Spongy Brakes

[E30stz 0]

I read an E30 Buyers Guide and was told to look out for spongy brakes.

A car I am looking at buying has spongy brakes, how do I remedy this, what is the problem likely to be and is it a major problem.

[Gus 5]

depends

brake bleed might fix it all...maybe just new pads and discs

nothing major..strange how you should watch out for spongy brakes...they not a huge dealio

[Guest Andrew]

e30s all have spongy breaks

[E30stz 0]

yeah well these seemed to engage at a further stage to what i was use to and a more spongy feel to them than the two other E30's ive had.

[m325i 709]

e30s all have spongy breaks

sad but true

[ducatiss 1]

As a rule, E30 brakes feel different to those of your average jappa. Several reasons contribute to this - the first being that the brake pedal connects to a rod that travels back over to the left side of the car via a set of linkages before activating the brake booster - a recipe for a dead feel to the brakes. Another reason is the actual design of the brakes themselves in that they are not "over boosted" so that prior to ABS anyway, the brakes were less likely to lock under heavy braking. The final reason is that many are in need of some attention by now in the way of sticking calipers, pads and air in the system. Try a bleed, and a good set of pads followed by looking at the caliper pins for rust and sticking.

[blackcat 0]

That means you have air in the system...! you should bleed the brakes or change the brake fluid, just incase if the brake fluid also has access amounts of moisture in them...

you wouldnt want to get a vapour lock when youre doing 100km/h on the motoway.