Low Brake Pedal ? It's not air in the system...

[@Rtb666]

2weeks without driving and trying to find out the problem after bleeding the brakes 20times.... This video made my whole day. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@billymason8033]

Me too! Been riding a bike to work! 😂

[@ELECTROMARINEMANIA]

I too

[@hakan8997]

Also exercise the brake piston. Use a big plyer (poly grip) and press it in a few times and pump it out with the pedal. Everything goes easier and easier each time doing it. Then the seal around the piston comes into action and returning the piston away from the pads, and the brakes release the moment you release the brake pedal. It is the magic seal that makes the brake hydraulic system work. Its amazing that noone is talking aboute that seal when working on brakes. Its not only a seal, it brings back the piston just enough to get ta full breake pad detach. Just be careful not to pump the piston all the way out, i have some worn out old pads to put in place, so the piston can travel all the way but not to far.

[@jimmysapien9961]

Great video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@MitchGaar]

I am 43 years in auto repair and I was always told never pack grease into the caliper holes, because it will hydraulic lock and never get any grease on end of caliper pin! I see this done all the time, where people cover the end of the caliper pin! Rainman Ray does it all the time. But his quality of work has dwindled since he is his own boss! Sorry had to throw that in there. Good videos. Glad you moved and are happy about it!

[@DanielWainscott]

Yea, I thought you should never put grease at the end,, but only on the sides of the pins..

[@wallace3953]

Uh-Oh....do U also open the bleeders when you compress the pistons???? Ray does not.....

[@MitchGaar]

@@wallace3953 no surprise! Lol

[@MitchGaar]

@@wallace3953 sounds like you know Ray well? Lol

[@josephmatesich2498]

Manufactures thought of that and machined a flat along the side of the pin to allow the release of pressure if ther is to much grease at the end of the pin

[@billylongley9580]

Very important detail most people never do .. always make sure caliper pins are cleaned and greased and move freely

[@hakan8997]

Also exercise the brake piston. Use a big plyer (poly grip) and press it in a few times and pump it out with the pedal. Everything goes easier and easier each time doing it. Then the seal around the piston comes into action and returning the piston away from the pads, and the brakes release the moment you release the brake pedal. It is the magic seal that makes the brake hydraulic system work. Its amazing that noone is talking aboute that seal when working on brakes. Its not only a seal, it brings back the piston just enough to get ta full breake pad detach. Just be careful not to pump the piston all the way out, i have some worn out old pads to put in place, so the piston can travel all the way but not to far.

[@jimmysapien9961]

Exactly 🤙🤙🤙

[@steveb7310]

I’ve seen this problem many times, since I’m in the Rust Belt. What I like to do in this case is remove the caliper bracket and wire brush the pad contact points, then just a touch of brake grease on them along with cleaning and re-lubing the slides. Never had a comeback after that. Good video bro, great detail.

[@ChuddleBuggy]

Great video! You've demystified one of the thousands of automotive discombobulators out there.

[@adamrich2924]

Had this exact issue on my truck for a while now. Watched the video and tore into it the next day and sure enough had one rear pin froze solid and an inner pad stuck on the other side. Solved my problem.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

That's awesome!

[@jimmysapien9961]

Great video

[@georgecraft007]

My VW TDI Jetta wagon had a low pedal problem. It was a seized park brake cable that caused the problem. The adjusters were seized on the rear calipers because I never used the park brake. Once the caliper adjusters and park brake cable were repaired, the low pedal problem was gone. I had the dreaded death wobble on the front end of my 1996 Cummins diesel pickup. On a smooth surface the truck performed normally but if it hit any sort of bump on the road, the front left tire would violently shake to the point that I thought the truck was going to fall apart. After years of trying to diagnose this problem, I discovered that the rear right park brake cable was seized. I replaced the cable and the death wobble was gone. I never in a million years would have believed that a seized park brake cable could cause the death wobble but it did.

[@VladdevileSw]

This works only if you have brake drums

[@TheKhwailed]

I've been having brake issues with my car *spongey brakes* for months, watched tens of videos, untill I saw this video and the problem was solved! God bless you Mr. Kenny.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Glad it helped !! Thanks for watching !!

[@wendyeesue]

Didn't all them other videos you say you watched say the same thing as this video did to solve the problem?

[@TheKhwailed]

@@wendyeesue youtube is full of tons of vids about a certain topic. I've watched alot, but this one was very "specific" about the issue that my car had.

[@wendyeesue]

Im currently having the same issue as in THIS VIDEO.. after watching a couple other videos too. Is their any place that checks brakes first for free then gives you the problem and cost after checking it? @@TheKhwailed

[@TheKhwailed]

@@wendyeesue I'm sorry. I don't know about that. I'm a DIYer, and I just watch vids, and fix my car. Somtimes it costs me nothing!

[@nickl2548]

Your a god send, no mechanic can figure out this problem, replace master cylinder I've told. It's not. This is the problem. Thanks.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

You are welcome !!

