De-pressurize accumulator then it squirted

[JWC]

I was getting my 90 Reatta out of storage for a road trip to Florida and found out it had a hard brake pedal, I figured I would try to replace the accumulator with a known good one and after pumping the brake pedal 40 times I went to remove the accumulator it squirted all over. Could this be due to moisture in the brake system freezing?

After letting it warm up for about 20 min's the brakes were back to normal, so My question is why would it squirt after trying to release the pressure. I do plan on bleeding the system with new fluid, before the trip.

[JWC]

Well I went out this morning and the pedal is hard again, I have no brake lights on and I can hear the pump running with the hood open while depressing the pedal, it does stop after a few seconds I also feel the abs in the brake pedal while trying to stop.

[padgett]

a) it will be hard before pressurizing in the morning.

when depressurizing, the key must be removed and you must pump slowly as when bleeding brakes.

c) I have only changed mine once but thee was effectively no brake fluid lost.

d) If the internal bladder has failed, anything can happen.

[Guest wally888]

Think you need to run the brake tests again!

The "known good one" may not be!

[JWC]

The accumulator I used was one from one of my other daily drivers, known to not have any problems.

[Barney Eaton]

Via the process of elimation, then the accumulator is not the problem.

Was the key OFF when you pushed the pedal 40 times? If it was, there is no known reason why you would have retained pressure.

[JWC]

Barney the key was off, I will be doing the brake test today.

Last time I did the test on another parts car I have it pointed to the accumulator, I replaced it and that wasn't the problem.

Could it be the pressure switch?

[Barney Eaton]

The accumulator is a common problem because our cars are not at least 17 years old and the accumulator can fail from age. A new accumulator might last another 17 but I am suspecious that the ones we are getting may have already been on the shelf for a few years.

A bad pressure switch can have different symptoms... not turn off or on ...or turn off at lower pressure levels. Then there is the relay. It can fail, stick or be intermittant.

The pressure pump does fail but it is usually a work or not work situation.

As the internal parts wear, it could take a little longer to build pressure, but, if the motor runs, you will usually have pressure.

[JWC]

Well I took my 90 to the dealer today to see if they could figure out my problem, they let the car sit in a heated garage over night and went to work on it this morning and the brakes worked fine.

I'm still wondering if moisture in the valve body could cause them to stick and not work until it's warmed up.

They seem to be at a loss, and even told me they don't work on old cars like this that often, so I took them the brake test (which they couldn't find any where for the Teves brakes) I don't think the test will do them much good if the brakes are working after being in a warm garage all night. I did tell them to leave it out side today and re-test them later.

I'm really starting to hate the Teves system.

[padgett]

Be glad it is not a powermaster (also used in contemporary Buicks).

[Machiner 55]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> "Teeeevs" or "Tev-iss"

</div></div>

[Barney Eaton]

There is a slight chance that moisture in the system could have caused the problem (because of freezing).

Brake fluid is supposed to hold moisture in suspension but there could be some seperation, also if the fluid has never been changed, it could have a lot of water in the fluid. I recently ask one of the brake fluid manufacturers how much water the fluid could hold (what is the saturation point) and his answer was..." it is like antifreeze, you can mix it in any ratio"

Well we don't intentionally mix water into the brake fluid but, water is not good and if you fluid has not been changed in the last 3-4 years or since you have owned the car, I would flush the system. That eliminates the possibility of water and makes the brake system much happier.

[JWC]

Flushed the brake system last night.

I went out this morning to see if the brakes would work and all seemed fine, then I went out about 2 hours later and had the hard brake pedal again.

It seems to be ok if it's in a heated garage over night, this just doesn't make any sense to me, I figured the valve body was just freezeing up, but now I'm not sure.

Will the brake test work with a hard brake pedal?

[Barney Eaton]

You were not specific on how you checked the brakes. But, unless you started the car after two hours, the system could have lost its pressure.

However, if you start the car and it works one time and two hours later when you start the car and have a hard pedal, I am guessing you have a bad pressure switch. Jim Finn recommends pulling the connector on the pressure switch and if it is damp, you definately have fluid leaking into the pressure sw.

What you need to be aware of..........get into the car, ideally with the hood up and turn on the key.....does the pump run? If the pump runs one time and not the next (which seems to be happening) then you must track down the problem and it is probably the pressure switch, or relay.

[JWC]

Barney when I went out this morning to check my brakes I started the car and drove it down my drive and back about 1/4 mile. Then 2 hours later I went out and started the car to go to town and let both brakes light go out put my foot on the pedal and thats when I noticed the pedal being hard again.

I have listen for the pump to run while I have the hood up and I do hear it runnig to build pressure and when it stops I push the pedal again and I hear it run, I have never pressed the pedal and not heard it run.