Brake Nightmare

Flushing old brake fluid is not a bad idea if done properly. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time and boils that moisture under hard braking. Boiling moisture=bubbles. Bubbles compress and lessen braking.
It also flushes out contaminents and wear products from the MC and calipers. It must be done properly or you'll just move contamination around or introduce air.

Sounds like you need to find another shop. Air was in the system and you had parts changers instead of mechanics!

 

http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/toyota-announces-intent-to-voluntarily-177010.aspx
Apparently not all the DOT brake fluids are created equal. Toyota-branded fluid has more lubricants. Another reason to get bleed/flush done at the dealer.

 

You asked if you tried to do the job yourself if you would have had the same problem?

I'm guessing that if you just replaced your own pads and stopped there - you wouldn't have had a problem.

However, if the caliper itself really failed (as suggested by another poster, due to rust in the system) then you'd have ended up going down the same path.

My guess is same as others - lots of air in the lines, caused by a faulty flush.

 

...and people say that dealerships are stealerships?

 

There are different schools of thought on replacing brake fluid as preventative maintenance. I'd have to go look at my owner's manual, but I don't think Toyota recommends it unless you have to open the hydraulic system. I have read things about the brake fluid being able to absorb moisture through the rubber hoses in the system. Any moisture at all will lower the boiling point of the fluid. So, the shops could argue that they are recommending a valuable service that will prevent rust in the brake system and actually make your truck safer by lowering the boiling point of the fluid.

There's a possibility that if you flushed the brakes yourself it could have happened anyway, I don't think they screwed up major. The other possibility is that the ABS may have to be bled with a scantool to activate the ABS pump. Firestone probably does not have that tool, but I don't know for sure.

But none of this really matters to a non-enthusiast vehicle owner. They suggested preventative maintenance to extend the trouble free operating life of your truck. If there was a possibility of this happening, then they should have put a disclaimer on it and informed you before doing the work. If they did not warn you, then you had every right to insist they fix the damage for free.

 

YEa, once its out of your hands, its out of your hands.

Though, for some whipper snappers... firestone has gone out of business before due to treating customers like crap and fraud.

It was also a recession. All the kiddies and city folk bring their cars to the on-base firestones around here. Absolute worst technicians I've ever run across in any industry. Their diagnosis is ridiculous and you can't leave there without them forgetting to put something back together. All the lines they give "oh well we can't let you leave now that we've seen that you need new brake pads, we're liable and your car is basically impounded". I can't abide crap like that.

 

suckssssssssss

 

Wow, that is ludicrous. I haven't heard of that going on here however they initially did try to get me to pay for half of the MC when they thought that was the fix. I am just great full that the manager was cooperative and didn't make a HUGE deal about it.

I would be one of those "non-enthusiast vehicle owners." Don't get me wrong, I like to try and tackle certain things on my truck (gear oil, oil change, leaf springs, lift kits) sort of like first aid. However when it comes to things that could compare to surgery (brakes, transmission, engine) I would rather leave it to someone who does it more often and has more experience than me.

I was never warned about anything, maybe because there was nothing wrong to begin with, it was just going to be a simple brake pad swap. As was previously mentioned, maybe the flush was done wrong and contaminates entered the system and turned this simple swap into a nightmare for me and Firestone.

Funny thing is when I went to pick the truck yesterday, I asked the tech, "I bet this was the pain in the ass truck that's been here all week?" He stayed quite and then said, "More of nightmare, but our goal is to make it right." It made me feel good that he was trying to make this right too.

 

X2, Also it could have been as simple as the caliper pins siezing as well. When the caliper pins rust they slow travel of the pads causing a soft/mushy pedal. I am glad they got it all fixed. Most aftermarket shops have parts replacers not technicians, not all but most. I am surprised they did not try to sell you shocks.

 

My local dealer wanted 189.99 to put new pads on, Firestone had it at 149.99 and were advertising a special on the radio for $50 off any break service so it would come out to $99.99. Then I went with the flush, add 59.99, and then taxes, totaled about $180...and 6 days with out a truck.

 

I would have really blow a fuse if they came out with that bull. The 5100's are so new they have a pretty shine to them.

but yea, I think they are more of a part replacement place, not so much a fix it place.

 

not to be a dick, but im gonna be real with you here. Unless you are severely handicapped or you are extremely mechanically declined....this is what is wrong:

1.) You didnt do your breaks yourself (cheaper and very easy to do)

2.) You went ot firestone (shit).

 

No offense taken, however being a new dad and considering brakes are somewhat important, I decided to let someone else handle them that could do it in a few hours rather than half a day or all day if I managed to forget a part or something.

as for # 2.....

As i mentioned previously, my schedule doesn't allow me much time to work on the truck. I still have a set of leafs in the garage that I ordered a few weeks back that haven't been installed.

 

What I wanna know is why didn't they test drive it after the brake fluid flush and change then they would have known there was a problem

 

Sorry for the fook up. Now, you say you have no time? But I see you here posting Leave the board alone and go get your farkles on bro.

And never go back to those shitty joints like firestone.

For the rest of the community here, is there a proper way to flush the system? I done this before but on older cars with no ABS. Tell me the correct way so I don't go to Firestone and get it done wrong.

 

Are you kidding, I am working right now. I love this multiple tab stuff on the browser. The boss never knows. If only I could some how fit my truck in the office to work on it.

If your wondering, i work in construction and the way the economy is right now, we are terribly slow but if I am not here in this dam chair I dont get a check.

 

I am in Pennsylvana and many guys from Texas are here working on gas drilling, they refuse to hire us local folk saying we are pussies, maybe you can get a job here and saying you're from Texas you will get hired.
They are also hiring construction workers to install wind turbines, its easy, all you have to do is climb 400 feet and install 200 ton blades, us local folks are not afraid of heights, but we are too much of pussies to stand at a 60 foot drilling platform.
The economy is booming here, women here have hair growing on their backs, and women are taught not to talk back to men, its the number 1 domestic abuse area in the country.
I think you'll like it here.

 

Oh shitz! Sorry bro. I now get your picture.... At least you get to browse and get paidz. The damn government controls what I have access too. I can't get this site while on duty but at least I have my iPhone and netflix plus porn. No, not taco porn

 

I might suspect a faulty bleeding sequence.

 

i am having the same problem as the original poster, i was t-boned by a jeep and had the rear axel replaced by the body shop, i hit the brakes once they seemed fine the second time i experienced the same problem. my question is what would be the best way to fix this? they have told me its my problem because its a bad master cylinder, but after reading this i'm not so sure.