[@jimmysapien9961]

@@WrenchingWithKennya very overlooked problem 🙏🙏🙏 THANK YOU - for bringing this to our attention!

[@heisenfeis]

I do this every tire change winter and summer up north. I also remove the rust on the tabs/ears of the brake pads and lube them a little so they also slide nicely with guide pins lubed up too. I also use silicone on the piston and clean it and press it in so I know they work as intended and are not stuck. I also put some grease on the piston metal lip and on the claws/tooth on the outside caliper facing the pad. Result so far over the years is completely even wear and a nice brake pedal, no squeaks, I also know how worn my pads are with 6 months roughly increments. Thank you Kenny good advice as always

[@hakan8997]

When you press in the piston also pump it out a few times. In out untill it wont travel any easyer. I can guarante that the first time you have to press harder on the pedal compared to have done it 6 times. It will make the piston travel easyer and the rubber seal on the piston will draw back the piston as soon as the pressure on the pedal is gone. That seal is more than a seal, thats what will pull the piston back in just enough to release the pads from the disc. A round O ring would seal the piston, but its shape would not draw back the piston.

[@WilliamIsted]

Thank you for this video. I was about to bleed the brakes on my Astra and this makes far more sense as to what might be the issue. I'm not a mechanic so just being pointed in the right direction is a huge help for time and sanity!

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

I hope it helped !!

[@llroman7823]

Mr. Kenny, now you really have me scratching my head. Ha! I've watched tons of videos prior to yours telling me it is the master brake cylinder. But I've never bled my brakes. Never opened lines on cylinder either. Right now, I pretty much have no brakes. Pedal going to the floor and pump it three times to get car to stop. Do you think it is the pins and not master brake cylinder? 2000 Camry. I may try the pins prior to doing anything else. @@WrenchingWithKenny

[@kelsycunningham8452]

​@@llroman7823hopefully you've found the problem and had it repaired. If the master cylinder reservoir has no fluid in it, the system has a leak and your pushing air. If the reservoir has fluid then the master cylinder is shot. Either way you've been driving a death trap.

[@wd8dsb]

Exact same problem I had been chasing on my 1996 Saturn Wagon a few years ago and finally stumbled upon the root cause of the issue. Nowhere could I find info about seized up guide pins causing a soft brake situation so it’s nice to see you published a video that discusses this issue.

[@leftylou6070]

You know what I like about you Buddy? You my friend, are not afraid to get your hands dirty. I see so many Pretty Boy Mechanic Apprentices on KZbin head for the throw away latex gloves before they go a wrenchin' and put them on, as if they were gonna catch some kinda of disease from what they are working on. I just grin and bear it. I never wore those things, I can only imagine they would be more of a hindrance than a help. I used to just keep a container of Go-Jo and a toothbrush for the nails handy and that was it. Anyway, a big Thanks for all the fine Videos you've been putting out for us to watch. They are very helpful, and a big thumbs up to you!

[@deanyanko3326]

their wives don't want grease all over the house.

[@jimmysapien9961]

God gives us Gifts 🙏🙏🙏

[@lot931]

I lube the pins, more to the front of the pins and it spreads out the grease when I push it into the caliper. I never put lube in the hole per se, if just cakes up and make them hard to slide. Too much lube is one of the reasons for a stuck caliper pin. And the type of lube is important, also. Enjoyed the video.

[@mwngw]

Rav4s are known for low brake pedals, especially and mysteriously after pad replacement...for no apparent reason. There are guys on the Toyota forum pulling their hair out for this suddenly appearing low pedal, which is then about halfway to the floor than before the repair. I'm going to check all these caliper pins on my Rav, otherwise I'm going to have to replace all brake hardware including rotors. Great vid, btw.

[@TaycanDriver]

I chased it for a week on an Audi. GREAT VIDEO. One of the BEST on DYI

[@kenmorgan9528]

Purchased a 99 Suburban a few months ago and from the receipts supplied by the previous owner the brakes had been maintained less than one year previously. But for some reason the car was pulling to the right when the brakes were applied. Upon further inspection I found that the slide pins had been installed without the rubber dust boots and whatever grease had been applied had combined with the brake dust to form a glue-like substance that had seized up the slide pins. I had to press the slide pins out with a C-clamp, clean the bores with a rotary brush, wire wheeled the pins and re-inserted them with silicone grease and new dust boots. Now the old car will stop on a dime and leave 8 cents change.

[@bogdanmichalek8466]

,q❤

[@fixitman2174]

The black grease is only for the back and ends of the pads . It will thicken up over time, and should not be used on slides. Only use a silicone based lube on the slides, such as Sil-Glyde.

[@aboveaero]

Huh? You use them on the slide pins too, right? They are meant to be used for the slides.

[@fixitman2174]

@@aboveaero The synthetic black grease is supposed to thicken over time. It's made that way so it won't melt off the surfaces it's applied to. That is great for the metal parts of the pads, not for the slide pins. Silicone based grease (like Sil-Glide) won't thicken, making it great for slide pins.

