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Rusted through / defective brake lines: our tips!

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Rusted through / defective brake lines: our tips!

What if the brake lines in the car are defective because they may have rusted through? What are the typical symptoms, how does the repair/replacement work and what costs can arise? We have the most important information on this topic. Yes, first a few details on how vehicle brakes work. With the Depressing the brake pedal hydraulic pressure is generated in the master brake cylinder, which is brake fluid in the brake lines to the wheel brakes. Corrosion on the rigid brake lines is one of the main reasons for Leaks. The brake line is restricted due to the loss of brake fluid. In the worst case, this can lead to the braking system fails completely. If you have any suspicion, you should go to a workshop as soon as possible. If the braking effect is already limited, the car should no longer driven, rather towed away .

Symptoms of a defective brake line!

Rusted through / defective brake lines: our tips!

  • (Total) loss of braking power
  • Escaping brake fluid ensures damp lines & possibly for stains on the floor
  • the braking distance is longer
  • the flashing of the brake warning light
  • the brake fluid level drops
  • noticeably longer pedal travel when the brake is applied
  • the brake pedal can be fully depressed

Detection of brake fluid!

Brake fluid leaking from the lines ensures yellowish spots. Their smell is not unlike that of oil. Since it is an irritant, the affected area should be rinsed off as quickly as possible if it comes into contact with the skin. The vehicle paint is also attacked by the aggressive brake fluid.

Rusted through / defective brake lines: our tips!

Repair or just a new line?

In a first step, it is determined wo where the leak is. The affected line section must then be replaced. First the brake fluid drained, to then close the affected line dismantle. The effort required for this is very individual, as it depends on which place is affected and of course also by the type of vehicle. This can occasionally lead to a great deal of effort if the position is difficult to access. In this case it may even be that just removing the underbody paneling is not enough. Depending on the construction, it may then be necessary to remove the rear axle or even the tank. For the new part, either a "ready bent" vehicle-specific line or meter in question. The preparation for the second option is quite complex, since the new part has the same shape as the old one and accordingly must be bent. If the line is bent, or the vehicle-specific one has arrived, then it can be installed after the new piece with Hollow/socket screws was fitted and at the connection points crimped would. Then will new brake fluid filled into the system and this with a special brake bleeding device vented. After that there will be another test drive carried out to test the effectiveness of the system.

The price of changing a leaking pipe!

The material costs for a new brake line can vary quite a bit and depend on the vehicle and the damage that has occurred. The brake line can either be made individually by hand (bent / beaded) or replaced by a "pre-bent" one. It is not possible to say in general which variant is the cheaper one. The workshop decides this depending on the case at hand. Self-manufactured brake lines offer the advantage that you don't have to wait for the spare part first, but for the vehicle rinse can be repaired and is therefore available again more quickly. The material costs are usually between 10 and 100 euros.

Rusted through / defective brake lines: our tips!

ATE and TRW are among the best-known manufacturers of new brake lines and also have the right brake fluid in their range. And another cost is the one just mentioned brake fluid. It costs between 15 and 80 euros. The time required to replace a brake line is one to two hours depending on how many other parts have to be removed for the change. At an hourly rate of 100 euros, the labor costs are between 10 and 200 euros. The total costs will usually be between about 125 and 380 euros.

Leaking brake lines for the main inspection!

Leaks in the brake line are always noticed during the general inspection, since the brake system does not meet the prescribed values ​​on the brake test bench can not reach. This is a significant security risk and the main inspection is therefore considered failed.

the importance of the braking system

Hydraulic pressure is transferred from the brake pedal to the wheel brakes using brake fluid. The brake lines extend from Master Cylinder with reservoir in combination with the ABS/ASR module in the engine compartment along the underbody to each individual wheel. There are both rigid and flexible brake lines. The flexible lines are mainly used between the rigid brake pipe and the wheel brake. In the course of repairs, and if money plays a secondary role, it is advisable to jump to more robust Steel braided line - brake line to convert

Rusted through / defective brake lines: our tips!

Of course, that wasn't the end of it!

tuningblog has countless other articles on the subject of car and auto tuning in stock. Do you want to see them all? Just click HERE and look around. In part, we would like to provide you with news but also off the tuning. In our category Tips, products, information & Co We have reviews of car or accessories manufacturers, new ones Tuning Wiki Terms or one or the other Leak veröffentlicht. Following an excerpt of the last articles:

Axle boot / drive shaft boot defective: the information!

Rusted through / defective brake lines: our tips!

Clutch release bearing defective or run in? The info!

Rusted through / defective brake lines: our tips!

All information about defective strut bearings / strut support bearings!

Rusted through / defective brake lines: our tips!

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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

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