I had to get new brake pads put on my Z. went with hawks. about a week after using them, after some driving w/o braking for a while, I hit the brakes and had to pump the pedal to bring the pedal up. it only does this after driving w/o touching the brake pedal for a while. my brake fluid is full and I had my brakes adjusted when they were put on by the mechanic. everything else seems fine until I hit the brake after driving for about 5mins. I can't figure it out...

 

Sounds like you have some air in the system. Contact the mechanic and have them rebleed it for you. Tapping the calipers with a mallet while bleeding can help to dislodge trapped air bubbles as well.

 

was the fluid touched or did you just replace the pads. Could just be that they arent set yet. you should go through a break in procedure with new pads usually.

although if youve been driving for a week already on them its probly the above post

 

He did not bleed them in the first place, just popped new pads in the front calipers... I want to stress that this does not always happen tho. It is sparatic. I can bleed the brakes if need be. Do you still think this is the problem?

 

I have had the pads on the car for over 1000 miles now. No, the fluid was never touched. I checked it after I felt this problem the first time. A couple days after the brake install

 

ok, so if the fluid wasnt touched at all id say its just that the pads arent set. After you "pump" the pedal do they work fine?


you should try a break in procedure...dont remember the exacts but it involves doing multiple hard stops to bed the pads. Do a run to 30 or 40 a few times and do hard stops...then move it up to 50-60 and do a few more. thats all i can think of.

 

I have stoptechs brake in procedure remembered completely, to the T. That did not work. I tried it just for kicks 2 weeks back. Fluid is full too. -just checked again.

 

spoke with my mechanic. He said that if my rotors were slightly warped, they may be pushing the brake pads outward a bit while spinning. First pump sits the pads up against the rotor, second pump gives full braking.. what do you guys think? -when I brake, the steering wheel doesn't vibrate, and under hard braking, they don't feel warped... I've beaten the crap outta brakes on several cars... so I feel a lil experienced. :-)

 

still sounds like air in the system to me. Have em bleed em. They may not be telling you something. Mechanics are not the most honest people.

 

air in the system.....

or worst case is a faulty master cylinder

 

If its not consistant, I would blame the master cylinder.

 

+1

Master might have bottomed out while pumping fuid back into the caliper. Seals can move in there...