[@gregsantos9731]

Exactly

[@brynnond.6952]

This might explain my sponges pedal, every so often my pedal starts to get sponges and if I press the pedal to the floor and release then my pedal becomes firm again and stays that way for a few weeks or so and becomes spongy again

[@frotobaggins7169]

"Only use a silicon based lube on the slides, such as Sil-Glyde." You mean silicone, not silicon. A silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer made up of siloxane They are typically colorless oils or rubber-like substances. Silicon (Si) is a light chemical element that combines with oxygen and other elements to form silicates. Silicon in the form of silicates constitutes more than 25% of the Earth's crust. Silica (SiO2) as quartz or quartzite is used to produce silicon ferroalloys and silicon metal.

[@matthewkincaid1240]

Your video has been a lot of help, thank you. My car is having the same issue it sounds like to where the pedal goes to the floor almost on first press then stuff like it should be on the second press. It's a relief to know that this may be the resolution. A mechanic diagnosed it as being the booster without touching anything. Doesn't sound like a booster issue according to my research. Thanks again!

[@cliffweinan3907]

Just did your suggestion yesterday on my 86 Mazda, clean and fresh grease caliper mount bushings. Caliper must be free floating for normal pad to disc clearance under light braking. Definitely improved brake feel. Thanks again pal!

[@nightdipper5178]

Great info and video, I you saved me a lot of time. I would have dived into bleeding first, but the pads were worn uneven and they were stuck. Cleaned and lubed all is good. Thanks!

[@AddictedtoProjects]

Thank you SO MUCH (!) for sharing this. Been having EXACTLY the same symptoms on my Mitsubishi Pajero, and bled the system twice, and rebuilt the rear brakes. So fronts are now suspect. Same issue: pump once, pedal is somewhat soft. Pump again and it goes much harder, and the front brakes respond quicker. Need to pull those calipers apart and inspect, clean, grease everything! :)

[@ramishrambarran3998]

Great Kenny ! I now know how to fix my problem ! Trinidad & Tobago. West Indies.

[@gsprof9788]

Get bore brushes for cleaning firearms, their made of brass with brake clean you can scrub those bracket holes out good. As others said you can also take a drill bit if you have a good set of drill bits with odd sizes you can save a bracket just don’t overbore the hole. Last don’t overfill the hole with lube you can hydraulic the pin, work that pin in/out till it moves freely purging any air trapped in there. Put a good layer of brake lube on the inside of those boots to help seal them from water infiltration. Very good video help explains how a caliber moves not many people get that.

[@vdub-rc7ll]

You've just cleared my 2 week headache and a ton of $$! I honestly can't thank you enough for this video. For me it was the slider pins and possibly a shim that had come loose. Thanks again!

[@DCPHONEGUY]

THANK YOU KENNY, you saved me from making the mistake of replacing the master cylinder. The front brakes on my 2012 Yaris are disks and my issue was like yours except the problem was worse, I have just over 100K on the original Toyota pads and I don't know if the problem was original to the manufacture of the car or someone did something to the brakes but one boot on the passenger side on one pin was pulled off and that pin was rusted in pretty solid. I was finally able to break it loose, clean off all the rust and lube it up to where it felt normal again. The inside pad had more wear as you stated but after fixing that pin and lubing up the other all is well again. Not really in the rust belt, we are in Maryland. You saved me a couple hundred dollars for a new master cylinder and a lot of work that would not have fixed the problem. You are da man.

[@steveroge3768]

I am an old school Mechanic I just watched you Video I have very similar problem with my 2020 4 runner some times I step on the break and the pedal sinks lower, In my mind it remined me of a bad master I pump it a second time and its fine. only happens randomly. I can not seem to duplicate it. your video gave me some incite where to look Thanks you..

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

I hope the video helped. I have two Facebook pages. Wrenching with Kenny & Backyard Mechanics. Make sure you answer all the questions to join ByMs. If you get stuck on a project, you can get some advice there too. Thanks for watching!

[@todaywithtom]

You are my hero. Just did my brakes and have an intermittent spongy pedal. Its and old car and I didn't clean the pins. Back to the garage.

[@GnosisMan50]

THANK YOU for making and sharing this video. I have exactly the same symptoms in my Mazda MPV for a long time. This is the kind of problem most mechanics will not make efforts to find out it’s underlying cause. I look forward to having mine fixed ASAP

[@THEoriginaljmelford]

On older vehicles that only have drum brakes, having to pump the brakes means the master cylinder seals are worn and fluid is bypassing the seals. So in order to get enough volume to the brake cylinders you have to pump the brakes. I remember as a child our 1937 Chevy had that problem. Lefty

[@bigjoe6528]

I had a Camaro do the same thing . Both rear calipers on my car. Replaced calipers fixed it😊. Good video

[@williesmith8326]

I've been doing this for every brake for yrs. To me it was common sense if you understand how Caliper slides and pins work. Also if the boots are worn, stretched, turn, etc replace it

[@jimmysapien9961]

Exactly

[@dannykimble7671]

Dow & corning make a special grease for slider pins, it’s for minimal movement applications like slider pins, when things don’t move much in normal use they seize up & normal grease drys out & is like glue.

