Stranded in Atlanta 2 MAY & Brake question

Hi all,
After having some brake work done and the car performing well yesterday I got in it this morning to drive to the MITTY and the brake pedal didn’t move and it was like pushing on bricks and the car won’t stop. So I’m stranded in the motel! I’m at I-85 & I 985 anybody willing to take me to the MITTY or something? I guess I have until FOA opens up Monday and I can get a tow truck.
Does it sound like air in the brake lines? I’m lucky it happened overnight and not while I was driving.
Robert
901-335-4903

 

Just curious as to what brake work was done yesterday? Pads and rotors, or flush and system fill?
Not sure how technically savvy you are under the fender wells, but grab someone to help you bleed the system again - should take a flare wrench and about 15 minutes.

 

Brake reservoir was removed and the brake system pressurized to check for leaks and everything checked OK. Bleeding the system is what I believe needs to be done. Just need someone that knows how and has the time and tools.

 

Sorry I'm not closer to you. I'm about 30 miles away from Infineon (Ferrari Challenge track this weekend) in Northern California.
I'll see who I know in that area - not Ferrari mechanics, but know how to work on brakes and bleed them PROPERLY for track cars.

 

Gran Turismo East - recommended by a trusted friend in Atlanta:

Gran Turismo East
3306 Shallowford Rd NE
Chamblee, GA 30341
(770) 455-0347

They have a great reputation, work on track cars - definitely was given a top notch go there recommendation!!

Hope this helps!!

 

Thanks for the info and thanks for the phone call. I very much appreciate the help and advice.

 

Your car is a 328. Anybody can help you bleed the brakes. Call any service place and have them come help. For Gods sake just about anybody walking down the street could probably help you. Bleeding brakes is the first thing my grandfather taught me when I was about 12, right after he taught me to drive.

 

Did FoA road test the car?

 

air in the brake lines tends to give you a very spongy pedal that is easily pressed to the floor.

It does not seem like this is your problem.

Your MC may have gotten damaged somehow.

 

Brakes on a Ferrari are no different than brakes on a Kia. Any auto brake shop should be able to get your brakes repaired. There is Meineke Brake Shop very near where you are.

 

Did you drive the car at all like this?

Does your 328 have ABS? If so, don't bother to read on.

It sounds from what you say that the booster isn't working, which results in the 'stamping on a brick' feeling and brakes that feel inadequate. IF that is the case, you do have brakes, but need a lot more pressure on the pedal to achieve the same stopping power.

 

a hard pedal would indicate a booster issue. be sure the vacuum line is hooked up, and that the check valve is going the right direction. you are not getting vacuum to the booster in my opinion.

 

I believe the booster is bad. My 328 doesn't have ABS. The car will stop but I think I'm going to break the brake pedal! I appreciate all the comments, and help. The car is on a tow truck heading to FOA. The real issue will be what's wrong and how much $. I'm trying to sell my car for $45,000, as of today I've put about $1500 in it and I can't see putting another $2K or $3k for a new brake system. The issue is, it has to be fixed, and what is the best way to do that? I won't sell it to somebody like it is.

 

I believe you've diagnosed the problem correctly from what I heard from Wade this morning. I hope the vacuum line is the problem. What does it take to replace the valve?

 

You're right, no spongy feeling, hard as a brick feeling. Don't even mention a MC replacement, please.

 

Sooooooo you asked for help and received some. I think the ball is in your court now to tell us what happened?

 

The short story is I needed a brake booster pump and FOA did an excellent job. The facts: end result was that there was about 2 pints of brake fluid in the 'booster', evidently there is a piston and evidently for some time it had been leaking. I didn't know it was leaking until the brakes wouldn't work. BUT let me tell you some symptoms that I believe I had but didn't know what it was. My car has always gotten 22-25 mpg running between 80-90 mph. A year or two ago my miles started to drop to about 20 mpg and my engine compartment smelled like what I thought was anti-freeze. Well on the way back from Atlanta last night I averages the 25 mpg and the smell is faint. Evidently for the last few years the vacuum in the booster has been sucking brake fluid into the engine, according to Wade the FOA tech. The leak was just enough to cut down my mpg but not enough to interfere with the performance of the engine. At least I thought it ran extremely well. However, as with all repairs/'stuff' either real or mental the car 'seems' to be running better than before. I know the mpg is better.
The only downside, beside the cost, was the duplication of work. Wade spent several hours fixing the reservoir leak and repairing the damage done by brake fluid corrosion to the master cylinder; that work was eventually wasted because the booster 'assembly' comes with the booster, master cylinder and reservior. So there was time spent that was redone so to speak. However, FOA was excellent throughout the entire process. Put me first in line, three times, and worked with me on all the costs and charges. End result is I am a happy customer, but of course poorer.
As of this morning my car has a clean bill of health except for an AC leak somewhere and that is it. That is the full extent of all known problems. It has fresh Amsoil, Ferrari gear box fluid, new booster pump assembly, almost new tires, almost new brake pads, new brake fluid, only 328 in the world with cross drilled rotors, etc. it is truly ready to sell to a new owner. Actually I'm glad all this happened, because I wouldn't want to sell the car and this happen to the new owner; which is basically why I went to FOA in the beginning, a pre-purchase evaluation and fix.
Oh yeah, the MITTY was great.

 

Thanks: Glad it worked out.