Introduction: I replaced my brake pads, and I figured this was because the pads needed to break in but it's been a couple days, so I guess this isn't normal.

The brake pedal sometimes while idling will get stiff if I pump it, other times I can push it straight to the floor.
When stopping or slowing, brakes seem to be very weak.
When stopping or slowing, most of the time the pedal wants to go straight to the floor, with usually barely any resistance, and sometimes with more resistance, but not as resistant as normal brake pedal resistance.
Brakes will stop the car, but not very quickly. To stop quickly I have to slam on the brakes, but it's still not as quick as normal. It's really hard to slam on them without them locking up, also.
The brakes never act normal no matter the circumstances or braking method, not once.

 

Check the brake fluid to see if its at the right leveel. When you change brakes you have to pump the brake pedal a couple of times

 

The fluid is at the right level. When I pump the brakes while stopping the resistance does not increase and braking does not improve. I let my dad drive it to show him what I was talking about and he said it was odd too. He's changed his brake pads many times so I trust his judgement on that.

 

I would highly advise not slaming on the brakes, when you do that the master cylinder tends to rip the gaskets to shreds inside itself. Its not used to the everyday weardown that far and gunk gets cought in it. Anyways, did you bleed your brakes when you were done? And/or was there any fluid showing around any cables or hoses? If the brake fluid resivor was open during the process, air/water was let in, and that would also cause the brake failure, another reason to bleed them.

 

I had the cap off while I did the brake pads. I just used a C-clamp to compress the piston, would air/water still get in? There's no fluid leak.


I haven't been slamming on the brakes much. Although I have a couple times when it scared the **** out of me when the brakes were extremely weak and I thought I wasn't going to stop.

 

Yea, the longer its off the worse it gets. Brake fluid is like a magnet to water, water is in humidity, which is pretty much unavoidable. So with it off, it allows it all to enter your brake lines. The easyest way I can think of, is get some brake fluid, and just do a manual.gravity bleed. Get a cup and press the brake pedal slowly down, but only to the point of where you would normally stop. Tearing those seals will be horrible. Press it down untill no more air or bubbly fluid comes out, only a stream of fluid. Do it to both sides. Keep an eye on the master cylander though, dont let it get too low.

Thats the way I'd do it without lookin it up, its the most common. If you have a book on the car, do it the way it says.

 

Yea, i'll do that right away after I get up. I'll just use my Haynes manual. My dad said he never bled the brakes in his truck after changing the pads (i've driven it and can vouch that the brakes work normal) so I never did it. I bet my Haynes manual said to do it, but I didn't even pay attention to it because it sounded really easy and my dad told me what he did on his truck and I just did the same on my Del Sol. Thanks for the suggestions.

EDIT: and yea, I live in FL, I know ALL about humidity. [:'(] [:@] LOL. and rain... I was putting on my new headlights tonight, and about halfway through: lightning, sprinkle, downpour. Had to finish it in the rain because I had to give my friend a ride home and it was dark out.

 

lol nice. Yea, I had an Explorer before my Civic, changed the rotors, pads, all that, never bled the brakes. Havent had to on the Civic yet though. Apparently I dont want to either lol.

 

that's funny because my dad drives an explorer sport trac.

 

The problem probably was that you took the cap off the master cylinder while you did it. Why you did this I don't know, you don't need to lol.