How much is the cost to replace the power brake booster?

Tiny
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  • 1998 MITSUBISHI COLT
My 1998 Mitsubishi Colt shuts off when I press the brakes. I think it's the power brake booster. How much would be the cost approximately to replace the power brake booster?

Thanks
Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 AT 8:22 PM

14 Replies

Tiny
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Do u hear a hissing noise?I never heard this ever happening. Id look for a loose wire under the hood. That maybe moving back and forth when u are hitting the brakes. When u hit the brakes it moves and shorts the engine out.
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Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 AT 8:53 PM
Tiny
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Thank you cadieman. No hissing noise and when the car is stopped and idling there it does not shut off if you press the brakes. It's only when we are driving it and hit the brakes that it immediately shuts off. I thought it was the strangest thing also. I know a little about cars, and I have never seen this problem. Someone said the power brake booster. I also thought it was electrical, but everyone keeps saying the power brake booster. What do you think?
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Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 AT 8:56 PM
Tiny
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Seems the idling speed is not stable causing the problem and definitely don't seem to be the brake booster.

Is the MIL indicating and have you checked for trouble codes?
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Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 AT 9:36 PM
Tiny
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Thanks KHL0w2008. Negative to both the MIL and I have not checked the codes. I am in Warszawa, Poland right now and it's actually my girlfriends car. But she is really sad and I want to help her out. I will have to hook up the computer to check for the codes I guess. I would think it's an idling speed problem also, but it does not shut off when you are stopped or driving. The idle is perfect. It's only when your driving and press the brake, it automatically shuts off. Everyone keeps telling me the brake booster diagphram and the vacuem is sucking to much air and messing up the air/fuel ratio causing it to stall out. Initially I thought it was an electrical problem.
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Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 AT 9:43 PM
Tiny
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If the booster was bad u would have a hard brake pedal. Make sure the wiring is good at the battery and its not moving around. Ck all the wires look for any thing shorting out. Leave it running and move all the wiring around. When the engine stalls inspect that harness. If still no we will have to move inside. We should be able to find it.
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Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 AT 9:49 PM
Tiny
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You know, my girlfriend told me that the whole problem started when she tried to hit the alarm button and open the door. She said it wouldn't open and when it finally did, the radio than wouldn't go on and than this whole thing with it shutting off when she pressed the brake started. I thought maybe the stoplight switch was causing a short, but the brake lights work fine and I checked the battery and its fine. Than I figured its a short somewhere. All this initially led me to believe it's an electrical problem. But than of course everyone started with the brake booster. Im glad you are also thinking it's electrical. I keep thinking it's also electrical. I will do as you suggested and check the wiring.
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Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 AT 9:56 PM
Tiny
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When vehicle is stationary, does depressing the brake pedal cause the engine to stall or become erratic?

Does it occur only with hard braking?
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Friday, August 31st, 2012 AT 12:18 PM
Tiny
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Thanks for the reply KHLlow2008. No, I checked this also and when the car is stationary and you press the break, nothing happens. It does not shut off or the engine become erratic. It is only with hard braking when we are moving. And the last two days, I tested the car and everything is fine and back to normal. But I don't trust it.
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Friday, August 31st, 2012 AT 4:41 PM
Tiny
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U may have moved the wire that was shorting the system out. We will be here if you need us. Gl
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Friday, August 31st, 2012 AT 5:44 PM
Tiny
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Possibly something is loose somewhere and the hard braking is swaying it to cause the engine to stall.

Maybe you should try checking for trouble codes. Some trouble codes do not trigger the MIL and in your case, even if the trouble code is triggerred, you might not notice it because the engine has stalled. Since it is an intermittent problem, restarting would not have the MIL indicating.
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Friday, August 31st, 2012 AT 6:06 PM
Tiny
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Thank you guys. By the way, I am in Warszawa, Poland right now and its my girlfriends car. So greetings from Poland. I knew I could count on some good old American help. You all seem to have helped me identify that it is definitely an electrical problem and simple. If it was the brake booster, I would doubt that it would be intermittent. Yeah, I played around with the battery cables and that is when this seemed to have stopped. I will look at them again and tighten down the bolts. I will also run the codes KHL. Thanks again-
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Friday, August 31st, 2012 AT 6:47 PM
Tiny
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Thanks caddieman-
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Friday, August 31st, 2012 AT 6:48 PM
Tiny
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You're welcome.
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Friday, August 31st, 2012 AT 7:11 PM
Tiny
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Its np. Ck. All the wiring look for melted plastic wiring covers and holes in the taped up ones.U can remove the tape and ck. The wiring for damage just retape it back up and make sure the battery is secure. If you have replaced the battery cable ends make sure their clean and tight. We will be here if u need us.
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Saturday, September 1st, 2012 AT 10:51 AM

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