NO brakes!!!!

[nomansland92]

ok so i got a 1988 325ix and the brakes have been acting up lately. So here what happening and any help would be really nice. So when i first start up the car cold or warm doesn't matter but if i move a few feet the brake petal is extremely stiff and hard to press kinda like there's no power brakes or no vacuum. But this doesn't happen every time i start the car. usually it will act up once and then its completely fine till it shut it off and restart it but every once in awhile it will act up like 5 times in like a mile or so then it will stop and work fine. When i got the car it had a brake leak in the back so i replaced that part of the line and bled the brakes and everything was fine until now which it has been a few months and I've tried bleeding them again and no luck. I thought at first it was the check valve but pulled it off and tried sucking and blowing on it and every time is always works and holds pressure. maybe it still is the valve or possibly master cylinder or the booster but i cant just start throwing money at random parts till it fixes it so any help would be awesome or just let me know what you think or what i can test.
Thanks, Stevan

[jlevie]

What you describe sounds most like a lack of brake boost. The cause of that will be a leak in the vacuum hoses, a bad check valve, or a bad booster. Start by replacing the hoses and check valve. If the problem persists, replace the booster.

[Ceeker]

have someone press the peddle while you're under the hood and listen for leaks.

[nomansland92]

found out it was the abs wires that were shorting out and causing the computer to get false signals and look up the abs and i couldn't use the brakes till in disengaged so i pulled the relay under that dash and its working perfect

[Massive Lee]

And there was no audible noise from the ABS pump or the brake pedal buzzing like crazy?

Lee

[nomansland92]

nope, nothing that i could here

[Massive Lee]

nope, nothing that i could here

When the ABS pump goes on, it is usually pretty obvious. You hear and feel a strong vibration. Therefore, I think you may have found a solution, but not necessarely the source of the problem. :mrgreen: