Soft Brakes? Pedal to the Floor? 5 Common Car Brake Problems to Check!

For More Info visit us at: 1aau.to/h/cpn/
Does your car or truck have soft, squishy brakes? Does the pedal drop to the floor when you use them? Does it take forever to slow down? There's a problem with your brakes, and Andy will show you how to find it in this video! Watch to see the most common brake problems that result in a soft, spongy pedal!
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While 1A Auto strives to make the information provided in this video as accurate as possible, it makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or applicability of the content. No information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. All do-it-yourself projects entail some risk. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to assume this risk. 1A Auto is not responsible or liable for any loss damage (including, but not limited to, actual, consequential, or punitive), liability, claim, or any other injury or cause related to or resulting from any information posted in this video.

[@1AAuto]

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[@benlent3254]

That caliper looks like the remnants of a old shipwreck. The rust you guys deal with up north is incredible.

[@daveyt4802]

Wow, what a rust bucket! NY area is really bad I hear.

[@jimcatanzaro7808]

Massachusetts is the worst

[@logangalloway2830]

Try Ohio…

[@yeetus5775]

Ohio is pretty bad for it - but the biggest thing is just making sure you go through a car wash with an undercarriage spray at least once a week. Doing so fixes a lot of these sorts of issues/extends the life of affected parts.

[@GamingAlliance1]

@@yeetus5775 that’s why they have memberships everywhere here in Ohio surprisingly my car hasn’t had major rust issues here down in southern ohio

[@thomassmith4467]

I had a 79 trans am as a kid. Master went out, pedal to the floor. Took it to a local shop. Picked it up after the work was done. I didn’t get a half mile when I first had to do a hard stop. The pedal went to the floor. It was the scariest thing. The technician didn’t bleed the brakes after he swapped the master. He said he was going to do it, but forgot. Yet I got the car back and paperwork said job done. They refunded the entire cost of the job and almost begged me not to sue them. I was a kid, so i didn’t even give it a second thought. Now that I’m much older, I realize I should have. Who knows what over crazy things they were doing there and not getting in trouble for. Scary stuff.

[@ayeshaworsham]

Thank you very much! You just gave me a great visual walk through of what my mechanic just explained to me. Now I see and understand. 👍🏽👏🏽

[@Bergarita]

Thanks for the overview. It was easy enough to get a basic feel of what to look for.

[@chuwuganabira]

Thanks a million!! This video was exactly what I needed to fix my car. Thanks again!!

[@FilDoyon]

Wow. Thank you man. Very great quality and informative video. Very much appreciated

[@starfox4919]

Don't forget about the ABS Module, I may have to replace mine (2010 Ford Focus). I've checked everything

[@westyw.4235]

brakes started feeling soft last week but now have only about 25% effectiveness with pedal going to the floor most of the time. I added fluid to max level and see no leaks or loss of fluid after. Any thoughts appreciated 👍

[@cardo1111]

Good info 👍🏽

[@sunkat76]

Hello and thank you from England. This is a very helpful clear video. I drive a manual Volkswagen Fox (I don't know what this is called in the USA or Canada but it is smaller than the VW Rabbit - or VW Polo as we say). This video gave a clear content and helpful close up explanation of how one brake part leads to another and what to consider. I have just had the car back from it's annual MOT roadworthy check (by law here in UK) plus the Full Service and a brakes check. I was concerned that the **brake** pedal which felt as if it was slightly spongy to the right of the pedal was the cause of me nearly hitting 2 pedestrians at the pedestrian crossing when the traffic lights suddenly changed!! It was very frightening and unexpected. Then a few weeks later the brakes felt spongy again and it happened again when someone else was driving the car on their own. The technician asked us if the pedal felt hard or spongy. As we explained to him that the pedal felt was slightly hard he took the brakes apart cleaned and adjusted them. The brake pads are fine and so too are the front discs and have another few years in them with only 20% wear on the pads. He checked the rear brakes (shoes and drums?) and adjusted the handbrake which was setting slightly high. He could not find any issue on the road test but added brake fluid as this had not been recorded in the sevice log in recent years. We were told it may be dirt or dust inside the brakes so he dismantled them, cleaned and readjusted them. The pedals definitely feel better but i will need to apply it in drier weather (very rainy and flooded tonight when I collected the car from the main dealership). Thanks again for this explanation in the video. It's sometimes very hard to explain to a technician when it is an intermittent fault and they look at you as if there is nothing wrong. edited to say NOT accelerator pedal but Brake pedal.

[@1AAuto]

+@sunkat76 Thanks for the feedback!

[@hoomalimali6334]

Watched your nice video, left thumbs up, went to your website to buy part, part is out of stock.

[@kimirossi202]

Good basics instructions

[@nismoman420]

Great video, very good universal knowledge for brake troubleshooting across the board.

[@ppaolosan]

thanks for the video my brakes on Opel Astra j now does the same behaviour.......just an info, what about the ABS/ESP device can it make this kind of problems too or this could be impossible ? No Abs light on anyway..

[@johnjkizer6399]

Great video thanks My question is when flushing the brake fluid from my friends car I cannot get fluid to come out of any of the 4 wheels, if it was only one wheel that wasn’t bleeding I know that it would be likely a bad caliper but on all four wheels, could it be the abs unit that giving problems or master brake cyclinder. Thanks

[@lighttheoryllc4337]

Assalamualaikum and thank you so much for the info.

[@rhondakendrick2563]

good info thank u

[@daltonswindell]

What to do if all these things have been done and my brakes still don’t work at all $1200 and still can’t figure it out

[@qrogueuk]

Thanks subbed!

[@God-has-entered-into-my-body]

thanks

[@rafaelgalvez3778]

I have performances rotors I feel like it’s take a while to stop would getting performance calipers be better

[@robsnizzle7]

Should do a video on 1st Gen Tundra common spongy brake pedal, and how to repair.

[@1AAuto]

+rob 49erfan We're always cycling through common cars. We'll add this repair to our list! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@Scythe_Voltage]

I was messing around in my 1995 Saturn, slammed the brakes to skid the tires, now the pedal goes to the floor and I have to manually stop it by putting about 20lb of pressure on the pedal and 40lb if sudden stop, god bless

[@pramodd.4304]

My Ford figo brake pedal feels soft when engine has been started after a gap of about a day and after the car is run for 4-5 km, the appropriate hardness and braking efficiency return to normal. Mechanics don't find any problem as by the time car is taken to them brakes start working normally. What could be the problem?

[@cj7girl280]

Hey, I converted my manual drum brakes to (YJ jeep) power disc brakes in my 76 cj7 jeep. I noticed the piston rod was slightly longer on the disc brakes than the drums. So lowered my pedal to allow the extra length. After converting to disc, I now I have soft brakes. I bled the system 4 plus times. Don't think theirs air. But I didn't bench bleed the mc. And the pedal hardens up after I pump the brakes. I read I could adjust the piston rod in the booster. Any Idea On how to fix it? Thanks for the video.

[@scrumptiousjdp]

What if my brakes squished down only once a couple months ago ? 2017 chevy bolt. It hardly ever uses the fiction breaks due to regenerative braking

[@MrMattDat]

Nice breakdown, especially touching on the Master/Booster. How about an occasional soft pedal? Soft to about 1/2 way down, but only occasionally. New front pads & rotors (rears are good) and system has been flushed. Any thoughts?

[@freepalestina48]

make sure you bleed the system until there are no bubbles

[@jonnyware9061]

Would an open brake fluid reservoir gather moisture from the air and make it spongey? I've been servicing my rear brakes and I undid the reservoir cap as advised when using the 'piston return screw tool'. No fluid leaked but my brake pedal is now spongey even after a small drive. I'll check fluid level again. I was wondering if it was the exposure to air for quite some time. Also I used the pedal and handbrake quite a few times and the return tool a few times with the calliper off of the sliders while testing. Could air have got in somehow?... Great video though thanks!

[@wilsont1010]

The brake is not airy when the vehicle is at rest but super spongy when running. Despite almost a full column of air, the brake actually works super well and the grip sets in just right in the middle of the entire spongy column. It seems to me that this does not fit with the description of this video, any explanation?

