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Midas messed up my brakes!

I

iBrent

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Oct 13, 2005
Messages
568
Location
Northborough, MA
So I went in to Midas on Friday to have my lifetime pads replaced and the rotors turned. About an hour later, they come to me with a problem. After they put everything together they said the pedal didn't feel right. When you push the pedal in, it goes almost to the floor before you feel the brakes engage, but once you release the pedal and immediately put your foot back on, it has full pressure and everything is normal. But if you ever release your foot for more than a few seconds, pressing the pedal again will cause it to go to the floor.

They pinched off the driver's side front caliper and everything was fine. They decided the caliper had failed. Then they replaced the caliper but that didn't fix it. Then they decided the brake line had a leak or blister or something. They replaced that. Still didn't fix it. They didn't know what to do and decided the car was fixed and released it to me. They said maybe the pads need to sink in before it will work properly.

I've been driving it for two days now and i feel it is unsafe to drive. The pedal is unpredictable and too soft on first application. It basically requires me to pump the brakes before I can actually stop. I tried a few emergency stops and it almost feels like the brakes are coming on at different times, with the front left being last to come on.

I want to take it back to them so they can fix it, but they don't know how. Any insights as to what could be causing this?
 
midas is the worst place to go to....i had them do some welding assuming that they were capable....they only welded the lower half of the pipe and left the top untouched...an exhaust leak later...i took it to a place i trust and they laughed at the job and said that someone who has never welded before could do a better job...stay away from midas... :)
 
Just make sure they put the retaining clip/spring thing back on the caliper. If it's there, you also need to make sure it's in the correct location. It sounds weird but that oddly shaped piece is pretty important. I don't remember the name for the part but it is only on the fronts & it's the bent coat hanger looking piece on the caliper. If i remember correctly you can find pictures & info about that in the old forums. Good luck.

-Aaron
 
It is possible that you need to bleed the brakes to get the pedal more stable. It is more likely that one of the cups in the master cylinder collapsed. This can happen from old age, but it is more likely to happen if they pushed the caliper piston back too fast when they installed the new pads.

I know it is not universally practiced, but my practice is to open the caliper bleed port when pushing the piston back so it doesn't force fluid backward, fluid that may be dirty. The dirtiest fluid is in the calipers and wheel cylinders. You don't want that getting into the ABS controller or big pieces of it back into the master cylinder.

So bleed the brakes and see what happens. If that doesn't resolve the problem, its time for a new master cylinder. Flush the system and get fresh fluid everywhere when you do.
 
Midas and any other national repair chain are bad news. The people they hire have no clue how to do anything properly. Did they charge you for the new Caliper? Also, if they change the caliper and did not bleed the brakes and change the fluid then they should be sued. Changing brake fluid should be done ever 3 years or sooner. I would love to see a scanned image of their invoice.
 
I'd tell them you're taking it to a Ford dealership, and having the bill sent to them! :idea: I sure as hell wouldn't be paying for someone else's mistake.

Mark
 
2000SilverSVT said:
Midas and any other national repair chain are bad news. The people they hire have no clue how to do anything properly.
Click to expand...
It depends on what national chain. Yes those quick, cheap places usually suck. I work at a Goodyear, and most of us are ASE certified and will do the job right. If we mess something up, it gets fixed.
 
Woogieman said:
Just make sure they put the retaining clip/spring thing back on the caliper. If it's there, you also need to make sure it's in the correct location. It sounds weird but that oddly shaped piece is pretty important.
Click to expand...

I'd bet good money this is your problem...been there done that. I had someone put them on wrong on my car once....had the exact problem you're describing.
 
yeah it sounds like they improperly installed the pads or some of the hardware, what sounds like it is doing is pushing the piston back in when you let off the brakes, then when you have to make up all that distance everytime you hit the brakes. i have had my parts department give me the wrong pads on a Ranger than had tabs they shouldn't have and it caused a very similar problem
 
thanks i cant get that damn midas touch jingle out of my head !!!!:mad:
 
Kremithefrog said:
It depends on what national chain. Yes those quick, cheap places usually suck. I work at a Goodyear, and most of us are ASE certified and will do the job right. If we mess something up, it gets fixed.
Click to expand...

Yeah I have to say its not fair to label an entire franchise no good because of one bad experience. I took my car to a Midas shop before I moved and they were great. Also doesn't hurt that I went to school with 2 of the sons of the owners and I know/went to school with both of their fully trained mechanics.

The problem with mechanics is you have to find one you know and trust and that takes some time and effort. Otherwise your much better doing everything yourself.
 
loggerbomb said:
Yeah I have to say its not fair to label an entire franchise no good because of one bad experience. I took my car to a Midas shop....
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+1. I take it to the local Midas when I can't fix something myself (lack of knowledge, tools or time). And I have recommended the local Midas a few times to local CEGers. None of them have posted bad things about them yet. Just don't buy their struts and springs. They are "gold plated". And no, I don't work for Midas or Ford or Autozone or .................. ;)
 
The Midas near me told me a broken flex pipe meant a $785 repair. They said the Y-pipe down had to be one piece and all removed. When I asked them if they had ever heard of welding, the guy said it was too unsafe. To top if all off, they checked my oil (idk why) and broke the handle off the dipstick, then told me it was already broken. And I had to pay to fix that. I've never going near any of their stores again.
 
My local Midas welds exhausts all day long! That's how they "fix" or connect pipes. I've never heard of an exhaust repair facility which does not weld exhaust parts. :shrug:
 
I've also had good experiences with the local Midas. It's probably different for each location (different managers, mechanics, etc)
 
Sounds like a dead master cylinder. Same thing happened to me when I bled my brakes. I bled the MC till it went bone dry, and it inverted the cone and destroyed it. Had to install a new one... If they did that, they should fix it for free, but I'm pretty sure that's what it is. I had the same exact thing with my brakes when my MC went.. Pedal goes all the way to the floor, have to pump it to stop, etc. etc.
 
I've got the exact same issue right now after having the caliper removed and then the piston driven back. Now when i hit the brakes it goes to the floor with about 40% power, but if i let off and jump right back on i get full power for a few seconds and then it will go back to about 40%.

Anybody know what the resolution, or cause, is for this issue?
 
check that the axle nuts are tight. if not it will cause the rotor to wobble and kick the pads out causing a very soft, or no pedal on first application.

also make sure the brakes are bleed propperly, make sure the fluid is good and that the clips are on correctly.
 
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