E30 excessive brake pedal travel

[SACKED 0]

Hello.

So, the E30 failed it's warrant because there is too much brake pedal travel, which VTNZ suspect is due to a leaking brake booster. They pointed out a sound coming from the booster area, which is a sort of a 'whooshing' sound of air escaping when the brake pedal is pushed (with the car off this stops after a few pumps of the pedal).

Is this sound normal (I read somewhere that it is), or am I going to need to replace the booster? How can I check it?

Or could it be that I just need change the brake fluid and bleed the system?

Thanks,

Ben

[Jamez 2147483647]

sounds to me its perfectly normal.

[SACKED 0]

sounds to me its perfectly normal.

Thanks James, I'll change the fluid and see if that helps.

[Phatputer 3]

I would bleed the system, check it, then replace fluid, check it then reconsult forums

[Jacko 2084]

If you want to try a swapping it with a known good booster I have one you can have. Its currently in the scrap pile, but can be rescued if you want it, just yell out before it gets converted into beer money.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Jacko

[Phatputer 3]

So has this resolved the issue, regardless of the split?

[Gotheschu 1]

I got the same problem, except few people think its the master cylinder.

[Surge 1]

I can confirm I get the same whooshing sound except it's from inside the car where the brake 'bar' (the bar used to press the master cylinder on the other side of the car - BMW cheaped out the right hand drive conversion) goes through the firewall, with the noise coming from the rubber boot.

The brakes in RHD E30s will never feel as responsive/good as LHD cars with considerably less distance between the pedal and master cylinder.

[SACKED 0]

Thanks guys.

I bled the brakes, didn't appear to change the brake pedal travel. But I took it back to VTNZ anyway and they passed it.

Maybe the first guy who failed it was just being anal.

[Etwenty1 45]

Thats why i go to a good indepedant BMW garage for my E30 WOF'S, no pedantic old ex tugboat captains strutting around in white overalls....tsk tsk

[SACKED 0]

Thats why i go to a good indepedant BMW garage for my E30 WOF'S, no pedantic old ex tugboat captains strutting around in white overalls....tsk tsk

Haha, I'll keep that in mind for next time. They did charge me a bit too, it was around $50...

[w_elliot 7]

give the brakes a bleed, or take it somewhere other than vtnz, then the problem will disappear on it's own

[zl2cq 1]

give the brakes a bleed, or take it somewhere other than vtnz, then the problem will disappear on it's own

I had a similar suspicion with my '89 E30 - got the Garage to check ALL vacuum hoses, found they were perished, so we replaced the lot. Problem fixed, did a re - bleed to make sure and they are 100%.

Not worth mucking around with when you need them on the Ngatea straits on a right angle corner and out walks a sheep !

Lots of woopsies !

Paul - E36