Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting brake problems

i have a problem with my brakes. it is a 95 mercury mystique and a brake line busted so i replaced it and bled the brakes. the problem is after you pump up the brakes, they get firm, but if you let it sit for a minute it loses its pressure. i was thinking maybe the master cylinder but im not sure any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

did you bleed the air out of the line when you put the new hose back on??? if not then thats what happens when you have air in the line... it pumps up and holds with your foot on the brake, but let off and wait and then you have the air in the line and you have to start all over again: pump it up and you have a pedal.... you gotta get the air out of the line.....

as i stated i bled the brakes

but did you really do it correctly?? or did you push on the brake pedal and send the piston in the master cylinder into an area that is never used with a full load of fluid and then score the piston or the cylinder wall of the mast. cylinder???? or did you mess up and let air(or your helper let air back into the system when bleeding them??? you cant be in both places at the same time under the car by the valve and pumping at the same time? or did you use a hydraulic system to pressurize the brakes from under the car??

i pumped and my dad was catching the fluid. my dad has been working on cars for 25 years so i think he did it right. we acually went through all the fluid until it was all new. what i am wondering is if any of the abs stuff would cause this or is as simple as the master cylinder.

The Brakes and Clutch use the same reservoir. Try bleeding the clutch too.

it is an automatic. we did replace the master cylinder and brakes now work but there is a ton of travel before brakes engage. do you need to adjust the brake pedal or are there any valves that help control brake pressure.