[@cae7849]

bleed ypur brakes

[@zairemccarthy8591]

Ma man!✊🏽💯

[@Ransomed77]

I was driving downhill, hit a small bump while pressing the brakes. My pedal went to the floor, but I could still stop. I drove that way for several miles. Then, while driving up a steep hill, the pedal returned to its normal feel. I checked for leaks, and the fluid level is normal in the master cylinder. Any thoughts?

[@steverich571]

What about the ABS. All brake lines run through the ABS on my 99 Chevy Tahoe. This can and offen is the cause of "squishy" brakes.

[@MrRoy-rb1je]

Outstanding

[@luismiguellopez4004]

Thanks for the video, really informative. I have one issue though with my 2018 Ford Fiesta. The distance you need to depress the pedal for the brakes to start kicking in varies greatly, sometimes even in two consecutive depresses. It's quite enerving, since you never know how much you must depresses your pedal for braking softly in the traffic. The car is still under warranty, the dealership says it's normal, that all Fiestas brake like that. However, I can't find anything online about it. They've even made an ABS module master bleed, and in the last service, a couple weeks ago, they changed the brake fluid again. Any idea what could be causing this? Is this really normal? Thanks!

[@1AAuto]

+Luis Miguel López We wouldn't be able to diagnose an issue like that here, you may want to have a local mechanic take a look at it. Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@elhagmahmoud1719]

Good

[@jandjmca]

I had a big problem bleeding my brakes on my 03 chevy astro after bleeding them many times finally realized I had the front calipers mixed up switch right to left having the bleeder on the upside of caliper solved the problem, feeling so Dumb

[@papabits5721]

If the fluid is low its a good Indication that the pads are worm

[@Kikilang60]

thanks. Yeah, just had my alternator replaced, and my brakes near went to the floor. Then I couldn't get my car out of park. I need a new car.

[@cujo7240]

What about a brake pedal that presents as soft at first, but then gets hard after pumping the pedal?

[@bluegill2030]

I have replaced both calipers, master cylinder and brake booster and my pedal still goes to the floor. If I pump the pedal 2-3 times I will come to a stop. I have bled the system countless times. Wheel cylinders are fine and has new shoes and pads all around. What could be causing this????? 04 Nissan Xterra 4x4

[@youreadork]

Forgot to cover the ABS Module. A failed ABS Module can and will cause mushy brake pedal.

[@pearlrival3124]

Ive got a chevy sonic with the exact opposite problem. too responsive. jerky brakes. any recommendations?

[@kentbarger6974]

You need to jack up your car take off the wheels check the condition of your brake pads check out your rotors and if you have drums in the back check them also to make sure your pads or good also check your rotors on your vehicle if your rotors are warped this could cause problems when you put on the brakes also check out the suspension to see if there are any problems with your suspension of your vehicle also I hope this information helps you I'm a retired auto mechanic

[@fauldurand]

Hey, what about a break pedal that doesn't return? I've bled breaks a few times now, checked to see if the Master cyl was leaking, and there is vacuum to the booster from the vacuum line.

[@1AAuto]

+Faul Durand We wouldn't be able to diagnose an issue like that here, you may want to have a local mechanic take a look at it. Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@daveyt4802]

Buick encore had a pedal go to the floor. One time deal though. Looking for possible issues.

[@UncleRJ]

I'm purty sure the reason for brake failure is because the brake fluid reservoir is haunted by the Pacman ghost.

[@kshipon1798]

Hi My 07 Lexus RX 350 brake paddle sink down. No leaks, everything working fine, mechanic changed the master cylinder which was from after market That didn’t stop paddle from sinking than I bought a very good low millionaire one from junk yard that didn’t solve the problem either, what you think it’s and can abs system can make paddle go down? Thanks

[@vinceculum9873]

could be a faulty caliper

[@OldSchoolNoe]

Yes, failed ABS module can make the brakes unresponsive in an extreme case

[@qamilselmani7003]

Hi how long can i drive like that today i drove with handbrake on and right after the brake pedal became spongy im scared to be back home at night and bring it tomorow at a mechanic driving dozens of km

[@bloodytomboy5309]

i currently have a 2013 buick encore that has a SUPER soft break pedal. Dad and i just replaced the rear calipers and pads because i had a caliper that was locking up as i got home from class and there was smoke coming from the driver side rear and the area was hot to the touch along with a burning rubber smell. had issues with the calipers grabbing so took it too auto shop, apparently there was still air in the system when dad and i bled it. The auto repair shop fixed that problem but didnt fix the break pedal almost being to the floor. i decided to take it to another auto repair shop and pending on what the issue is. dad and i are unsure why the brake pedal is so soft ive only had this car for about a year and a half and am already having an irritating problem. we've checked everywhere there's no leaks, at least externally.

