while driving in stop and go traffic last night, i noticed a single click coming from my brake pedal almost every time i used it. it happened when i pressed down about an inch or two.
while cleaning the car today i got down inside the driver's side well and noticed that the pedal moves side to side about a centimeter. further up, the bolt connecting the pedal to the rest of the car [i guess?] moved side to side...basically it's almost as if it's loose, but there's no way to tighten it as the bolt is flat-headed on one side and the other has this odd-looking white plastic cap to it, with a piece of thick metal wire in a curved shape connected to it [see pic]. i tried tightening it but the whole bolt-plastic-metal thing turns around and around...nothings gettins screwed tighter. it's almost as if there's a washer or spacer missing somewhere, hence the clicking sound from stuff sliding side to side and metal hitting metal.
have any of you noticed anything like this before?

flat side of bolt:


other side of bolt:

 

What year is your car?

Good color choice!

Nice pics!

I'd contact a dealer.

 

oh, duh, that info might help. 06 coupe touring.

 

Hey, leave Britney & Paris out of this!


From your pics, nothing looks out of place. There's supposed to be some play in that joint [Sure, I'll have one! ]. Maybe there's too much play, causing the noise or maybe a thin washer/spacer is missing.

 

The thing you have squared is a clevis pin (not a bolt) and it is held in with a cotter pin (not a wire). It is not supposed to be tight, it is just pivot pin.

Sometimes with cars get real old with hundreds of thousands of miles, these can wear out causing to much free play but I doubt that has happened here. If you really want to check, take out the cotter pin and inspect the clevis pin. It should be perfectly round, like the part of a long bolt without threads on it. If it is worn with groves cut in it, it will need to be replaced. But like I said, I highly doubt it.

Chris

 

i did notice it wasn't threaded, which made me wonder about the whole tightening issue. the car has less than 4k on it; i too highly doubt it's worn out. thanks for the info, and for the parts' names, i had no clue what they're called.

 

Well ---Its pressed in place and the first to go on most cars is the bushing which is generally Nylon now days. But that gives u play up and down ---not sideways
There needs to be sideways play so ur Master Cyl push rod stays centered

 

Also --That clicking noise may be ur brake lite switch doing its job