Brake Booster or Master Cylinder?
 

YO! crew, have myself a fanstastic brake issue. My brakes have zero for pressure with the pedal going all the way to the floor, no fluid in the reservoir, and fluid running down the back of the engine bay.............paint, LOVING IT! My thoughts are it's the master cylinder gone bad, but my manual "Helpful Haynes!" doesn't make clear whether or not it could be the brake booster. I just did the pads and rotors about a month and a half ago. They hadn't been done in a long time. Is it possible these cool fresh parts could have overloaded the initial pressure systems since they are the original cylinder and booster? Any and all comments and/or thoughts are appreciated.

-Kienan

Can you see where the leak is coming from? Could it be a leaking fitting?

Here's a word of advice for when you are bleeding brakes: NEVER push your brake pedal all the way to the floor! When you do this, you expose the master cylinder piston seal to areas of the bore that are no longer smooth and the seal will get damaged. A power bleeder mounted to the master cylinder or pulling out the fluid at each bleeder by vacuum are better ways to bleed.

If you DO use the brake pedal, install a block of wood underneath to limit pedal and MC piston travel.

"NEVER push your brake pedal all the way to the floor!"

Good advice. Thanks for the response. It turned out to be the master cylinder being totally shot. I took it to my mechanic because I don't have the time to switch it out, and bleed the whole system before I go out of town this Friday.....600 miles up to Sierra Nevadas west of Sacramento.

That's one thing you wouldn't want to delay. It's good to hear that it's replaced. 600 miles - that's a long drive.