Serious brake line failure

[skmattwell]

Hi guys, was just parking up the zed when I had a catastrophic loss of brake fluid, leaving me with virtually no braking ability. This really surprised me as I thought there would be some telltale signs or even an light to suggest something wasn't right beforehand. Could have caused a bad crash if it had gone just a few seconds earlier.

Anyway, are there any likely suspects to know about before I take a look tomorrow?

 

[raymond.harper]

Rear brake pipe rust is very common, your car had a warning about this in 2016 but it is possible they have been fixed. Look through the receipts to see if it was done. A brake hose could have ruptured, may have been cut, or a caliper seal could have blown. When you are looking for a leak, remember brake fluid is nasty stuff and will damage bodywork. Use some sand to remove any that is lying on the road.

 

[Zedebee]

Have a look at the master cylinder too. If there’s brake fluid all over the place, that’s where the problem is. If you’ve recently done something to the brakes, a bleed nipple may also have worked loose.

 

[skmattwell]

Cheers guys, hopefully not too hard to diagnose as it was spewing out not too far from the brake fluid reservoir, just beside the engine block.

 

[Zedebee]

Sounds like a master cylinder failure or some such. As Raymond says, clean off as much as you can as soon as you can. It is corrosive, but it’s also hygroscopic, which means it attracts water out of the atmosphere, which is not a good combination.