Sub Zero temps = No brakes !!

So on the really cold mornings, My 95 Lsi has no brakes for the first few minutes! Basically, standing on the brake pedal is like standing on a rock! No problems at all after that. I am wondering if maybe there is some moisture in the booster? ..Something is frozen somewhere!

Anyone have this issue?

Thanks!

Hello;

Sounds to me that the brake fluid needs to be changed. Have you ever had this done? Brake fluid collects water over time and should be serviced every couple of years, Steven.

The brakes on my car freeze up to when its around 10 below. I'll be backing down my steep driveway and go to hit the brakes before the road and the petal is solid stuck in place and then I out of instinct just slam my foot down as hard as I can and it frees up and is fine after that. Going to be changing my fluid on the next brake job, but boy does it scare the crap out of me when I'm headed for the road at a decent speed and the brakes are frozen.

atleast im not the only one this happens to. it felt like manual brakes when it happened to me. so the general consensus is that its moister build up in the brake fluid that is causing this to happen at cold temps? sounds legit to me. ill be changing my brake fluid in the near future, probly when i do pads all around.

It's not your fluid. I have the same issue. It seems to be related to the brake booster. Something sticks (perhaps the return spring) which is why (if your issue is the same as mine) you can initially depress the brake pedal just fine, but then it goes stiff and you have to pump it a few times to get it to release. Typically once I do that it's fine again. Still scared the shit out of me the first time it happened a few months ago.

The one way valve in the booster line sometimes sticks after an extended cold spell.

 

O.

That's probably what it is, then. I've been dealing with that issue all winter. On very cold days you can preemptively resolve the issue by starting the car and pumping the brakes. The first pump will feel normal. The second pump will feel stiffer. The third pump the pedal will hardly move, and then you jab the pedal a few more times and it will unstick. In my experience it never sticks again in the same trip.

 

That's what's so dangerous about this issue; the first one or two applications of the pedal are fine, which means I had made it out of my parking lot and was approaching a major intersection (downhill) the first time it happened before I discovered what was going on.

The underhood temp has to rise enough to loosen everything up.

You can't be environmentally friendly in cold weather. Warm the car up!

 

O.

I would change the check valve and inspect the fluid while your there.

 

 

had a manual transmission that was very hard to get out of gear and basically was due to moisture in the fluid that froze and caused a pedal that needed to be pushed all the way down to pull off the flywheel

 

 

same issue with water in the brakes until things warm up the water is going to reduce the psi applied to the caliper pistons.

 

so if your fluid is brown or black it's worth changing. you can verify that the brake booster check valve is functioning through a simple vacuum gauge

 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

The underhood temp has to rise enough to loosen everything up.

You can't be environmentally friendly in cold weather. Warm the car up!

 

O.

 

There's a lot of debate over that too. I actually posted a short article about it in OppositeLock which gathered enough responses to be the #2 article on their daily summary, lol.

 

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/debate-proper-engine-warm-up-procedure-in-the-winter-1497090379

Its moisture built up in the booster, or the check valve,

 

I poured some methyl hydrate in the line and in the booster and the problem has gone away !and its -40 C here this winter

If I lived in colder climes, I would've asked what do people there use to keep things working well.

Occasional cold like I usually experience has not been an issue for me, yet.

Not to be an @#%%hat or anything, but when it's been in single digits, I don't care what is good for anything. I know the car will warm up within 5-10 minutes of driving, but I would like to get into a warm car.

 

O.

Haven't had that happen with mine all this winter, even with single digit temps. Probably didn't hurt that it was parked overnight in a garage that was at least 32 degrees.

I know the car will warm up within 5-10 minutes of driving, but I would like to get into a warm car.

 

O.

 

remote start that sucker. im doing it to my GT so i can run the AC for a few minutes during the summer months lol. its already in the 80s here, no need for heat most of the time.

I happened to log into my account with Subaru and they listed this as a recall for my '98-

 

Master Cylinder Failure in Cold Condition | WXQ74

Subaru of America, Inc. has determined that your Subaru may experience reduced braking efficiency in extremely cold outside temperatures (approximately 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit and colder.) In extremely cold ambient temperatures, your brake pedal may have increased pedal travel and reduced braking efficiency. This could result in additional stopping distances, which can result in an accident. Please contact your Subaru dealer and schedule a service appointment to replace the brake master cylinder unit on your vehicle. This repair will be performed at no charge to you. We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and your continued satisfaction with your Subaru.

 

The PO of my car apparently had this recall done- I wonder if it the same issue some of you have experienced?

You guys must be counting down the days waiting for spring to arrive. It's been a long cold winter for most of you. I suppose it will be the first time in months since some of you have seen the sun ?

I happened to log into my account with Subaru and they listed this as a recall for my '98-

 

Master Cylinder Failure in Cold Condition | WXQ74

Subaru of America, Inc. has determined that your Subaru may experience reduced braking efficiency in extremely cold outside temperatures (approximately 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit and colder.) In extremely cold ambient temperatures, your brake pedal may have increased pedal travel and reduced braking efficiency. This could result in additional stopping distances, which can result in an accident. Please contact your Subaru dealer and schedule a service appointment to replace the brake master cylinder unit on your vehicle. This repair will be performed at no charge to you. We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and your continued satisfaction with your Subaru.

 

The PO of my car apparently had this recall done- I wonder if it the same issue some of you have experienced?

 

I checked that too. This car has ALSO had this recall done. Note how it says you will experience INCREASED pedal travel. It's not the same issue as what we are experiencing now (or at least, what I am experiencing) which is the opposite. The pedal just freezes up entirely.

iv had this on cold as mornings as well with my 05 gt after a couple stops its fine. never felt it before on any other car

my 2002 would do this, it was moisture in the booster.