacing between the piston and pad.

edit: any visible space between piston and pad can cause a soft pedal. Think about what the pedal feels like for the first couple times after replacing brake pads, and thats just taking up the small space that was there after you pushed the pistons in. Not saying this is your issue, but I have seen it before. And I have seen professional mechanics run in circles over it

 

Understood, Drab.

Just for if you know, mine being a Taco 1999, what ID diameter tube for the bleeder I need? 1/4?

 

No idea. Never used a tube on the bleeders in 30 years of working on cars professionally. Scrap of vacuum hose would probably work. But then you cant see if there are bubbles coming out. Brake fluid rinses off with water pretty easily

 

At some point, you need to go get under your truck. We can't do the work for you. But I did go check my bleeder catch bottle and tube- It's 1/4" / 5mm ID.

 

That was such an unwarranted remark, Andy.

 

There are no stupid questions when it comes to auto repair. Ask me anything you want. My money is on the master cylinder, has all the signs of failure

 

Not here to start a flaming war, and I am always very happy to help. I even went out to find my catch bottle and measure the tube for you. But it would have been just as easy for you to take a ruler or tape measure out to your truck and measure the bleeders, or just get a few different sizes of clear tube at .10 / ft.

 

Yes I want no flaming war.

But have you thought for a moment Andy that I may not be able to do this easily?

And what is wrong in asking someone - and I did not ask you - as opposed to having to get under the truck in the middle of the street in a water-drenched, sloped area, just because you and only you decide that this is the "correct" and "proper" way?

Thanks for your input Andy, no further needed.

 

Did the thing today, bled brakes and lots of air came out. Can't complain now, brakes like a charm. Have a ton of brake fluid left, off to a good home, lol.
It appears that front right wheel lags a bit compare to the others, may be a brake pad issue.
Also have wobble in the fronts like worn ball joints, I am trying to ID them to get spares.
All in all great success and I have brakes now.
Thanks for the help!
PS instead of buying a fuel hose in Autozone or Advance, went and bought 2" of 1/4 vinyl hose for less than $2