NEED HELP QUICK! brake broblem

[METAL86]

Drove to my girlfriends approx 1 hr drive and just as i arrived my brakes went REALLY soft. The petal goes all the way to the floor and doesnt have any kind of resistance to me pushing it down. Brake fluid is a little low but still fine. Im going to check the brake lines when it cools off and see what else might be up. The only thing unsuual i noticed was steam coming from up from the hood at a stoplight but with a leaking heater core ive been seeing this often. Anything i should look for or any suggestions PLEASE HELP!
Also, brake pads should be fine replaced not too long ago.
THANKS!!

 

[5.0Droptop]

Sounds like your master cyclinder went out.

 

[METAL86]

dont suppose there is any way to check that......?
of course my chilton manual is at home, plus if when it cools down it works fine, would that say anything? Thanks!

 

[5.0Droptop]

Well I dunno if theres a way to check it or not.... i just know when the breaks start going spongy/soft for no apparent reason that its usually the master cyclinder. the rubber plunger inside the master goes bad and starts letting the fluid slip past instead of compressing the fluid. Usually it will start to give signs like when setting at a light the pedal slowly drops to floor and you have to keep pumping on it to build pressure.

 

[5.0Droptop]

BTW A master cyclinder is cheap. and I think they come with a bench bleeder set up so this makes it really easy to change it and you dont have to bleed breaks all down if your real careful.

 

[METAL86]

Went and checked the brakes again after it cooled and looked at what little of the lines i could see, no visible leak and took the cover off the brake fluid resevoir and when i pumped the brakes for a while the fluid didnt go down so it appears 5.0 droptop is right. I guess it becomes a matter of how much money i have to spend now. Thanks for all the help 5.0Droptop! Guess a towtruck is in order.......