[@tommy27usa]

I’ve replaced the rear drum brake cylinders and shoes as the old ones were leaking but the pedal still feel soft and doesn’t brake very well…

[@kentbarger6974]

I'm a retired auto mechanic put your car in the driveway but it set overnight see if you have any type of leaks especially the bleeder valve parts are mass-produced sometimes you can get a wheel cylinder that you tighten up and if it doesn't see closed all the way because it may be defective you will get air into your system try bleeding the brakes again check your entire brake system out for leaks you may have air in the lines also there also is a possibility what about the master cylinder there's a possibility that the O-rings are getting old and the poet is passing by the O-rings in the master cylinder also check your brake pads to make sure they're not worn down I don't know all the details what you've done on your brake system so maybe you have a leak somewhere this is a common problem and always make sure that you have enough brake fluid in your Reservoir I hope the information that I sent you will help you also you may need to take the car in to repair shop were they can bleed the brakes thoroughly baking user Lotus car scanner to activate the ABS pump and bleed out the air in the brake system there's a very good possibility you may still have air in the system I hope this information that I sent you is helpful

[@dpc727]

Not that easy if you don't have a lift.

[@rhondakendrick2563]

then u pay some one

[@yungblod8975]

Go get a decent floor jack and some Jack stands ur just go to a smaller shop and ask to pay to use the lift but you'll do the work

[@Thepaintgod407]

🔥🔥🔥

[@bigcoacho2625]

My brakes feel hard sometimes and others it's just fine but when the are getting hard it makes a air hiss noise what should I look at

[@profit_bandit4282]

I would check your brake booster

[@OldSchoolNoe]

Yes, I second the failing brake booster

[@nsgibson]

Can a stuck pin cause a soft pedal?

[@diorsawaaj]

Caliper guide pin? I had an old Sentra with a seized guide pin with the other guide pin working just fine and that was NOT a fun experience. If you can't get the seized guide pin out, replace the whole brake caliper. Also when you do a brake job, remove all traces of the old grease that they use and use new grease.

[@nissanslut7870]

Yeah but i have an air bubble in my abs module ? How do you bleed the abs module?

[@ronijr4918]

Either the dealership or use a fancy scan tool.

[@abitofmymind]

Go to dirt road and slam brakes, to activate. Then rebleed

[@Area559Duh]

I bought a $100 scanner on Amazon and it purged my abs pump.

[@iversonjcameron]

@@abitofmymind yep ........right on

[@iversonjcameron]

Another way is take a insulated wire, run it from the positve lead onnypur battery while the car is running, Disconnect the ABS module and very gently activate directly the ABS pump by touching the lead wire to the positive terminal on the pump, should be the thickest wire on the harness......hopefully this makes sense.... I can tell you this worked on a G55 but I had to do it 3 times and buy more brake fluid to bleed the entire system to get the bubble out

[@JasonSimpsonMkeJay]

My brake pedal goes to the floor and there is zero stopping power. Literally have to throw it in park to get it to stop. What do you think the issue may be?

[@OldSchoolNoe]

-Very low brake fluid -too much air in the system - master cylinder failed internally (Not building pressure) - Failed ABS control module

[@jregamey]

Toyota echo New fluid I can bleed them. Feels good eventually it's not. No leaking fluid.

[@dragontypetrainerlevi8451]

Went and got my break fixed last week drive fine yesterday they felt a tad more squishy as I pulled into work 4 pumps and the breaks are rock hard before I start up it breaks fine both in a parking lot and getting off the highway but my breaks felt midly higher when they were first done do Breaks some times settle in idk if im just paranoid I did a basicly look over fluid levels fine I didn't really see any leak around the fluid tank any one ever have this happen?

