Hi,
I have been working on my 93 240 station wagon... just about asking here to get HELP!!
I just changed Front and Rear: New Rotor, Caliper, Pad and Parking brake shoe.
Bleed air for 5 times now with my neighbor and girlfriend... but Brake never seems working.
It has sponge feeling on brake when engine running, go until floor and it's doesn't work at all.

There is no fluid leak or line problem. All parts is now new.
No warning on panel. Now about 3 bottles of pentosin Dot4 plus used.
Never run out from reserver while bleed.
Brake was working just okay before I started to working and used this Volvo as everyday life. But once I take out of wheel, there was caliper problem, all pads shoe and rotor went out so i replaced new to run reliable.

Anyone can help this out? please !!
Thanks.
-tat

 

you probably have ABS on a 93?

follow the procedures here... Brakes:

you really want to use a pressure bleeder, and definitely don't use a suction bleeder with ABS.
Brakes:


chances are, there's a bubble in the ABS controller

 

Thank you so much Pierce! I just order online for pressure bleeder that has push fluid type from reserver cap. I will work on it for a next few days and report here. It sounds like this is the answer.

 

ok. I got Fedex box, a pressure bleeder which attach on to Reserver.
Tried fix this in the afternoon.... this machine is very good concept.
Add good amount of brake fluid to pressure machine, pump to 20 psi, bleed out from bleeder bulb, hook up clear hose and twice each wheels, about 0.5 litter each wheel, pump brake pedal several times.
And start engine.
Now I feel brake started to working just a little bit, but not really much.
Brake pedal is still almost floor and car is not really function right now.
I maybe able to drive to several blocks if I need to.
When I wrote this thread, it was ZERO brake so now I feel it is working, something improved....

Do you think air is ABS unit and i should keep bleeding?

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk said: "If you have lots of air in the lines and master cylinder, tap them as you bleed to loosen adhered air bubbles."
Should I tap them?


Thanks.
tat

 

Try bleeding at the outlet line of the ABS controller; this is how I did one of my Mercedes recently and it helped after I changed the master cylinder.
Alternatively, sometimes if an old master cylinder travels beyond where it normally works, as when the pedal goes to the floor, the master cylinder piston gets torn on a rough place in the bore which is never used, and the master cylinder is then toast. I recommend bleeding some more; try tapping on the ABS body gently, see if a bubble comes loose and travels out.
Good luck; you will get it, don't give up. Winston Churchill must have worked on his own car...

 

I did once more bleed this morning with bleeder with sometime tapped ABS box, about 0.5 Litter each of Wheel, LR-RR-LF-LR.
Very small improvement, I can drive it now but brake pedal is almost floor. Maybe drive for a while then air inside of ABS will mix with fluid slowly-then i can bleed out ??

I hope to not need replace master cylinder.
-tat

 

Your brake pedal should be great after all this work--unless you have a bad hose, the pressure is disappearing somewhere, most likely at master cylinder... You have checked all the hoses, right?

 

Thanks you all for help!!

As I know, Hose and Line should be fine.
I've been pressure Bleeding which meaning constant pressure on the brake lines, if there is leak or bad line then fluid should comes out.... I haven't seen them around. Likely master cylinder or still possibility air inside of black ABS box.

test driving around neighbor-- I can still do hard braking(lock wheels) even pedal is 1/2 inch from the floor, ABS works at the end of stop. i thought if I hard braking for several times then ABS will blend air into fluid, then I can bleed out later. Also from this experience, I think, if the master cylinder Bad then I can't drive to do this hard braking test even..??

-tat

 

I replaced my brake lines a few years back with stainless steel braided ones are each wheel. The ABS unit leaked, too so that got replaced. I bled the car normally and then they quit working normally. The pedal would make it's way to the floor after holding it for a bit. Basically the piston seals in the master cylinder were damaged from my bleeding. 20-some years of never being bled led to a ridge of sorts in the cylinder and damaged the seal when I push the pedal past that point. Once I got a new cylinder I just bled the whole thing at each wheel in order from furthest to closest. Then another round again just to make sure. They work great.

I'm not a fan of vacuum or pressure bleeders. When I bleed, I pump the pedal a few times before I open the bleeder. And right before I open the bleeder I tell my assistant on the pedal the cram on it hard. This blasts the air bubbles through the system and out the bleeder. I think it helps because there are many high spots where weak bleeding cane leave bubbles. The bleeders are pretty low and air wants to be on top. Every time I open the bleeder the pedal hits the floor, then I close it. Make sure that they keep it floored until you get the bleeder closed. The last thing I do is have them press the pedal slowly as I open the valve and close it before they reach to bottom, to bleed out the last bit of air.

That's my personal technique. The pressure bleeder puts out lame amounts of pressure compared to what your foot on the pedal can do. My 740 sat for a few weeks with no fluid and I replaced the ABS unit, so it was very empty. This is how I got it rolling again.

I would suspect your master cylinder if your breaks haven't been bled before in a long time.

Also, make sure the brake line connecting to the caliper you replaced is not leaking and tight and make sure that there are no puddles under the car from brake fluid (you probably did this already, but I did not see it mentioned).

 

Hello Forum people.
Thanks for try help me out in April when I was working on my Volvo 93' 240 .
I was out of town, away for a while(I am musician and out on the road), now back home and start working again for this brake problem.

Now, I did changed new all 4 wheels of Rotor, Caliper, brake pad.. and yesterday replaced brand new Master Cylinder. Then I did all 4 wheel bleed by power bleeder. (I did about 15 times already). Tapped ABS unit and also bleed from ABS outer for a few times previously.

NOW:
Still same, brake is almost on the floor and not feeling well.
I disconnect battery for one night to see if ABS resets. Fortunately, passenger side power window is now working by this.

I appreciated if there is more idea you can advice me?
or anyone, close to Philly or NJ(I am Lehigh Valley PA) to help me out?

Thank you so much!!
Tat

 

One mistake I made once was having the rear calipers reversed left/right. This puts the bleeder valve on the bottom of the caliper. Check your rear calipers. If the bleeder valve is on the bottom, then they need to be swapped left/right. With the valve at the bottom, it leaves a nice pocket of air in the caliper. I had the exact same symptoms as you.

Good luck

 

WWOWOOOOW !!
Now, rain stopped and went out to see if my bleeder valve is top or bottom.
I SEE IT BOTTOM !!
This must be the problem. I will work on it tomorrow and get back to here.
Thank you SO MUCH for pointing this out. It's really strange things but very much make sense..
tat

 

Glad to be of help. When it happened to me I was pulling my hair out trying to figure it out. Easy mistake to make if not paying full attention when removing the old calipers.

Good luck

 

Now my brake works perfect! I am so grad you mention me this.

Still many thing to fix my Volvo 240 before normal driving around but one done. Thanks again!!!
tat

 

Hell i am as excited as you are.........kind of like......"i lost my arm today".....here is another one.....it is self attaching