1996 Other Saturn Models BRAKES

I am going to assume you are following standard procedures as per a reputable repair manual. If so, bleeding is pretty straight forward and you should get resistance after a few pumps. If not, there is obviously a problem. Which seems to point to the master cylinder.

The logical question is, why are you bleeding the brakes in the first place and what did you do (repair-wise) to require bleeding? You may need to go back and review those procedures.

We were trying to bleed the brakes because the pedal went down to the floor with no resistance.

If what you are saying is that all of the sudden the pedal just went to the floor then I am going to suspect you have a problem greater than just needing to bleed the brakes. The reason is because air in the system or loss of brake functionality all of the sudden is simply a symptom of your problem.

If this is in fact what has happened, you need to do a complete brake system inspection including a serious look for leaks. A cursory glance around will not suffice. You need to be able to really get in there to look for possible line cracks, wheel cylinder leaks etc. If after this has proven fruitless, I would strongly recommend replacing the master cylinder.

The brake system - even without the boost - is a closed mechanical system. If there are no leaks, the wheel cylinders and master cylinder are in good working order AND there is no air in the system, it will work. A reputable repair manual is invaluable. Hope you have one and good luck!

Thank you.