[@PandaSecurity2]

My Cadillac SRX 2011 the brake is hard hard hard can that be the booster?

[@1AAuto]

+Yansel Cespedes The Booster could be the issue, however we recommend getting our vehicle checked.

[@markopecurica4463]

After changing brake oil my pedal feels squishy... anyone knows what could be

[@fosty.]

Ever figure it out?

[@bigcoacho2625]

Need to bleed your brakes you have air in you brake lines

[@RalphSampson...]

You didnt actually test the master and didn't provide a proper way to test it. Edit: Take both brake lines off the master cylinder. Plug the outlet holes on the master. Press the brake pedal. If the pedal is hard, the master is good. Now, move on to test the booster.

[@geraldwardrop]

👍

[@1AAuto]

+Gerald Wardrop Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@neilouellette3004]

2003 Mercury Grand Marquis brake pedal spongy more than 50% of the time and brake pedal slow to return after depressing. New pads, calipers, rotors, master cylinder, complete brake fluid flush "old dirty" w/new fluid and complete & proper bleeding. Great for a few days then pedal starting to get spongy again and pedal slow to return after depressing "using". Brake booster appears fine w/no hissing noise when using and brake pedal isn't hard. I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure. Anyone???

[@justice8563]

My brakes feel soft. My brake light was on, I added brake fluid because it was low and it looked dirty. The light went out but my pedal seems soft. I have a garage a few miles away, is it safe to drive it. I’m trying to get a mobile service out but I can’t get an appointment and I kinda feel blown off to be honest.

[@kentbarger6974]

I would suggest taking off the wheels and checking out your brake pads it's possible if you run the brakes low on brake fluid maybe you got air into the brake system I would bleed the brakes with new fluid I would flush out all the old brake fluid by bleeding the brakes also check for any type of leaks on your brake system check your wheel cylinders out to see if they are leaking and check your calipers to see if the seals are leaking also and definitely bleed your brakes to get the old fluid out and maybe you got air in your system that needs to be bled out I hope that this information will be useful to you

[@emiliog.4432]

If the calipers aren’t too far gone, they can be rehabbed. No need for a whole new caliper. NE cars need paint and fluid film protection.

[@1AAuto]

+Emilio G. Thanks for the feedback!

[@rett12]

if none of these works then you have a subaru

[@maddogmark]

What about the case where the peddle is up until the engine starts, then goes to the floor? Hint: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoq8fqKQfKqtecU

[@rick4799]

Bummer you guys don't sell to Canadians

[@kolasillers7776]

4:00- 😂 proper way to bleed fluid all over the place.

[@willferrmail]

Thanks!

[@bidel1lee7]

Y do I have pedal wen the car is off as soon as I start it ut goes to the floor

[@joshuaprobably852]

Same problem. Did you learn the issue?

[@OldSchoolNoe]

@@joshuaprobably852 Sounds like you have a leak somewhere, also the master cylinder could be failing internally.

[@joehutter2071]

Hello guys I have a 2004 Jeep Liberty the other day I went to the store and it has not been starting at times cuz dirty battery post so I leave it running when I go into the store and I locked the door yesterday while it was running I did my shopping came out with in about 10 minutes my Jeep had died out they was idling perfectly when I went in I started it back up it ran I went to go pick up a couple of beers at the liquor store left it running 5 minutes came out it had stopped so I started again and I went home it's a V6 what could be the problem what's a dying out?

[@1AAuto]

+Joe Hutter We wouldn't be able to diagnose an issue like that here, you may want to have a local mechanic take a look at it. Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@koshnaranek2317]

The unoccupied while idling sensor did not detect you so after 5-10 min. auto shutoff engaged.👍

[@BruceMusto]

Well, I know what I'm doing tomorrow.

[@michealtorres8598]

Ohio is pretty terrible. They use a sodium calcite mix onthe roads. ...its horrible for your car...

[@genehank43]

Completely worhtless. I too k mine to a brake mechanic that did even more work than you are suggesting and still have a spongy pedal. What about air in the proportining valve or ABS system?? You didn't even go there.

[@rickvelazquez3487]

BASICALLY,BUY A NEW CAR😁

[@Eagle-zl4gz]

Cars suck lol