[@johneverett3947]

Another couple of things to consider besides stiff or frozen guide pins when it comes to a low soft pedal is the parking brake. On many middle aged to newer all wheel disk vehicles the rear calipers are used as the parking brake. You can tell by a lever on the back of the caliper going to the parking brake cable ( new new vehicles will use electric parking brakes but same idea). If the parking brake is not used often enough or the self adjuster fails it wouldn’t account for pad wear and keep the pad close enough to the rotor ( might be the reason for your mysterious self retracting piston? ). The same applies to vehicles with rear drums, poorly adjusted rear brakes, infrequently used parking brakes or failed adjusters will cause the same low soft brake. Just a thought on what to check. 😊😊😊

[@clicks59]

So true! I worked for Firestone back in the mid 80s. Rear disc brake calipers with integral parking brakes were fairly new. The company would push complete brake overhauls. This meant rebuilding those rear calipers. I remember doing a few. I did a Lincoln, a Trans Am and a Cadillac Seville. Using the parking brakes on these vehicles was vital to help keeping a firm pedal. I remember breaking the cardinal rule for rebuilding brake calipers. I didn’t verify the bleeder screws would loosen before rebuilding the calipers on the Cadillac. They were rusted solid. Fortunately, I worked with a brilliant mechanic who, with a lot of skill and patience, was able to break them free. We were both in our early 20s at the time. The good old days!

[@reginaldthomas105]

I have a 01’ suburban and my parking brake light is lit in the dash. I just changed the brakes and rotors and the light is still on what can be done to make the light go off? I’ve sprayed the e-brake with pb blast , the actual brake does engage and disengage what could cause the lit to stay on?

[@johneverett3947]

@@reginaldthomas105 check the parking brake switch on the parking brake pedal assembly. Sometimes the mounting screw will come loose so the switch won’t line up with the pedal assembly and the light will never go off.

[@johneverett3947]

@@reginaldthomas105 also if the proportioning value has been tripled it will need to be reset

[@clicks59]

@@reginaldthomas105 First, verify the parking brake pedal is returning completely. Pull the parking brake pedal up by hand to see if the light goes out. Maybe a bad switch on the parking brake pedal? That same light is also tied to the main brake hydraulic system. Your vehicle might have a low brake fluid sensor (float style) built into the master cylinder. Also, Verify that you have brakes at all four wheels. The proportioning valve might be shifted into the unbalanced position, causing the light to come on. You may have only front or rear brakes. If everything (meaning the entire system) is leak free and is bled properly, the valve should center itself. That’s assuming that’s what’s causing the light to stay on. If you have A good solid brake pedal, it would lead me to believe the valve is centered correctly. Lastly, if your burbie has ABS brakes, there could be air in the ABS actuator. That’s if the system has been opened and air has been induced into the system somehow. Good luck!

[@mrkttrdr2919]

good insight to uneven braking solution, one problem, packing the pin hole with grease will create uneven wear also as the grease keeps the pin from its full travel, a little dab will do ya

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Great point!

[@pcho3740]

Yes , too much grease may cause hydro locking..

[@jimmysapien9961]

Use alittle oil

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

I live in the rust belt and don't even bother trying to clean up caliper slide pins anymore. I just take a small round brush out of the engine cleaning set from Harbor Freight, cut the end off of the handle, chuck it in a drill and run it in and out of the bracket for a few minutes. Then, I flood the hole with brake cleaner and blow it out with compressed air. The slide pins are cheap enough at the chain parts stores that I just replace them. After that's done, EVERYTHING gets a good helping of the purple Permatex lube. Now, if I could just get my brother to reimburse me just for the parts for the front brake job on his Toyota! That poor car needed EVERYTHING from the rotors out including both calipers! Those pins were so frozen that I had to buy reman calipers WITH brackets. Even my oxy/acetylene torch didn't help!

[@JimSix-jo6hf]

yes they can get stuck, be careful heating them, I had a bracket clamped in my vice and was heating the bracket, it came out AND PUT A HOLE IN THE WALL!!!, never stand in front of them, I also like the Permatex purple ceramic lube, it stays soft even if the driver drives like a nascar racer

[@wigletron2846]

Thanks for the video. I'm dealing with a Subaru with soft brakes that's never had the system opened. I'll give this a shot.

[@mikebavoso26]

Thank you for comfirming my findings I have a new Ford that had this pedel problem, plus the sticky caliber. The local Ford dealership wanted to rebuild the transmission (15,000 miles) telling me it was in reverse and forward at the same time. We don't go there anymore. The caliper pins were all dry as a bone, I removing the pins, doing what you've demonstrated and greasing fix the problem.

[@swmovan]

I have had 3 Toyota Camrys, and they all had a low pedal. It goes down further than I would like before the brake catches. I checked the brakes on all three, and even replaced and bled brakes on one. Same thing. My old '95 Safari brake pedal hits as soon as I put my foot on it.

