Brake line broke twice in a week - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Viking1064 · 06-25-2005, 05:17 PM

Hi All,
About 3 weeks ago I brought my '02 Pontiac Montana to the dealer. Something broke with the back brakes. They were fixed under warranty. THe service guy recommended have the brake lines flushed out to get rid of any debris and/or dust. I said OK. Well on Monday tow weeks after it was fixed the brake line broke. Thankfully I was driving it because she would not have know what to do. The dealer said it was very uncommon to see that happen on such a new vehicle and it was unrelated to the work they did on it. I was skeptical but what could I have done? Well I go the van back on Wed. Today, Saturday I am an hour away from home doing 70 MPH on a highway and guess what? No brakes again!!! Can anyone tell me what they thing the service department may be doing wrong? This is scary. It is scheduled to be worked on first thing Monday. I want to see it go on the lift and see the brake line before they get to it.

cyrnel · 06-25-2005, 05:37 PM

No way to tell from here. Pedal drops to the floor? If you're losing hydraulic pressure then it's odd they haven't found the problem yet. Worse if they're replacing bad parts and can't stop it.

If you want to get attention, write a letter. Include essentially what you wrote above. Stress your concern for the safety of your family. Something about your using the dealer to ensure the job is done right wouldn't hurt. Next day it to the service manager and/or owner.

cj2112 · 06-25-2005, 06:39 PM

you need to have them keep the old parts for your inspection, there are a couple things I'd be suspicious of. First off those brake lines are steel most of the way, then they go into a coupling and a high pressure rubber line goes from the coupling to the wheel cylinder. Which line is rupturing, is it the steel line? If so I'd suspect that they cracked it by over tightening it, or they kinked it thereby restricting the flow and creating too much pressure. If its the rubber line, and it's not ruptured then they may not have tightened it enough and simply came unscrewed. Go check your brake fluid, is it low? is there brake fluid around the drums? how about somewhere on the undercarriage of the vehicle?

Viking1064 · 06-26-2005, 02:16 AM

cj 2112 Thank you so much. That is exactly the advice I was looking for. I needed to know what to look for and some possible explanations. I will find out and let you know the results.

cyrnel I spoke to the owner as soon as it broke down. He looked up my record on his computer. As soon as he saw the date of the repair, he seemed very concerned about it. He said he is going to get to the bottom of it and get it done first thing Monday morning. If i am not satisfied I am going to write that letter and send it to GM as well. Thanks for the advice.

MSD · 06-26-2005, 05:03 AM

Without any more information, I'd say it's more likely that a wheel cylinder blew out the second time.

cj2112 · 06-26-2005, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSelfDestruct

Without any more information, I'd say it's more likely that a wheel cylinder blew out the second time.

this is where I was headed with the question about brake fluid around the brake drums, I'm curious about why you're having these problems though.

06-25-2005, 05:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
Viking1064 Insane Location: New Jersey	Brake line broke twice in a week Hi All, About 3 weeks ago I brought my '02 Pontiac Montana to the dealer. Something broke with the back brakes. They were fixed under warranty. THe service guy recommended have the brake lines flushed out to get rid of any debris and/or dust. I said OK. Well on Monday tow weeks after it was fixed the brake line broke. Thankfully I was driving it because she would not have know what to do. The dealer said it was very uncommon to see that happen on such a new vehicle and it was unrelated to the work they did on it. I was skeptical but what could I have done? Well I go the van back on Wed. Today, Saturday I am an hour away from home doing 70 MPH on a highway and guess what? No brakes again!!! Can anyone tell me what they thing the service department may be doing wrong? This is scary. It is scheduled to be worked on first thing Monday. I want to see it go on the lift and see the brake line before they get to it.

06-25-2005, 05:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
cyrnel Adequate Location: In my angry-dome.	No way to tell from here. Pedal drops to the floor? If you're losing hydraulic pressure then it's odd they haven't found the problem yet. Worse if they're replacing bad parts and can't stop it. If you want to get attention, write a letter. Include essentially what you wrote above. Stress your concern for the safety of your family. Something about your using the dealer to ensure the job is done right wouldn't hurt. Next day it to the service manager and/or owner. __________________ There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

06-25-2005, 06:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
cj2112 Unbelievable Location: Grants Pass OR	you need to have them keep the old parts for your inspection, there are a couple things I'd be suspicious of. First off those brake lines are steel most of the way, then they go into a coupling and a high pressure rubber line goes from the coupling to the wheel cylinder. Which line is rupturing, is it the steel line? If so I'd suspect that they cracked it by over tightening it, or they kinked it thereby restricting the flow and creating too much pressure. If its the rubber line, and it's not ruptured then they may not have tightened it enough and simply came unscrewed. Go check your brake fluid, is it low? is there brake fluid around the drums? how about somewhere on the undercarriage of the vehicle?

06-26-2005, 02:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
Viking1064 Insane Location: New Jersey	cj 2112 Thank you so much. That is exactly the advice I was looking for. I needed to know what to look for and some possible explanations. I will find out and let you know the results. cyrnel I spoke to the owner as soon as it broke down. He looked up my record on his computer. As soon as he saw the date of the repair, he seemed very concerned about it. He said he is going to get to the bottom of it and get it done first thing Monday morning. If i am not satisfied I am going to write that letter and send it to GM as well. Thanks for the advice.

06-26-2005, 05:03 AM	#5 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	Without any more information, I'd say it's more likely that a wheel cylinder blew out the second time.