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No brake fluid, 97 DeVille

10K views 90 replies 10 participants last post by  AlcoholicProgram 
#1 ·
Ran out of brake fluid today, car is now parked outside with the parking brake on. I noticed this whenever I tried to go to the store and go to the stop sign and the breaks only worked whenever pushed all the way down. Message came on dash "Check fluid level", I'm going to get some brake fluid tomorrow and put some in, my question is this. I've heard that things can go wrong when you run out of brake fluid and I've heard that just putting new fluid in can fix it. So, when I put the fluid in what all should I do once I put it in, and what could go wrong?
 
#44 ·
Yeah, the only place you will have a rubber hose is at each caliper. Remember, the caliper is attached to the suspension and must move up and down and the fronts have to turn so they need some flex. All the rest is steel pipe. Basically every squiggly line in that diagram. #5, 46, 20, 23, 45 and all the pipes by POS #4 going to the EBTCM (#22).
 
#56 ·
I'm pretty sure it's brake fluid. Mainly due to the fact that I only see puddles on the ground/brake fluid anywhere on the ground, whenever I actually put brake fluid in the system and pump the brakes a few times. I don't believe it's actually coming from that part but instead dripping from above it. I today considered the possibility of having a bad master cylinder but all looked well to me. I'm going to tomorrow during the day try and get my best look down into the master cylinder area and trying to find the issue.
 
#61 ·
I would never get under a car jacked up with one of those unless I had a death wish. :tisk: If you want to jack it up and peek under it, that's OK, but don't go crawling under it. Just assume it will come crashing down at any given moment and you'll be OK.
 
#62 ·
Might have to wait for my money to hit and go walk to NAPA to see if they have any jacks I can get. I do have a jack right now, but I think it's low on hydraulic fluid as it will only jack the car up so much. And I am missing the original tool to it so I have to use a screwdriver and a rusty pipe I found.. :bonkers:

On the hydraulic note: I was told I can put brake fluid in it and it will work just as good, this true?
 
#65 ·
Just get it towed to the mechanic and let them deal with it. Brakes aren't the type of thing you want to touch when you don't know what you're doing and have never done it before, especially lines. There's too much to go wrong and by the time you get everything you need to do to it and if my some miracle you manage to get the job done it would have been cheaper and quicker to have the mechanic do it.

You only have to replace whatever line is rusted and leaking. Just because one area rotted out doesn't mean it all is but whoever looks at it will be able to tell what all should be replaced. Yes you need to put fluid in it to find the leak but leaks never magically fix themselves. Press the pedal a couple times and you'll be back to where you are now. There's no point in bleeding anything until it's fixed, it probably won't bleed properly with a leak anyway.
 
#66 ·
I just don't have the cash to take it in and have them charge me their $60+/hr rate.. I'd like to do it myself to save the cash. I called in at this one place and they might give us a discount to have to have them do the brakes, A/C, and muffler. I'll find out more later on in the week.
 
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