The Happy Squirrel

Hers the deal. 94 windstar
we needed a van i wanted to buy a new one the woman wnated to buy her parents used one. I went along with her wishes. so we got it and now its busted. <like 3rd day>
brakes go right to the floor before they firm up a little. if your going faster then 20 forget about any kind of quick stop. they parnets siad it was fine when they dorve it up and best i can tell it went all at once did not get progressivly worse.

checked brake fluid was way low. added an entire bottle and it filled up. took it for a quick ride and the brakes did not firm up at all. checked again fluid down again. no evidence of leak in parking space.

what is wronbg with it and how much will it cost to fix.
<best guess>

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mechmike0034

Master cylinder is leaking, haven't a clue on cost.

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uncledaddy

You beat me to it.

Totally agree. Check for wetness below the master cylinder.

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The Happy Squirrel

hehe i dont even know what a master cylinder is

not something easy and cheap like "bleed the break"?

mechmike0034

http://www.howstuffworks.com/brake.htm
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/master-brake1.htm
You bleed brakes (or any hydraulic system) to get the air out. How does air get in? Usually via a leak...
Brakes and cheap don't belong in the same sentence. Don't scrimp.

uncledaddy

I find this funny because I remember once a woman came into my shop with her brakes grinding awfully. She claimed that it had started about a couple months before. Her front pads were metal-to-metal, she had completely ground the front vented rotor to the vents. She asked if there was a cheap way to fix and if her rotor could be saved. It took everything to hold back my laughter.

On a serious note, For sheer safety reasons, MM is right. Tying to go cheap may open up a can of worms that you really don't want. And my recommendation, if you are unsure, get a qualified mechanic that you and the significant other trusts. Peace of mind.

mojo

http://www.bizrate.com/automotivepar...589488567.html

if you know how to bleed the brakes, you should be able to r&r this in a day. buy a chilton's manual, get someone to stomp the pedal when you need, and you should be good. looks like a little less than $100 and some beers.

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uncledaddy

Of course since you don't know what a master cylinder is, THS, make sure the beers come after completion.

DarkFury

Seriously, I think THS should leave this to a professional. Your life depends on your brakes, so why risk it?

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cheapie

and this is why i HATE mixing family and money. don't buy an old car from a relative.

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DarkFury

So how much did the parents sell it to you for?

Hopefully they didn't sell it to you for more than what its trade in value. Personally, on an older car, I'd just give it to you as "family".

I gave my nephew my '96 T-Bird... it only needed some minor repairs, but for a 12 year old car, it was running pretty good.

uncledaddy

Totally agree, DF. You couldn't be more right.

Second paragraph of previous post.

mojo

by all means, i would go with a professional if unsure about the process. my initial reply was from the standpoint of seeing someone that will bleed their own brakes and feels comfortable with it. that's another thing that if you screw it up, you're screwed.

The Happy Squirrel

well yeah duh of course i am going to leave it to a profesional. dont care what it costs just trying to justify wether or not its worth fixing or if i should just ship it back to them. no way in hell i would do it myself, i dont know what i am doing and am way to lazy to do it. as far as buying it yeah i totally agree they should have given it awayexpecially since i ahve been supporting thier daughter for the past year. especially when that car is 14 yrs old i would have given it away but its not me it was her call and you know how that goes. but yeah my dad is going to fix it to save me cash on the repairs i jsut have to pay for the transportation up to his place and the parts. he is excellent with vechiels

DarkFury

Why not get a "free brake quote" from your local Midas, CarX, or Meinike station? At least that way you know what you are up against from the get go...

I don't know what your budget is like, so pretty much you have to decide whether or not its too much. Also, it would depend if you need other things like "new rotors" in addition to the new brakes.

gwilks98

I agree in principle, but it's a common way for people to get soaked on the bill when they need brake service. I don't blame him for trying to find the most cost effective way to handle the problem.

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uncledaddy

It isn't supposed to be that way. The cheats out there have made it tough for the rest of us to get a little respect in this industry. That is one main reason why I'm glad I'm out.

The only reason why brakes and cheap don't belong in the same sentence is because good quality replacement parts and good quality labor are not cheap. You do get what you pay for.

The Happy Squirrel

UPDATE: so i talked to the GF and gave her my opinion of the matter. I am a big advocate of caviot emptor <sp?> but there has to be disclosure, especially with family. you dont just hand out a lousy product. anyways i talked to her and told her she needs to talk to her folks. and she did not sure what she said to them cause she is so "shy" and afraid to talk about any kinbda conflict stuff but long story short is that there are coming up picking up the van and having it fixxed this weekend. <paying for the parts and labor and transportation themselves> not what i expected but i believe it is right.

renovation

they may find its just a broken brake line or bad master cylinder. they tell you that its not safe and may even say they can't by law let you drive it home. and in some states they are not BSing you.
i know in florida it is the law on bad brakes. and those cheap brake shops can make a small repair turn into hundreds really fast.

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DarkFury

I'd still take it to Midas...

I've had them do my brakes... and pretty much they were square and fair with me.

uncledaddy

My nephew works at a Midas, and yes, they are fair and reasonable. I'm glad you're pleased with them. It will make him feel good hearing that. He does experience the negativity from consumers from time to time, but I've told him that in this industry he'll have to deal with much of it due to the cheats out there.

mojo

that's the fact, jack. i've actually done it myself. usually when i see a kid in the car...

some are, some not. i heard about a few of them that were pretty scammy.

DarkFury

This is true with any "corporate" entity...

Fortunately, the ones local to me (independently owned I suppose) do very good work. They even do more than brakes and mufflers... although for the most part I just let them do "diagnostic" work for me so that I have bullets in my gun for when I go back to the dealer for service... back when my warranty was expired on my T-Bird).

Cheesypuff

hehe...reminds me of this video.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wiCAJ8ULnaI

pwned!

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mojo

i remember seeing this. guess it kinda proves what DF was saying

i do go there, tho. i also watch them do the work.

DarkFury

I avoid Jiffy Lube like the plague...

I used to go to a local "Valvoline Instant Oil Change", however now since I'm strictly an AMSOIL user, I just either change my own oil or I have a local mechanic who I trust do it for me... and I do watch as it's being done.

The Happy Squirrel

resolution: her dad came aand pickup the the van yesterday, worked on it this morn, broken break line, it will be repaired, tested, retested, tuned up and returned in good working order on monday, <Free of charge, and includes a loaner vechile>....hmmm not too bad

Daedalus

It was probably damaged at some point. Brake lines fail less often than anything else.

mojo

that and a tune up? not bad...

mechmike0034

Unless you're in the rust belt...