1998 accord LX 4cyl, no fluid at RR bleeder.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3
1998 accord LX 4cyl, no fluid at RR bleeder.
Hi all,
I’d appreciate any input;
about a month ago I blew out my right rear brake line while heavy braking to avoid an accident in front of me. Limped it along to somewhere I could pull off and it leaked out a significant amount of fluid. Far from home I reluctantly had it towed to a shop nearby where they replaced the burst line from the flex line to the wheel cylinder. About a month later I get my car back from the shop, the brakes are incredibly squishy but effective enough to stop me in a reasonable distance and I managed to lock up the front wheels. The shop said they thought it was a bad master cylinder (mighty coincidence that the master cylinder would go bad at the exact same moment my brake line blew). I decided to bring it home at this point to troubleshoot myself. I started at the RR bleeder as I noticed the bleeder screw was rusted into place (meaning they never bled the RR, at least not at the bleeder valve). Unfortunately the bleeder screw broke and I spent about half the day chiseling off the two rusted bolts retaining the wheel cylinder. At this point I removed the brake line from the flex line to the wheel cylinder, and it drained a significant amount of fluid. After replacing it with a new unit, bolts, and bleeder, I began the process over at the front left, FR, but upon reaching the RR nothing came out of the bleeder valve. No air, no fluid. I tried for close to an hour of pumping and even using a vacuum pump to no avail. I loosened the brake line at the cylinder and it was also bone dry. Same where the flex line meets the short brake line. At that junction I noticed an incredibly small amount of fluid seeping out of the flexible line with the hard line removed.
At this point I’m thinking there may be a blockage or internal collapse in the flex line. I tried removing the long main brake line to see if there was high pressure fluid there but the retaining nut stripped despite copious PB blaster and a correctly sized wrench. I can’t really think of anything else to troubleshoot at this point. I’m frustrated beyond belief. I know some cars have a proportioning valve, does this year Accord have one and could that be why I’m not getting any fluid at the RR? Anything else I could troubleshoot before removing/replacing the flex line and potentially the main brake line?
I’d appreciate any input;
about a month ago I blew out my right rear brake line while heavy braking to avoid an accident in front of me. Limped it along to somewhere I could pull off and it leaked out a significant amount of fluid. Far from home I reluctantly had it towed to a shop nearby where they replaced the burst line from the flex line to the wheel cylinder. About a month later I get my car back from the shop, the brakes are incredibly squishy but effective enough to stop me in a reasonable distance and I managed to lock up the front wheels. The shop said they thought it was a bad master cylinder (mighty coincidence that the master cylinder would go bad at the exact same moment my brake line blew). I decided to bring it home at this point to troubleshoot myself. I started at the RR bleeder as I noticed the bleeder screw was rusted into place (meaning they never bled the RR, at least not at the bleeder valve). Unfortunately the bleeder screw broke and I spent about half the day chiseling off the two rusted bolts retaining the wheel cylinder. At this point I removed the brake line from the flex line to the wheel cylinder, and it drained a significant amount of fluid. After replacing it with a new unit, bolts, and bleeder, I began the process over at the front left, FR, but upon reaching the RR nothing came out of the bleeder valve. No air, no fluid. I tried for close to an hour of pumping and even using a vacuum pump to no avail. I loosened the brake line at the cylinder and it was also bone dry. Same where the flex line meets the short brake line. At that junction I noticed an incredibly small amount of fluid seeping out of the flexible line with the hard line removed.
At this point I’m thinking there may be a blockage or internal collapse in the flex line. I tried removing the long main brake line to see if there was high pressure fluid there but the retaining nut stripped despite copious PB blaster and a correctly sized wrench. I can’t really think of anything else to troubleshoot at this point. I’m frustrated beyond belief. I know some cars have a proportioning valve, does this year Accord have one and could that be why I’m not getting any fluid at the RR? Anything else I could troubleshoot before removing/replacing the flex line and potentially the main brake line?
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3
is it possible the proportioning valve isn’t letting any fluid to the RR caliper? Any way to trick it into letting fluid down there with the car jacked up?
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,398
From: Wisconsin
I never had to mess with it when I had that car. There's no controls or linkages, but those things usually act as a pressure regulator of sorts.
I'm sure it IS possible for the proportioning valve to prevent fluid from getting through to one corner or the other. But I don't think there anything you can do other than replace it.
I'm sure it IS possible for the proportioning valve to prevent fluid from getting through to one corner or the other. But I don't think there anything you can do other than replace it.
Last edited by JimBlake; Sep 27, 2018 at 04:05 PM. Reason: make my answer more clear
Been Around A Long Time Member
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,572
From: Kimball MI
Does the car have ABS? Just asking as I've been told some cars with ABS need to do a couple of things before you can get them to bleed properly. Some are electronic, and some need something mechanical to happen. On my wife's 2000 Accord with ABS, I replaced both rear brake lines and the fuel lines, and didn't have any issues bleeding.
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,398
From: Wisconsin
1998 LX doesn't have ABS.
I had a 1998 EX with ABS and it's like yours. Nothing special, it bleeds right through the ABS modulator & you don't have to do anything. I think that's because 1998 was the first year that the ABS didn't have its own fluid reservoir.
I had a 1998 EX with ABS and it's like yours. Nothing special, it bleeds right through the ABS modulator & you don't have to do anything. I think that's because 1998 was the first year that the ABS didn't have its own fluid reservoir.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,398
From: Wisconsin
That's a short line in the rear suspension. Maybe there's a kink in the steel line somewhere upstream, forward of the flex line?
And it still might be the proportioning valve, unless you've tested something to rule that out.
And it still might be the proportioning valve, unless you've tested something to rule that out.
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