Really unenjoyable brakes. Help :( (ALB?)

becca · Post by **becca** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:56 pm

Gayno wrote:I'd say the soft pedal issue could be related to the sticking caliper.

Caliper gets hot - boils fluid - creates air bubbles - brakes fade and get "spongy"

I've stopped most times it's happened, and 50% of the time the wheel is hot/warm. 50% of the time it's cool/cold. With the brakes having been fine and normal in the lead up to it happening.

Bruce (other half) and all the lads he works with (all mechanics of varying capability) can't work it out because of the fact that if there was air in the system, it would be a reoccurring problem rather than being fine for long periods of time and then appearing again. If air got in, surely it would be there all the time like any other braking system with air in it, it doesn't have anywhere to go? This is where it doesn't make any sense.

However I do hope you are right and it's just being a silly bugger

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:59 pm

depends where the air is and it will be moving around the system until it finds somewhere it does the most damage and the pedal drops you then pump it away and it starts moving again

becca · Post by **becca** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:03 pm

mercutio wrote:depends where the air is and it will be moving around the system until it finds somewhere it does the most damage and the pedal drops you then pump it away and it starts moving again

Well, I hope that bleeding has solved it then. Maybe the ALB fault today was just just completely coincidental that it happened around the same time. This car is just nothing but trouble. Problem after problem, when we're done it'll probably have doubled in value with all the replacement parts

Post by **NafemanNathan** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:06 pm

You still need to get the bleeding device to bleed it properly though Becca.

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:07 pm

NafemanNathan wrote:You still need to get the bleeding device to bleed it properly though Becca.

this ^^^^

'92 Si VTEC · Post by **jjmartin349571** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:08 pm

NafemanNathan wrote:You still need to get the bleeding device to bleed it properly though Becca.

Yeah, there's like a t piece iirc. Some honda dealers will still have them and should be able to bleed the brakes.

*edit

Becca, I reckon It'd be worth putting a bulb back in the dash too if you haven't already, so you can see when the system is having a jobby. An ALB tester may be a good thing to get your car hooked up to as well, again some Honda dealers will still have these (the dealership I worked at did).

becca · Post by **becca** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:22 pm

NafemanNathan wrote:You still need to get the bleeding device to bleed it properly though Becca.

What do you mean properly?

We did it the 'conventional way' apparently, nipple/'bleeder screw' off and pumping. Is there something special about them that we don't know...? I've only ever worked on my Polo before and that thing is simple as it gets

Everything on the 3geez forums says the ALB system is the only thing that needs to be bled with a special tool, but also that it's a separate reservoir so is bled separately to the brakes themselves (which are bled normally). We didn't bother with that as we've removed the ALB fuses so it won't have ALB now anyway... Is the 3G Lude system different to this or have we missed a trick

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:25 pm

alb means anti lock brakes even if you pulled the fuse the system is still full of fluid and still interfaces with the braking system as it is the braking system

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:30 pm

Just reading up on the ALB system (not read anything on it before but now I'm curious because I intend to change the brake fluid on my 3g)
The accumulator is a nitrogen filled sphere... I'm quite familiar with nitrogen filled spheres on cars

(but much more familiar when they have green blood rather than nasty brake fluid

)

So, I'm not saying this with fact, because I haven't worked on this system at all, but...
If the diaphragm is starting to go porous, it could be leaking nitrogen into the system. That could be where your air is coming from. Alternatively if it's already done that, then you could get strange feelings through the pedal, because there's no pressure accumulator in the system to 'smooth' the operation of any ALB valves.

Also, another thought on the rear caliper sticking on - I have known the inside of brake hoses to de laminate and trap fluid in the calipers (basically act as a non-return valve).

'92 Si VTEC · Post by **jjmartin349571** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:32 pm

becca wrote:
NafemanNathan wrote:You still need to get the bleeding device to bleed it properly though Becca.
What do you mean properly?

We did it the 'conventional way' apparently, nipple/'bleeder screw' off and pumping. Is there something special about them that we don't know...? I've only ever worked on my Polo before and that thing is simple as it gets

Everything on the 3geez forums says the ALB system is the only thing that needs to be bled with a special tool, but also that it's a separate reservoir so is bled separately to the brakes themselves (which are bled normally). We didn't bother with that as we've removed the ALB fuses so it won't have ALB now anyway... Is the 3G Lude system different to this or have we missed a trick

The proper procedure for bleeding the main brake system on the Accord (saloon at least) involves bleeding some of the nipples on the modulator too. There's a little hand pump you're supposed to use apparently to pressurise the system from the reservoir first.

And like Merc says, the 2 systems work in conjunction so both need to be bled properly to function correctly.

That said when I fitted braided hoses on my Accord I somehow got away with only bleeding the main hydraulic system