[@Graham-y2f]

Last resort for low or spong pedal on old cars.the flex line from the caliper to the hard line Will collapse. Brake won't work pedal still sponge

[@jimmysapien9961]

@@Graham-y2fI use Stainless Steel brake lines - doesn’t expand !!!!!

[@hb5914]

@@jimmysapien9961Where do you buy your stainless steel brake lines?

[@ronald5728]

Excellent video. I think you've highlighted the problem I have with my CRV which is also from upstate NY. The brakes feel soft and low. The video "Brake Caliper Slider Pin Grease - How Much is Too Much ?" explains why you should not pack the pin with too much grease, especially the tip of the pin. This prevents the pin from going in fully and the grease also acts as a buffer.

[@chadrogers4635]

You can get air in your lines without a leak. If your brake caliper gets to hot from a bad bearing or continuous hard braking it can cause the brake fluid to steam or boil which in turn puts air in the line.

[@zacharytrissel433]

Yep 👍

[@WAKO426]

Moisture not air brake fluid loves Moisture

[@bbb462cid]

I have a '66 Chevy with power factory disks all the way around. It's a nice car, no rust on anything. I was cut off THREE TIMES in a 20 minute drive three weeks ago and I _smeared_ the brakes on hard, each time. No problems, this thing stops well. But last week...soft brakes. Previously the brakes were heroic. M/C pretty damn full. No leaks on my garage floor, nothing wet under the car. Replaced all the bleeders as SOP. Vacuum bled, brakes a bit better. Brakes will lock hard, car will stop in a short distance. But spongey at a stop. Engine off, nice firm pedal. I won't bleed engine on as the fan will put DOT 3 all over the paint and that's a no-go. Small cam in the engine, makes 15" Hg which should be fine (and has been previously) for the brakes. I'm beginning to think my front soft rubber lines are swelling, But I'll take the wheels off again and check if there's anything like a seized pin or four. Thanks for the idea!

[@johncowhig7196]

I really liked your video. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience on the mushy brake pedal. I feel I picked up some knowledge on this matter. I'm not a car mechanic, I'm a security guard who owns a 2017 Toyota camry. I would love to fix problems on my car when they arise and I love your step by step teaching on this problem. Keep them coming.

[@jinpark5324]

There are 2 types of brake grease , one for metal to rubber and the other is for metal to metal. If you put wrong type of lube to the caliper pin then it might damage the rubber boot and gum up the pin. On the other hand if you put low temperature tolerant on metal to metal part then it might cause fire. Most of silicon based lube operating temperature can be up to around 575F. Synthetic lube can be up to 3000F. Between shim and back of brake need grease to reduce noise. I use rubber friendly silicon based grease to lube caliper pin and synthetic grease to lube metal to metal part.

[@busystuff23yearsago15]

There’s yellow gel like substance and black grease, you’re saying the black grease is for the slide pins only?

[@bcruder1]

Just today, I found BOTH of the inside pads on my wife's outback worn out with the outside pads barely worn. The hidden side of both front disks was badly scored. I had followed bad advice to use anti-seize on the sliding guide pins. It caused the black rubber inserts on the guide pins to swell enough to lock them. I feared that I would have to replace the sliding caliper brackets but eventually found a puller to remove the pins. After new disks, pads, pins, and rubber seals, I will only use silicone grease.

[@thedreadedgman]

yes silicone grease or "silicone paste" only

[@andrewb8548]

If you have old fluid, the boiling point goes down. Boiling the fluid most definitely puts gas in the line. So it is possible that a never opened line, driven the same as always all of a sudden has air in the line. That's what happened to me. Those exposed Toyota pins on Tacomas, we replace every spring. Every spring. I have a truck that drove for 13 days in New England, and Florida dealership refused to service it for warranty

[@twx4184]

I had soft brakes on my 2006 Murano. Found out I had 4 x 100% seized rear brake caliper pins, had to use a blow torch to move them. Replaced them all, greased...fixed the problem

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Good job !! Thats awesome !!

[@twx4184]

@@WrenchingWithKenny your video is the best out there

[@Everydayprojects365]

Brake fluid will naturally absorb moisture into it,water will act as a hydraulic but will boil a lot faster.

[@bearpuf]

I appreciate your video very much. You have a really fine informative delivery giving details to how, what, and why you are doing for each step in dealing with sticking slide pins and how to get them back into normal movement. It makes the view enjoyable as well as teachable. Thanks very much.

[@ericpfister9059]

Best thing I got for my shop for stuff like that was a cheap gun cleaning set 20ga wire brush fits great and cleans it really good just something to think about if you already have one

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

I used to have a kit also . When I moved from NY to NC , it got misplaced somewhere.. Thanks for watching !!

[@bhaggen]

Someone's been "flat rating" your brake jobs. Very common issue with these Girling style calipers, which is why I always clean & re-lube those "pins" with copper paste every time I do brake pads. I also recommend replacing the much forgotten brake fluid every two years regardless of mileage.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

I also recommend changing the beake fluid out . It's amazing how many people don't think it's necessary. But being hydroscopic , it does break down over time . Thanks for watching !!

