Dave’s Free Car Repair Advice

Subject:  95 Cadillac Seville Rear Brake Line

Question:  How much will it cost me to have rear brake lines repaired? At the moment my car is not movable. Your help will be appreciated.

Mack, since I don’t know the extent of the damage or if it is just from sitting, it would be hard to estimate. Especially if you are going to do the repairs yourself or not.

Either way brake lines and most brake parts are not a great expense since they are usually easy to get at from underneath and therefore rather quick to repair compared to other car repairs.

Hello My car failed its MOT 6 months ago on the rear near side brake not working or little effort. I bleed the brake and this cured the problem. How ever there was a small amount of fluid near the seal at the rear wheel cylinder.

I was told this was okay if it was only slightly wet inside the seal. The problem is that 6 month on today the air is back in the brake system again. The same rear brake is weak or little effort. (The other 3 brakes are okay) it only this wheel. I have changed the brake cylinder and bleed the brakes. Is there any other reason why air gets into this brake only.

Kia sedona 02 all of sudden brake pedal went solid and brakes stuck on for about 3-5 miles then released. Went further 20 miles then same happened, got home switched off car left 4 an hour then restarted, brakes normal…any ideas cheers

Alan, happy to see you made it home OK… That can be a scary way to be cruising down the road, with bad brakes… Anyway, I am sure you have checked your brake fluid level by now, also you may want to make sure your emergency brake is not on, which could make things act up. Also check the vacuum line going to the vacuum brake assist diaphragm right near your brake fluid reservoir. With the vacuum line leaking this would make your brakes ” hard ” to push. Check both ends of this line, it is usually quite thick and sturdy but may have vibrated loose. Good Luck Alan, Drive safe!

MSN Money has an article on 20 Ways You Waste Money on Your Car. This is one of their tips:

Letting a brake squeal turn into a brake job. Squeal doesn’t necessarily mean you need new rotors or pads; mostly, it’s just annoying. Your first check — you can probably see your front brakes through the wheels on your car — is to look at the thickness of the pads. Pads thicker than a quarter-inch are probably fine. If your brakes emit a constant, high-pitched whine and the pads are thinner than a quarter-inch, replace them. If your car shimmies or you feel grinding through the pedal, then your brake rotors need to be turned or replaced.