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Re: [Shop-talk] Kia brake system issues ...

To: Arvid Jedlicka <arvidj@visi.com>
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Kia brake system issues ...
From: Bob Spidell <bspidell@comcast.net>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:57:00 -0700
Pull the M/C and have a look; could be a shot seal (probably the fluid 
recovery seal).


bs


Arvid Jedlicka wrote:
> Ok, here is the story ...
>
> I was out of town and my nephew called. He was driving his 
> girlfriend's 2000 Kia Sephia Spectra. When he stepped on the brake 
> pedal it went to the floor. On the second pump the brakes worked well 
> enough that he was able to stop the car. He then drove carefully to a 
> safe parking lot using the "two pump" method and then called me. I 
> asked him to look at the wheels to see if there was any sigh of fluid 
> loss and to check the master cylinder reservoir. Everything looked to 
> be in good shape. I then suggested that he either call AAA or if he 
> felt comfortable he could take back roads and drive the car over to my 
> house. He took the latter option.
>
> He called me when he got to my house and said "on the way over it was 
> fine, the brakes worked on the first try". Given that it was now in my 
> driveway and thinking that the large hammer principal might discover 
> what might be amiss I asked him to go out and step on the brake pedal 
> as hard as he could. The assumption being that if he blows a seal or a 
> rubber line at least it was in the driveway and easy to fix. He went 
> out to the car and said the pedal again went easily to the floor but 
> would pump up like it had earlier.
>
> I told him where the keys were for my car so he and his girlfriend 
> could at least be on their way and told them I would look at the Kia 
> when I got home.
>
> Upon getting home I took the car for a drive and the brakes seemed 
> fine. Reasonable pedal feel, reasonable stopping power ... after all 
> it is a 10 year old Kia Sephia so the bar was not real high to begin 
> with ... all seemed to be fine.
>
> I am reluctant to give it back to them with a clean bill of health. 
> The only thing I can think of is to replace the master cylinder, but 
> that seems like throwing parts at the problem. But the master cylinder 
> is the only thing I can think of that might cause a soft pedal without 
> leaking fluid on the ground and "recovering". The thought of a small 
> piece of rust or what ever causing an intermittent seal failure 
> between the front and back portions of the master cylinder is the 
> scenario I was thinking of.
>
> So if anyone has any other suggestions on how to diagnosis this I 
> would appreciate it. And even if you don't have a firm diagnosis, a 
> well reasoned "throw this at it" would be appreciated ... assuming it 
> is short of replacing the car or the entire brake system.
>
> Thanks,
> Arvid _______________________________________________
>
>
>


-- 
*******************************************************************
Bob Spidell           San Jose, CA            bspidell@comcast.net

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