Car is UK Voyager; I'm looking for help on a.

Tiny
PAUL997
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY
  • 150,000 MILES
Car is UK Voyager; I'm looking for help on a brakes problem. Garage failed car on annual certificate because of "pedal travel whilst engine running". I have tried secondhand slave cylinder & bled brakes, I have also pressure bled brakes; I have now refitted the original cylinder & bled brakes but still have pedal travel with engine running. My mechanic friend does not think there is a servo problem as with engine off, brake pedal is high & firm. Any ideas where to look, what to try next please?
Sunday, December 2nd, 2012 AT 8:00 PM

9 Replies

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
Can you explain the problem in more details?
Do you mean the pedal sinks when applied with engine running?
Does it sink very low?
Is vehicle equipped with ABS?
Was there any difference after replcement of master cylinder?
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Sunday, December 2nd, 2012 AT 8:11 PM
Tiny
HOMER1967
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  • 875 POSTS
Am I correct by thinking that slave cylinder = master cylinder and by amp you mean booster?A little is lost in translation here I think.
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Sunday, December 2nd, 2012 AT 8:19 PM
Tiny
PAUL997
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First off, apologies for any confusion, my keyboard and this website have problems communicating; when I used the sign for "and" (uppercase 7), and posted, it added "amp;", I was trying to write "and bled brakes" and, "is high and firm". So, I didn't mean to write amp, I just couldn't edit it out of the post.

Yes, by slave I mean master cylinder.
Yes, with engine off, brake pedal is high and firm but, with engine running, it travels almost to the floor; yes it has ABS and no, both secondhand master cylinder and original master cylinder, when re-fitted, resulted in the same outcome, pedal still travelling, nearly to the carpet.
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Sunday, December 2nd, 2012 AT 11:44 PM
Tiny
HOMER1967
  • MECHANIC
  • 875 POSTS
Ok, thanks for clearing that up. It sounds to me like a bad brake booster. Can you unplug the vacum hose from the booster and plug it off and see how the pedal is then?Also do you here any vacum leak around the booster or under the dash?
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Sunday, December 2nd, 2012 AT 11:58 PM
Tiny
HOMER1967
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  • 875 POSTS
Do you have access to a scanner that will do the automated bleed? If not try to find a dirt road or driveway and get up to about 30 miles an hour and nail the brakes and try to get the abs module to engage to get the air out of the module, do this a few times and them go and try to bleed them again.
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Monday, December 3rd, 2012 AT 12:08 AM
Tiny
PAUL997
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Hi, my mechanic (bro-in-law Tommy) has not ruled out a fault on the servo (booster), but, he is doubtful; he has plugged off the vacuum hose and the pedal still sinks, whilst that is happening there is no audible leak or hiss from the engine compartment or under the dash. We are doing the work on my driveway and don't have a scanner available to use. Tommy is going to ask around his mechanic pals for anyone with info but, there aren't many Chrysler enthusiasts around here; the last thing he came up with is, as you suggest, an emergency brake test to engage the ABS and to then re-check the system. By the way, I don't think I mentioned that it is a manual gearbox, don't know if that might alter anything. We are only able to work on the car at the weekends so I won't be able to give any feedback or update 'til Saturday evening, thanks for your input so far.
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Monday, December 3rd, 2012 AT 10:10 PM
Tiny
HOMER1967
  • MECHANIC
  • 875 POSTS
You are welcome please let us know how it works out. Thank you for choosing 2carpros.
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Tuesday, December 4th, 2012 AT 12:33 AM
Tiny
PAUL997
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Happy New Year; the issue with my brakes appears to be resolved but I can't give any insight into the solution as I had to put it back with a garage to finally sort out.
I took the car down a quiet road and tried to engage the ABS, I don't know if I managed to as I've never had to use it! The system has been bled three times, the last under pressure and nothing has changed. Running short on time and ideas, I went back to the garage and asked them to investigate. Their assessment was that the brake pistons had become hooked(?) And they were not moving in and out but rotating in their seats; they dismantled, lubed and reassembled and charged me 1 hour labour and issued my certificate so, I'm on the road legal again. Still a bit wary but had a 1000 mile round trip to Scotland with a couple of hard braking occasions and everything stopped OK so I guess it's sorted. Thanks for your help.
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Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 AT 12:28 PM
Tiny
HOMER1967
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You are welcome sir.
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Thursday, January 3rd, 2013 AT 1:14 AM

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