Re: E28 Scary Brakes

[Jefrem Iwaniw <jiwaniw@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tony,

Being no E28 expert, I won't go into the possible accumulator bomb
scenarios, if they are indeed applicable.  However, your symptoms sound
like a classic case opf old brake fluid.  When was the last time you
flushed it?.  In case you didn't know, brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs
water, which has a very low boiling point compared to brake fluid, and we
all know about compressible fluid dynamics, etc., etc.) -- over time, you
can get lots of water in your brake fluid, which causes your brake fluid
to boil quite easily, leading to your sinking pedal scenario.  Before I
knew better, I had the same symptoms you describe in a car with original
brake fluid when it was about 4 years old.  Track junkies flush brake
fluid several times a year (or even every event, depending upon the
track).  A strreet car should get new stuff every year, or every other
year if you don't change your oil every 3k :=).  HTH.

- ------------------------------------
- -Jefrem Iwaniw, jiwaniw@domain.elided, '72 2002, '94 525i
Keller, TX


On Tue, 8 Sep 1998, Tony Lin wrote:

> I'm not sure if this has been posted before but...
> I was stopping at a stop sign last night and towards the end of the 
> braking, the brakes felt like pressure was lost, and the pedal just went 
> down further and further and the car could not be stopped.  It 
> eventually stopped probably because there was partial braking applied, 
> but it was a really scaring moment.  Good thing there were no cars in 
> front of me.  This is happening on a 87 528e.  A similar incident 
> happened once when I was stopped at a red light, as I was holding on to 
> the brakes, the pedal just got soft and my foot went down with it, and 
> the car began rolling forward.  I had to pump the brakes again to stop 
> the car.  I checked the brake fluid, and it's at the correct level.  No 
> warning lights came up, and I've had the pads replaced about 10k miles 
> ago.
> Can anyone help?  I'm not sure if I want to drive like this on the 
> highway.  Thanks.
> 
> Tony Lin
> 87 535is 133k
> 87 528e 134k
> 
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