spongy brakes?

Question

I recently fitted a new caliper and felxi hose to cure a braking problem on my car. The brakes were beld using a pressure bleeder and we couldn'#t see any more air coming out, however the brakes feel spongy and have alot of travel in them before they operate. Have i not bled them enough?

Answer 1

Well this is normally the way I do it bleeding is done one wheel at a time. The "old timers" will tell you to start with the wheel furthest away from the master cylinder and then work your way closer. Typically, this would mean RR, LR, RF, then LF. However, it doesn't really matter if you start with the front or rear wheels, since they are on separate brake circuits on modern cars with ABS and/or dynamic stability control systems. However, you should start with the passenger side wheel and then do the driver's side.
For simply replacing old fluid with new, many of these techniques work well. But for removing air bubbles from the system, only one approach works. That is the old fashioned method, which requires an assistant to push on the brake pedal while the mechanic opens and closes the bleed valve on the calipers. This is the only way to generate a sufficient jolt to the brake fluid to knock loose those pesky bubbles and allow them to be flushed away. By following these instructions, you will be more likely to end up with a firm brake pedal, often with better feel than the day your car rolled off the assembly line. hope this helps, i personally hate doing brake jobs.

Answer 2

Bleed the brakes again. Be sure to fully press the brake pedal down and be sure to close the bleeder screw before allowing the brake pedal to come up again.

Follow Amber's answer. She pretty much hit the nail on the head with that one. Good Job Amber!

Answer 3

Does the pedal still pump up???? If so, there has to be air in the system still............Try Blast bleeding...... This is how.......Put the tube on the nipple.....the other end into half a jar of brake fluid.......Fill the master cylinder.....then get someone to pump up the pedal as hard as they can.....holding on the pressure.........Then quickly undo the nipple and close it off again, making sure they push the pedal all the way to the floor.......Repeat this if necessary.....................I hope you are starting from the furthest wheel away first ? N.S.R..O.S.R...N.S.F...O.S.F....

Answer 4

you still got air in them.bleed the 1 thats the farthest away from the master cylinder first.also what you could do is have someone loosen all the bleeders and you get inside and pust straight down to the floor(dont pump them)and when you got the brake clean down to the floor,hold it there,while your buddy tighten the bleeders.

Answer 5

no bleed them with a buddy pumping the brake pedal till they get hard, "spongy" is a red flag for air being compressed in the lines. so bleed them again

Answer 6

Bleed the air out of them again until the pedal is np longer spongy.

Answer 7

Probably. If you need to 'pump' the brake pedal, ther is some air trapped in the system.

Answer 8

hi there, by any chance did the fluid in the fluid reservoir go below empty? it sound to me like you need to bleed the complete braking system, but remember not to let the fluid bottle run low, when bleeding the brakes do it in the following order, N/S/F, O/S/R, N/S/R, O/S/F, hope this helps Gary

Answer 9

lots of travel normally indicates the back brakes have not adjusted up, but spongey does indicate air in brakes, otherwise take to mechanic.

Answer 10

sounds like you have not bled them properly ..always use milk bottle and a rubber tube ..fill bottle half way..insert tube into fluid ..other end on nipple ..get Friend to apply pressure to brakes ..you release nipple..get him to apply 3 sharp pushes and to hold down pedal...as he holds it down you tighten the nipple ..top up master cylinder ..repeat next three wheels