vacuum pump the culprit?

[royster]

hello all,



two braking problems that may have a common cause...



number 1: my "brake" and "abs" lights come on after a few pumps of the brake pedal, whether i am moving or sitting still.



number 2: once in a while, i will attempt to slow down or come to a stop and there is no "power" in my power brakes! scares the hell out of me!



i am suspecting the vacuum pump has a leak somewhere. any other ideas? how do i check for a leaking pump? also, if it is the pump, are they rebuildable or do i need a new one?



cheers,



roy

 

[ARedetzke]

Check your brake booster. Mine was doing the same thing, the longer you step on the brakes, the softer they got, and then the lights came on. New brake booster fixed it.

AJ

 

[royster]

thanks aj.



i am including the brake booster in my investigation. what is leading me away from it, however, is that the brakes do not get softer. the pedal is firm each time i apply it.



the only time the pedal feels different is when i get the occasional "no power assist" feeling, and then it's harder not softer.



this is why i believe the vacuum pump may be failing.



cheers,



roy

 

[ARedetzke]

That is kind of the feeling I was trying to describe. The pedal goes down a little, and then gets hard, it doesn't go down to the floor. You just get less brakes, not no brakes. I would still lean towards booster.

AJ