2009 Nissan Versa Brake Problems

Tiny
CNCOON
  • MEMBER
  • 2009 NISSAN VERSA
  • 1.8L
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 54,000 MILES
So my boyfriend decided that he could change my brake pads today on my Nissan Versa 2009. While he was changing it, alot of brake fluid came out of the piston on the left side. They took the piston apart and figured out how to put it together after awhile. Once figuring out how to stop the problem on the left drivers side, he moved on the the passenger front side. After cranking the car, the brake light came on and I have to press the brake all the way to the floor to brake. The car also pulls severely to the right when braking now. I went and bought brake fluid and put some in the car but it didnt fix anything. The Brake light is off but the brakes still dont work and the car is still pulling.
Wednesday, April 30th, 2014 AT 5:01 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,742 POSTS
If the piston fell out of the caliper, either improper procedures were followed that allowed that to happen, or the brakes were grinding metal-on-metal for a long time and ignored, and the rotor wore down beyond the legal limit. Regardless, there's air in that caliper that needs to be bled out. Simply adding more fluid won't solve anything. The left and right front brake calipers are on different hydraulic systems, so if the left caliper isn't working properly due to that air in it, only the right one will be working. Most manufacturers have the suspension system geometry redesigned to offset that pull when one brake isn't working. You won't notice anything on Chrysler products. On most other brands all you might see is a very slight wiggle in the steering wheel when the brakes are applied. You shouldn't be getting a hard pull.

Also, if the brake pedal was pushed to the floor at any time, either before, during, or after the brake service, it is possible the master cylinder was damaged, not from improper procedures, but from the crud and corrosion that normally build up in the lower halves of the bores where the pistons don't normally travel. Pushing the pedal more than about half-way to the floor runs the lip seals over that crud and can rip them. That applies to any vehicle more than about a year old.
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Wednesday, April 30th, 2014 AT 8:38 PM

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