We have two Camry's 2001s. One does not have a full brake pedal 100,000 miles, the other has a good pedal 80,000 miles. The booster is good. No leaks anywhere. The pedal sinks too far when you first start it up. Pads and shoes are new. Changed the master cylinder and wheel cylinders. Bled MC on bench before installing. No change in pedal. I bled all the lines each time. (Two man bleed and vacuum bleed ) Not much left...just hoses and combination valve. Or one of the components replaced may have a problem. I line clamped the two front hoses and pedal improved. Changed calipers (driver side pads wore prematurely) and installed them so the bleeder was up. . Pedal still low. Any ideas?
Country: United StatesMake: ToyotaModel: Camry CEYear: 2001Engine: 2.2 Already Tried: We have two Camry's 2001s. One does not have a full brake pedal 100,000 miles, the other has a good pedal 80,000 miles. The booster is good. No leaks anywhere. The pedal sinks too far when you first start it up. Pads and shoes are new. Changed the master cylinder and wheel cylinders. Bled MC on bench before installing. No change in pedal. I bled all the lines each time. (Two man bleed and vacuum bleed ) Not much left...just hoses and combination valve. Or one of the components replaced may have
Hello and thank you for using just answer! You mentioned a lot of parts here. 2 questions. 1- is the brake pedal stiff when the car is NOT running? 2- have you removed the slide pins in the front caliper brackets to be sure they move freely?
The brake pedal is firm and full when not running. Sinks only when the car is running. And I replaced the pins and lubricated the front caliper brackets. They move freely.
Sounds like the hydraulic system is fine then. How low does the pedal sink once running and how muchpedal reserve does it have?
It sinks withing an inch from the floor. Very little reserve.
If you pull the parking brake up firmly does it change pedal feel at all?
No.
Ok, and did you use a gauge to verify push rod adjustment before you installed the new master cylinder?
No
That needs to be done first. Especially if you used an inferior aftermarket master cylinder the push rod length determines everything when dealing with pedal height and feel.
Changing the MC did not make the pedal any better or worse. The pedal height remained the same. We bought both Toyotas at the same time in 2001. The one in question always had a noticeably lower pedal than the other one. But no where as low as it is today. Why is the pedal full before starting and then sinks almost to the floor when running? I understand it's normal to drop a inch after startup.
Yes it's normal to drop and the camry has a "soft" pedal anyways but you telling me that it's almost to the floor is not normal. When you start it you apply vaccum to the booster to pull the master in stronger. If the pedal falls low it would indicate excessive pad/shoe movement or a mis adjusted master. That's why I asked if push rod adjustment was checked.
I will check the push rod adjustment. In your 10 years of experience what is the most common failure for a sinking pedal?And what are the symptoms of a defective hose and combination valve?
Honestly I have never seen one single proportioning valve act up or fail. Hose issues are rare, but check closely for any bulging with the brake pedal applied. Most commonly this issue is a leaking internal master cylinder issue or a sticking caliper if th rear brakes are properly adjusted and the rear brake cylinders are not leaking.
Experience: ASE Certified, 10+ years Lexus and Toyota Certified