[@bhaggen]

@@WrenchingWithKenny.....That's hygroscopic with a "g" and it's designed to be such. Otherwise moisture would stay in droplet form instead of being absorbed molecularly by the fluid. Another common mistake is retracting the pistons without opening the bleeder; this can be especially detrimental to a system with ABS; not an inexpensive oversight. And it's an easy way to get rid of the worst of the contaminated fluid.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

@bhaggen you are 100% correct , including my spelling error lol 😆

[@bhaggen]

@@WrenchingWithKenny.....Your spelling was fine, but hydroscopic refers to a hydroscope, which is an instrument used underwater.

[@gregoryblair9810]

Glad I found this! My 05 Kia Sorento has started to do the same thing. Guess I missed that part when I redid my brakes.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Many people overlook this . Especially if you're not immersed in auto repairs everyday. Easy to not think about

[@jimmysapien9961]

I’m a shade tree mechanic 👍🏻👍🏻

[@neilbeni7744]

Awesome diagnosis 👊💥😁 Makes a lot of sense... Thank you..

[@dennyj8650]

A big help! Will be nice, to be able to fix it myself instead of waiting for a shop to have an opening, and forking out $$.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Keep me posted !! I love to hear how things work out !!

[@wilsont1010]

@@WrenchingWithKenny The pedal is not airy when the vehicle is at rest but super spongy when it's running. Despite sinking almost all the way down, it actually works super well and the grip sets in just right in the middle. It seems to me that this does not match with the description of this video. I wonder if it is the master cylinder issue, or something else, but what can that be?

[@williampierce5615]

I use a properly sized drill bit. By hand to clean bore out. Brake clean also of course.

[@sesolar5854]

Excellent video. Have a 96 Chevy Express van thats alway had spongy brakes even after many bleedings. If this turns out to be the reason i owe you one!

[@jimmysapien9961]

Awesome

[@impulseproman]

Good place to start diagnose the problem start with the simple stuff

[@RedfishCarolina]

A major mistake people do is put anti-sieze on them. You need to use caliper grease. I'm fortunate to live in the south so I only need to grease them when I swap the pads.

[@raider762]

The worst brake pedal I felt on a 'yota was an older Toyota Tundra with drum brakes in the back. The brake pedal was to the floor and it was hardly braking. Turned out to be the parking brake cable was way out of adjustment and so were the brake shoes in back. Add a brake fluid flush and a front brake job and it actually stopped way better.

[@abitoffcenter383]

I've been fighting a sorta soft pedal for awhile now. Although the pins are not the problem. When I got the truck the pass rear brake line was completely gone. Apparently someone had high sided it in a ditch. So the driveshaft was bent (It's aluminum), no rear brakes, transfer case had exploded and was in a box, transmission housing was cracked the output shaft all the way to the bell housing, and various other things. I replumed the rear brake lines with new lines. It had really soft brakes once I got it running again. So I pulled out the old parts cannon. I replaced the booster, master cylinder, cylinders, drums, and shoes on the rear, and new calipers, rotors and pads in the front. As far as brakes go. There's a VAST improvement from before. It's safe to drive and all and you can come to a solid stop w/o pumping them. But if you pump them once, the brakes are THERE right away!! Which is how it should be for all the work and parts I've put into them. My next course of action is going to be power (pressure) bleeding them.

[@thomasdaum1927]

And you bought this vehicle , why ?…….

[@jimmygreen50]

Have this issue in my work truck. Gonna give it a go. Cheers. Makes sense to me

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

I hope it works for you. Thanks for watching 🔧

[@jimmysapien9961]

@@WrenchingWithKennyI oil the Pins slightly .

[@randallstewart8487]

To clean the slider pin bores better,a gun barrel cleaning brush works great on any small bore for me,closed or open! If I dont have slider pin grease available I just use never seize on the pin bores! Thanks Kenny!

[@DOLRED]

Bought a 2002 vehicle in 2013 and found the front caliper pins rusted and almost jammed. The brakes locked up on one wheel (Squealing). I found a receipt in the glovebox showing the previous owner had done the front brake pads within the past year (2012) but the shop never touched the pins!!!! I cleaned up the pins (Wire brushed) and lubed them up and have driven the vehicle for almost 10 years. I just replaced the rear brake lines myself because one blew (Drum brakes). Now I am thinking (Thanks to your video), I need to recheck those front pins! After bleeding, my pedal is still not right.

[@BobWarren_]

Had this problem (pedal being spongy on first press, then good on the second) with my 08 Honda Civic 2.2 Diesel - coincidentally, (maybe?) it started when it went in for the last MOT (at which very little work was required). I'm not a mechanic, but what you said about a space between calipers and pads made sense, so I checked all four wheels - unfortunately, all the caliper pins were sliding freely. Praying it wasn't the master cylinder (a job beyond my skills/tools), I purchased a one-way valve and did a full flush, to find the fluid in both the rear brake lines very cloudy. So presumably water contamination and/or fluid degradation. Reservoir and front brake lines were fine and pretty clear. The brakes are now back to their original sharpness.

