Replaced front rotors & pads, as well as rear drums, shoes, springs, & wheel cylinders. Old brake fluid looked like Coca Cola, so flushed the fluid as well - in all went through an entire gallon of brake fluid.

After bleeding the brakes, pedal goes down about 2 inches & stops. I don't see any brake fluid on the ground, or leaking anywhere.... but when I start the car, the brake pedal goes to the floor, & when pressing the brake pedal, it makes a hissing sound like air going in. Shut off the car & pedal goes down about 2 inches & stops. I'm on a private street so I was able to drive & come to a stop in what seems a normal distance, but the pedal should not be going to the floor. Did I miss something???

 

 

I bled them according to the Haynes Repair Manual: RR, LF, LR, RF

??? Too far to the floor ??? Not sure what is meant by this. When bleeding the brakes, I pushed till there was strong resistance. With the initial air in the system, the pedal may have been going all the way to the floor. When car is running, it will go completely to the floor, but she still stops pretty quickly.

 

When bleeding the brakes, with each down stroke of the pedal, it has to go down to the floor - not till there is "strong resistance".

If you used an "entire gallon of brake fluid", you have been doing something seriously wrong. "When car is running, it will go completely to the floor, but she still stops pretty quickly" - hopefully you aren't driving it like that.

 

Did you cycle the ABS during the bleed/trial process? In my yard (limited tools), I have found that you need to cycle ABS, bleed, and then repeat it again sometimes. Twice was the max. It's a closed system, and the ABS module not only can hold old fluid, it can hold air. I used to do this (bleeding) a lot when I was doing performance driving, and Russell speed bleeders can make it a 1 man job. Just an idea for you. Try cycling the ABS. Just slam the brakes in the neighborhood.

Assuming you can... Whopper has a very big point there.

 

Olblue forgets the new fangled sequence. The MC is split diagonally, not F/R like olden times.

Sounds kind of like the booster and/or MC is kaput. Maybe some of that fluid went into the booster? I don't know where a gallon could hide, maybe 3 pints, at most.

May have over extended the plunger and caused a seal to blow.

If you drained the reservoir first there isn't room for 16 oz in the system, being real generous. 1 oz./ wheel + maybe 10 oz. in the lines.

My newest favorite way to bleed is with a vacuum pump from HF. Just pop the hose over the valve, loosen valve, watch fluid be pulled into jar.

 

 

I used it until somebody told me to RTFM. Sure enough!

 

Anyone know anything about "setting your brakes" by driving fast in reverse then a hard stop??? Supposedly this has to be done with my mom's Sonata when new pads or shoes are installed.

Only driving on a private road.

Strong resistance in my case = cannot physically push it further. When car is shut off & brake system closed, that's 2 inches, when bleeding, it was pretty close to the floor.

I have 3+ quarts of fluid in bottles that has been bled out through the bleeder valves, NOT within the brake system.

I've already done the recommended break-in for the new pads / shoes: hard brake from 40MPH - 10MPH x 5 with no rest period between, followed immediately by 35MPH - 5MPH x 5 with no rest period between, followed by a 5 minute cool-down period. Even did a stop from 55MPH in about 120 feet, the distance from the start of our fence to the drive way.

One bit of good news is that all of the shaking / jitters when braking is gone after installing the new brakes.

 

Haynes Troubleshooting says to check & tighten mounting bolts for MC & booster / replace MC if necessary