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hello and thank you for taking the time to read this
I have a 89 240 wagon which had the back brake pads really worn, sadly as I am budget conscious i needed to find a inexpensive way to resolve this. So i took a buddy up on his offer to help me change the pads.
however he mostly has worked on domestic cars and was apparently expecting to find flexible brake lines that would have allowed to pull the calipers and be able to have room to work with the new pads.
finding this not to be the case he started hedging and I (getting nervous) suggested that if he wasn't sure we should stop and I should figure something else out.
blah blah blah... anyways ultimately (and in fairness doing what the chilton's book said) we pulled the calipers off replaced the pads then bled the brakes
which went ok on the drivers side but when going to bleed the passengers side the brake failure light came on. Consulting the chiltons book it said to reset the warning valve by removing the switch and reinstalling it which we did and still brake failure light is on.
the brakes seem to be functioning ok but the light is on which is alarming... equally or perhaps more is that I did what I should have probably done in the first place and called out to the shop I usually go to, and they basically said well you are probably @#$%'ed now and may need a new warning valve $270~ish and maybe a new master cylinder and maybe god knows what else?????
do they have a boat payment coming up =p or am I royally screwed now?? as I mentioned I am budget conscious so I'm heart sick that my trying to learn something from a buddy (and save some money DIY'ing it) and a buddy trying to help has potentially turned into a total disaster
any advice or suggestions gladly accepted any mocking while possibly deserved not so much =p also till i get this fixed stay out of the way of any white 240 wagons you see in N County San Diego.
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It's unfortunate that you didn't aske the 'How do I replace my rear pads' question here before doing the job. It's a 5 minute per side job after the wheel is off.
You only did the rears, They are easier to bleed then the 3 bleeders per caliper fronts.
put a little brake fluid in a small bottle A WonTon soup container works for me.
Get a hose (small gas line or windshield washer hose) that fits on the bleeder. Put the hose on the bleeder with one end in the soup container, making sure the end is in the fluid. go in the car and pump the brake pedal about 7 times, go out and tighten the bleeder before taking off the hose. Refill the Brake reservoir and do the next bleeder.
see what that does for you.
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm
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When using the brake pedal for bleeding, it's advised to place a piece of 2x4 under the pedal, so it can't be pushed all the way down.
This is to prevent possible seal damage from rust where no seals have gone before.
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Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.
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Ditch the Chilton and buy a Bentley 240 manual. It would have prevented this dilemma as well as answered your questions.
The calipers don't have to come off to change pads
The warning valve does not need to come off to reset the light.
Restoring equal pressure to both systems should do it (unless the valve/junction is crudded up inside). And how did you see the light when bleeding? No warning lights show with Key Off, and they all show with Key On. (maybe ditch the buddy too)
I doubt you need a "Warning Valve". More likely there's still air in one side or the other.
--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.
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hi and thanx all
indeed apparently asking the how to do this here first probably would have been a very good idea...
I saw the light with the engine running (I realize it comes on with the ignition just turned to on ... without starting the car)
I will have to have another go at bleeding the lines.... oh I forgot one other AWESOME tidbit my buddy who was "helping" forgot to tighten the bleed valve at one point during this misadventure and i heard fluid leaking and killed the ignition immediately while the reservoir didn't completely go empty it was down past the low mark for a brief time
hopefully that didn't allow air into the whole d#$%ed system?? (again the fluid level was just below the low mark in the reservoir when I killed the ignition and we closed the bleed valve properly.
I am thinking that I'm going to ask a brake shop to use their professional brake bleeding / flush system if I can find a good enough deal ??? my own driveway is rather slopped and the only place I would really have another go at bleeding it myself is my friends house and while he is a good friend I'm not hugely eager to have him mess with this thing much more.
thoughts? it sounds as if properly bleeding the system (fixing any pressure imbalance is likely to resolve the warning light???)
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"...but when going to bleed the passengers side the brake failure light came on.
...I saw the light with the engine running..."
I thought that must be the case, but have never heard of running the engine while bleeding the brakes, and can't say what effect that might have had, if any.
EDIT:
...thoughts? it sounds as if properly bleeding the system (fixing any pressure imbalance is likely to resolve the warning light???)"
Assuming the Master Cylinder wasn't damaged while pedal bleeding, for less than $100 you could buy a Bentley manual, a "Motive" pressure bleeder, a quart of DOT 4 brake fluid, and do a good job yourself -- (with help here as questions arise).
--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.
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is there anyway I can tell if the master cylinder is damaged currently
(i.e. before either bleeding it properly or having it bled properly)
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The most common indicator of bad MC seals is a slowly sinking pedal under strong, steady foot pressure. A good MC will sink the pedal at first, if there is air in either/both systems, but the pedal will rise after a few pumps and stay solid.
P.S. I meant to add in yesterday's post that if you do intend to bleed rear brakes yourself and the job goes well, you might consider bleeding the front brakes also. In other words, do a complete bleed and flush.
One quart of fluid is more than enough, but before starting be sure that all 3 bleed screws on each front caliper can be opened and allow fluid to flow.
My pressure bleeding method is to pressurize the MC reservoir using a small hand pump with a hose and gauge fitted to a modified cap, rather than use a separate pressurized container. This keeps all the fluid where it belongs, avoiding contact with air and possible spillage. A pressure of 10 to 15± psi is plenty.
But that's just me. Many people here have reported success with the "Motive" bleeder, with no negatives that I can recall (except maybe a spill or two).
--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.
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hello all.. did more research got the bentley manual suggested and bled the whole braking system
air was previously still in lines now indicator (brake failure light) is out
thank you all very much indeed.
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And Congratulations — that was quick.
Pedal-bleed or some other pressure source?
Any first-time traumatic events?
--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.
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