No Brakes Help!!!!!

[sticksdaman]

After recently gettingy car back on the road i noticed that my brakes no longer work. upon applying the brakes there is no resistance the pedal shoots right down to the floor and once there it barely grabs not nearly enough to slow me down. i found that pumping the brakes twice got rid of this feeling. After driving for roughly 10 minutes (i was on the highway with no exits in sight plus i was taking my gf to work) it gradually worsened and it was to the point where i was pumping 5-6 times before any pedal feel was returned. So after exiting the highway i pull into the parking lot at her job and we sit in the car for maybe 2 minutes then get out. When i got out i checked under the car and there is this considerably large puddle of fluid under the passenger side of the engine bay( pretty sure it wasnt there when i pulled in) i also noticed that the front and rear wheels on the left side were covered in a thick layer of brakedust which is odd because this is the first time ive driven the car since cleaning them some 4 days ago. So i go to check the right side and they are clean as ever. Car is sitting in the drive way now. Whats causing this? How can i fix it?
Thanks in advance
Andre

[sticksdaman]

bump

[netcsk]

sounds like you blew out a line. Just need to trace down where the leak was coming from and then fix it. Might be time to do all of the rubber lines in the car even if just one blew.

[sticksdaman]

i have braided lines on the car now they couldnt have broken right? ive had them on the car for about 9.5 months but have only driven on them some <500 miles

[KangamangusDriver]

Braided lines can still break/leak.

Check your clutch slave cylinder mounted in/on your transmission.
Check master brake cylinder, and slave cylinder.
Look for the leak, hunt it down and fix it.

[SchnellerVert]

Master cylinder. Seals in it are probably shot, clutch still works corect and fluid is in revoir? If you blew a line there would be less fluid in the resvoir.

[sticksdaman]

there was fluid in the resevior it seemed full but i'll try to hunt down the leak... also if one line breaks will that affect both wheels on that side?

clutched seemed to work fine... engage wasnt as smooth as i remembered it to be tho

[etxxz]

have you lost fluid in the MC resevoir? if not then you probably have air in the sys or something that is easily fixed by bleeding the brakes. Try it out!

[sticksdaman]

ok ill bleed the system them take it from there

[sticksdaman]

bled the system... no help... im thinking its master cylinder..... whenever i clutch in the brake pedal loses pressure

also i have an 88 325is...now is that abs or no?

[Mike325]

I think that that has ABS. Just look behind your driver's side headlight and look for a box that has brake lines comming out of it. It is right on top and pretty much in your face. That is the ABS modual. If there was still full fluid in your resevoir for your MC, then the MC is gone most likely. Maybe the brake dust was your brakes dragging very slightly on that side? But anyways, if your resevoir was still full, I would get a new MC and try it out. If you busted a line, you would have no fluid.

[sticksdaman]

directly behind the headlight? how big is this box that i am looking for

[Garageaholic]

It's a big box with 4 brakelines going into and out of it. I doubt that your lines are leaking from the ABS box...

[sticksdaman]

ok im nearly certain that my car is non abs

brake master cylinder... is it a must that i buy a new 135 dollar master cylinder or is there another alternative?

[PeaveyBassist]

'88 325is has ABS. The box says ABS on it if I'm not mistaken. I think its your Master Cylinder. Double check every connection of the brake lines though.

Will