Brake Reservoir empty!

Yesterday I started up the car for the first time for a month, and after reversing out of the garage, I switched off & popped the bonnet. Checked engine oil, ok. Transmission fluid, ok. Radiator level slightly down, topped up. Brake reservoir, EMPTY!! WHY!!

I quickly refilled with Castrol Response Super Dot 4 Brake fluid and then watched to see whether the level dropped. Thankfully it didn't, and has remained same today.

Do I need to bleed the system?

Q: What caused the level to empty? Was it because I haven't used the car for a month? But surely it should remain up to the level whether the car is used or not, shouldn't it?

The "car" is a 1974 3500 V8 Auto.

Paul :shock:
 
Hi, it is in one of two places, in the servo or in the rear caliper covers.

Colin

P.S. edit, it could be in the front chassis rail ( from the master cylinder)
 
Hi.

I agree with Colin - i have had my brake fluid reservior empty into the servo housing via a worn servo slave cylinder (take the pipe from the inlet manifold off the servo and place a finger or something blunt into the servo to see if there is fluid at the bottom of the housing).
Rear caliper seals also fail which fill the housings up with fluid.
Glen.
 
Many thanks for all your replies.

However, today reversed car onto driveway and after opening the bonnet, I noticed the Brake reservoir was again empty! So as you all say, quite rightly, the problem is in either the servo or rear caliper covers. Last year I had a new rear n/s caliper fitted, could this be the source of the leak?

Paul
 
Hi, First check the easy things, it may be the master cylinder by running along the
pushrod, down the brake pedal and soaking into the carpet. Next take out the vac
pipe from the servo and use a probe to check if there is any fluid in there, I think
it unlikely, having had 2 resevoirs full into it the engine will be producing clouds of
white smoke by now. The only way to check the rear calipers is to loosen the covers
and see if anything comes out. Or as a quick check to see if it is the rear calipers,
clamp off the rear flexible and see if you still loose fluid.

Hope this helps.

Colin
 
If the rear caliper casings are full of fluid then it can drip out of the handbrake quadrant, so this should be easy to spot either on the caliper or on the floor.
 
The fluid will be in the servo & you'll need a service kit.

Just be careful when you open up the servo on the bench - it will have a lot of fluid in it trying to get out :LOL:
 
If that much fluid has got into the servo, won't the exhaust be smokey? I've had it happen to a car before and the effect was very obvious.
 
The servo has to be working to suck brake fruid i.e. it does this while you drive the car and use the brakes.
If the fluid disappears as you say with the car standing, then it is a classic case of rear brakes failure.
You can check them as it was suggested by others.
 
Just had similar last year on a customers car.

Did all the usual checks and could find nothing, on more than one occasion. The car is left to sit for very long periods (6 months) every year and it just began.

Turned out to be a weep on the rubber pipe joining the later clear type reservoir. So slight it was a pain to spot.
The original pipe with the yellow stripe had broken down and relaxed its grip.
No pedal loss as the pipe became the reservoir :eek:

The mystery was solved :)

One to watch as most of these pipes are now the same age if yours isn't one of the regular culprits :wink:
 
Paul, the level should not change even if the car stands for years, but when it does and especially when it hasn't been moved, then there is a definite leak.
Front calipers can also leak so these should not be discounted as can the flexible hoses. If the carpet is not wet and there is no fluid on the garage floor then the rear calipers seem the likely candidate given gravity has been at work.

Ron.
 
If it is draining into the booster it will only make clouds of white smoke once the level reaches the vacuum pipe and is sucked into the intake.
The booster holds a LOT, ask me how I know...... :(
 
Hi, The fault lay with the Master Cylinder. This has been replaced. This was leaking brake fluid down onto the brake pedal & then onto the carpets. These are pretty sodden!

However, guys thanks for all the info!

Again however, upon driving the car back from Nick Dunnings @ Godalming, Surrey the car suddenly lost all power and came to a stop. In frustration I raised the bonnet & increased the fuel regulator to the max number 5. The car restarted and I was able to reach the village of Ashington, Sussex where my other classic car mechanic has his workshop. After several hours, I was told it was a non-working "Condenser". So this was replaced. I then drove about 2 miles to get some petrol, on the way back the car did it again. Lost all power & came to a stop. Luckily I was only a stones throw from the garage at Ashington, so was able to drive it back there. And there it is as I write. What my mechanic finds this time, I dread to think.

Any thoughts guys, would be most welcome.

Paul :x
 
prospect8816 said:
the car suddenly lost all power and came to a stop. In frustration I raised the bonnet & increased the fuel regulator to the max number 5. The car restarted and I was able to reach the village of Ashington, Sussex where my other classic car mechanic has his workshop. After several hours, I was told it was a non-working "Condenser". So this was replaced. I then drove about 2 miles to get some petrol, on the way back the car did it again. Lost all power & came to a stop. Luckily I was only a stones throw from the garage at Ashington, so was able to drive it back there. And there it is as I write. What my mechanic finds this time, I dread to think.

Any thoughts guys, would be most welcome.

If recent form is anything to go by, that will be another condenser then....
 
Indeed so! Maybe your local classic car repairer has succeded in acquiring a batch of the dodgy Chinese made ones that produce exactly these symptoms! A brilliant sales technique - ensures peoples cars keep on re-visiting....

Chris
 
My initial hunch with this problem was fuel, this problem is a long standing one that has worsened. Having spoken to Chris and liased with Duncan there's obviously a list of things to go through.

A thought from myself is a possible blocked pipe in the carb tower where the water goes back to the radiator. If this is warming up it could be causing vapour lock type symptoms (although from speaking to Chris Y. he finds this unlikely as the car has a rear mounted fuel pump).

Paul is aware and is going to mention this to his local garage.

More to follow :?

Cheers
Nick
 
ime haveing this problem with my brakes as well :( will have a look tomorow when i drag her round the front for a bath , dident think to look round the peddle as its a remote servo ,
 
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