[@paulmannering3831]

You're just fantastic. I learn loads from you and you're so thorough. I have a slight blown head gasket on my hyundai i30 2010 and block test didn't show a leak but I still suspect it as white smoke but I didn't rev anx HOLD for a long time like you did at higher rpm. Will try

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

@paulmannering3831 how did the repair go? You good?

[@johnmckenna8989]

This can also happen if the linings are loose on the shoes of drum brakes.....even if it's just the rears.....Some are rivetted on and some are 'bonded' , which can loosen if contaminated by brake fluid from a leaking cylinder (over time).....All it takes is one, and the pedal will require two pumps to take up the slack between the lining and the shoe......John (west coast,Can.)

[@KhalangaE]

Exactly my problem. Thanks for the video

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Thanks for watching!

[@richroc7]

Hey brother I just want to thank you for doing this video and I stumbled across it by accident but I hope it fixes my problem. Only difference is that I feel and hear something with the abs when I depress the brake pedal but only for the first 15 minutes and then the brakes act normal but I am double pumping it. I’m a father of four and my wife and three sons are disabled. We are poor as poor can be and only one person is getting assistance so it’s not like we have three grand in SSI coming in every month. I’ve put so much money into this 2007 pathfinder. O2 sensor, cat converter, crankshaft sensor, mid exhaust pipe, spark plugs, coil #3, I now need coil #1 and a new muffler. I knew how to do some things and I have tools but I had to learn how to remove the intake manifold and that was scary. I’m trying my best but every time I fix something another thing goes wrong. I know that that’s how it is when you own a car but damn I wish there weren’t so many components to these cars. Why can’t they make them like the 60’s with simplicity. They want us to be forced to bring it to the dealership or garage and spend more money after we paid thousands of dollars for the vehicle 😩. Sorry I got to ranting 😂

[@JimSix-jo6hf]

good video!!, seems like those slider pins get tight about every 2 years, and if you get a customer that drives ( or brakes) hard you need to use the newer ceramic high temp lube, the regular stuff will harden if the driver is driving like a nascar racer, also wanted to mention that calipers can let air in, it is rare in newer cars but anyone that owned a 1970s corvette knows what I mean, I did have a Chrysler 200 in my shop that had a spongy pedal, you could just open the bleeders for a minute and have a solid pedal, I noticed I only got air from one wheel, a new caliper fixed that one

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

I've experienced that before. It is rare, but I know what you're talking about. Thanks for your comment & watching the channel. Keep wrenching 🔧

[@greenfield1944]

good video, I had that happen on a Tundra and the dealer put on new rotors and pads. What they told me didn't make sense as there was not many miles on it but it set around a lot.

[@neilmcmanus3727]

Excellent presentation, good explanation, good lighting, and good attitude ! I hit subscribe ... one of those obscure details in making sure all components are free and doing their job. I noticed the same soft brake pedal that just started to manifest, I looked all around, no apparent leaks, brake pad material ok, just a bit uncertain what to do, buy new calipers ? .. no first thing now check the the caliper brace. Mahalo nut loa !

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Check the caliper bracket pins to see if any of them are seized up. Thanks for your sub & watching the channel. Keep wrenching

[@luvkountry]

Great information. I will check out the potential faults mentioned in your video. Thank you for sharing this information. I appreciate it.

[@dominickserignese8837]

My Honda accord does that! I'm gonna check those pins.thanks Kenny!

[@stevewilliams6354]

Thanks Kenney this is exactly what is happening to my f150

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

I'm glad I could help. Thanks for commenting & watching the channel. Keep wrenching 🔧

[@thomasauto4862]

If your vehicle is over 10 - 15 yrs old, consider replacing the rubber brake hoses. Over time they become spongy and absorb some of your brake line pressure. For me, it's made all of the difference.

[@Grumpy-sy7wr]

Thanks for this one Kenny. My pedal has been getting lower over time, no notable fluid loss, so will definitely have a look at these. I got so deep into watching closely, as you sprayed the brake clean at 6:10, I moved my head and watched the screen at a slight angle 😂

[@abitoffcenter383]

We've all done it 😁😆

[@danielbob7769]

Thanks for the video. I never thought that thing should be causing a soft pedal up to a lower point where the brake is hard. I have this kind of problem after a rear calippers rebuild, proper bleeding using power bleeder and no chance to succes. I drive with this problem and from what I remember, all the pins are moving freely. So I'm thinking the piston dust boot may push the piston back. I will check both scenarios and take a look to hole brake calippers and pads too Thanks again!

[@ELEVOPR]

I always use my Mother In-Law small tooth brush to pack that grease into the screw hole tight, it does a good job.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

😂 keep wrenching 🔧

[@joehovanec1985]

Thank you for sharing this information with us. It will come in handy.

