Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum banner

Master Brake Cyl?

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  thzpcs 
#1 ·
So I've had a pretty ****ty couple of days going on and it's all coming down to just a big puddle of questions. Numerous mechanics, diagnostics, and questions I figured I should post my story here and see what kind of answers I get tossed at me so here goes.

Thursday afternoon I met up with a friend from the forums to go trailing at a pretty tame forest an hour away. All went well and nothing crazy was done (we pretty much went into huge puddles and splashed mud everywhere) anyways, after leaving the forest I headed 45 minutes into the nearest Home Depot. After doing my shopping I went back in my FJ and that's where the problem happened... I stepped on the brake pedal as I was driving and the car would slow down, but not as fast as it should. I kept pumping the brakes so I could stop but the only way to come to a complete stop was to put on E Brake. I didn't want to really drive anywhere if the brakes are acting up so I went to the mechanic next door (Mavis Discount Tire) and waited there for about 3 hours for someone to look at my car

3 hours have gone by and the FJ is finally in a bay getting looked at by a tech. not even 10 minutes the guy found the 'problem' my brake pads were gone because when I got the FJ used Cadillac put on really cheap pads. I got ceramic brake pads put in thinking that was the end of my troubles and waited happily for my truck to get done so I could just go home and relax.

My truck gets out of bay an hour and a half later and I get in. I start the car and try to put my foot on the brake again.. same thing was happening, it's like nothing was even done though I saw them put in the brake pads. I drove the FJ around the lot to see if I just had to get used to it but nothing, still the brake pedal was sinking into the floor like nothing was connected. I bring it back into the bay 10 minutes later and they suggest they bleed the whole braking system. At this point I'll do anything just as long as it's not expensive. They bleed everything out and nothing is happening. They tell me to leave my FJ over night and they'll see what they can do in the morning. I go home thinking it's probably a clogged line or something.

This morning I call and ask if anything has improved, unfortunately they tell me they think my master brake cylinder has kicked the bucket, and it's time to replace it. This was exactly what I was afraid of, a $1700 service done to my car out of nowhere. At this point I need a real mechanic with tools to see what is happening. I go to another mechanic down the road and I tell him my problem, he also said it was the master brake cylinder but refused to touch my car because he didn't want to screw anything up and referred me to the closest Toyota dealership. I then brought my FJ home (was a nightmare) and brought it to the mechanics in my town and they can't see anyone for 2 weeks + the time to get the parts in. But they also tell me they think it's my master brake cylinder. At this point I'm calling junk yards and foreign auto mechanics to see if I can get a MBC for half the price of a new one ($1200) After not finding any in the North East for my type of FJ, I pretty much know if I have to change MBC I would have to get it new through Toyota. I call them up and they tell me it does NOT sound like the MBC but it could be anything. At this point I know something seriously is wrong and it has to be fixed seeing as my FJ is my DD. I leave my car at home and go pick up my girlfriend at work with her car. an hour passes by and I get into my FJ again to see how bad it is even after everything being done to it...

I was speechless... the problem was not a problem anymore, if anything my brakes are better than they were before the whole problem started. But I didn't want to give myself false hope so I drove it for 15 minutes, let it idle at a gas station fro 10 and continued with another 15, brakes worked flawlessly. I called my mechanics and they were all amazed as if some kind of miracle happened. At the moment I am being careful and keep a close watch, I'm about to go to toyota tomorrow and see if theres even anything wrong now, or it was something like the computers having to get used to brake pads.

What do you guys think happened? I'm so confused and lost I don't even know where to start.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Just FYI- Please do not open the same thread in multiple sub forums as this just plugs up the boards and makes the future searches a mess. I've deleted the other two.

Thanks- OC
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top