Hey all,
I’ve been struggling with some brake pedal issues on my 987CS and was hoping someone would be able to help.
The pedal feels super long and kind of soft. I’ve read about this and it does seem to be normal. However, when I pump the brake pedal, it becomes firmer and gets less travel. Also, when I press the brake pedal to the floor I hear a hissing sound. Is this normal or is there something wrong with the system?
Soft brake pedal that hardens with actuation could be: system needs to be bled, possible leak. Check the master cylinder, hold the pedal down, if it continues to approach the floor under pressure it could be that. Check for brake fluid on the floor, mark the reservoir with painters tape, track the level. Keep the reservoir full to the correct height, if air gets into the system, it will all need to be bled.
I don’t think it’s the master cylinder, it doesn’t continue to sink. Here’s a video of what I’m noticing. There’s also a hissing sound
Based on watching that video I would start by bleeding the brakes. Also, that sound is not atypical in my experience with bleeding the
Spyder
over a decade. PS Nice pedals and if it’s your first go at it and you’re going to bleed them be advised, there are two bleeders for each caliper.
Will do, just a standard pressure bleed? I’ve heard some people suggest combining a traditional 2 person bleed with a pressure bleeder or bleed while pumping brake pedal. Would that be helpful?
I use the Motive bleeder and some pedal actuations. I also like the crow foot I bought for the inside bleeder as you can close it quicker, every little edge helps. Some people use the computer interface to actuate the ABS but I have just done it my way with great success.
Sounds good! So you just bleed it with a motive and pump the pedal every couple seconds?
I use mostly just the Motive. I don’t fill the Motive, I use it to pressurize the brake reservoir and continue to fill that as needed. I start with the right rear, do the left rear, right front then the short run left front. It’s just how I do it but there’s many correct ways that people deploy, I just add a few pedal depressions when the bleeder is open.
No worries, good luck, I hope that remedies your problem.
Agreed on the bleed. I used to fill my Motive, but I've now switched to the dry method; just fill the reservoir and use the motive's pressure. I got it down to about 30 minutes now and highly recommend it as a DIY procedure.
Let us know how it went. I recently bled mine (987 B) including the clutch fluid, and the pedal became slightly firmer but not by much. Enough to feel the difference. I usually do the "wet method" for all our cars. No brake pedal pumping required for me - as the fluid came out just fine.