[@rajashbudhoo9574]

I’m going to check this theory on my 4runner. Same exact symptom. A quick pump and it’s firm but mid drive it’s about half the pedal stroke that it finally engages brakes. Front pads were replaced just before I bought the truck (used) and I figured maybe it had air in the line so I bled them. And they were fine. Also my reservoir was way over full. Hope this works

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Let me know if this helps. Thanks for watching & commenting 🔧

[@johnhopkins5987]

I use a 410 shotgun tube brush for such moments.

[@egx161]

Wow. You have a lift in your garage? Awesome. Good info. It’s a good idea to rehab the calipers once a year or 18 months.

[@RobertViani]

Great vid. Just did my front brakes. One of the slide pins needed a boat load of motivation to free up. But we got er' done. New sub here.

[@djsi38t]

Good stuff...as he mentioned a prime warning is rust on the outside of the disc.That means stuck pins.I have seen lots of guys buy new calipers when in fact it just had stuck pins.Stupid mistake.

[@davidbrewer7937]

Good explanation, sounds like the problem I have... Just waiting for the ground to dry up (soft driveway) a bit so I can investigate. The vehicle has spent most of it's time in the last year parked as I have a company service truck so sticking caliper(s) sounds very likely. Another clue is that I now have a bit of wobble when I brake lightly...

[@fortunatedad7695]

My 2010 acura mdx has had a soft ever since I've owned it. I bought it with 200,000 km 6 years ago. I just installed brand new front brakes and did a rear brake service taking the boots out like you did and cleaning everything out, lubing the caliper pins well and everything working well. When i stepped on the pedal to pressurize the system, it feels softer than before lol So frustrating

[@AGreedyTree]

They sell wire brushes that you can put on the end of a drill at Harbor Freight. I think it's called an engine cleaning kit or something. They work great for cleaning things such as the brake caliper bracket slides.

[@Soothsayer-rs5nb]

I just did the exact thing...the little brushes are loaded into a power drill. I shoot the caliper slides with brake clean and hit the area with the drill brushes....super clean

[@nycredneck]

Called 20pc engine brush kit $19.99

[@Oregunz]

I didn't know they existed. I ended up using an old barrel brush from a firearms cleaning kit.

[@ZeroBoostBuick]

Over the years I finally found the best grease. She'll SRS 2000. It's by far the best for extreme cold and heat.

[@markk3652]

I use a combination of nickel anti seize thinned out with aerokroil. The anti seize is rated for up to 2400 degrees, and the aerokroil keeps it thin enough to make sure it doesn't cake up with time or low temperatures.

[@luiscarrasquillo9743]

I got the same issue with my 2008 Honda Odyssey, tried everything but not sure if I’ve done this! Will give it a try. 👍🏼

[@Your32Maker]

I diagnosed this on my own yesterday, installed new pads, removed the pins and they weren't moving as freely as I remembered..took the truck for a spin and the pedal felt different once stopped... boots are 20 years old and soft, replacing them this afternoon..I use Silglyde...

[@hothmobile100]

I do my own brakes (not a mechanic just a broke school teacher) and since it rains so much where I live and it's humid by the ocean environment I use a crap load of caliper grease for the pins and where the pad clips sit. I can't believe how dry your caliper pins were. Even when I had a truck for 17 years it never got that dry but maybe I over used grease.

[@jasonchristopher2977]

I use a drill bit a size smaller in reverse. Cleans them out well. Also a brush for cleaning handgun barrels works well also. Most are about 9mm or so. U can pick up a set of brushes cheap.

[@Rudenutts]

Great tip! I cant seem to bleed my brakes! Going to grease up the caliper bolts! Wish me luck 😜🤞🏼

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

@Rudenuttes you've got this. Keep wrenching 🔧

[@prtbone78]

As soon as the video started and saying your issue I said caliper pins same happened to my 06 sienna it's from ny too

[@russoft]

thanks for this. I had to brake hard and after that my brake pedal felt wrong. I assumed a burst brake line but braking kept working and no fluid on the ground, reservoir was fine. I did do a brake job recently and reused a torn boot because I didn't have time to replace it when I noticed the tear and figured I'd do it later. I doubt a guide pin would have already seized, but I'll check this out. I was going to bleed my brakes but I don't know how air would have gotten in them. I've heard the fluid can boil during braking, since it absorbs moisture over time...

[@dwaka08]

The weird scenarios are the best to hear !!

[@tomneedmorebeer5525]

I had a Harley that had the pistons stuck to the rubber seals. Had to squeeze the lever a couple times to get a hard “pedal”. Only figured it out after replacing the master cylinder.

[@almolloy5817]

Be careful using the wire wheel on gold colored guide pins. That's cadmium plating applied to resist corrosion and removing it will accelerate future corrosion buildup.

[@Shade_Tree_Mechanic]

Thank you for that information

[@SurferJoe46]

I just noticed your post after making my own about the wire wheel thing-y.

[@needmoreboost6369]

I have seen on a few rare occasions a calliper or wheel cylinder pull air and also barely if at all leak any fluid!, f truck baker light pistons after overheating being one I had problems with along with some drums, they probably pull air as it cools but this is extremely rare