brakes are "mushy", as in i am pushing my brake pedal nearly to the floor, and it is slowly braking. i just replaced brake pads (only in front), so could it just be the brake fluid is bad, (supposed to be blue or green (i think), looks nearly black) or is it the entire master cylinder?
for what it's worth, i got the car used at 150,xxx (not sure of matinence history), now has 208,xxx.

 

Brake fluid doesn't go bad. It will absorb water over time and degrade the caliper and possibly the master cylinder.

Air in the system would cause brakes to be mushy, but you shouldn't have been able to introduce any air when changing the pads unless you opened the air bleed valve.

It might be worthwhile to bleed the brakes at all four tires and check rubber hoses going to each caliper for a bulge.

If bleeding the lines doesn't fix the problem, then replace the master cylinder. Go with one from the dealership or from dealerships that sell OEM parts online. Read post in the DIY section by deserthonda about bench bleeding the new cylinder.

There are posts about having to perform a pedal adjustment when using the cheaper aftermarket parts. From what I've read, its a PIA.

 

sounds like you got a bad master cylinder.....

blue and green in color ,, you must be thinking about coolant ,, brake fluid when new is a light golden color ,, when dirty it turns black........

Like Pa ,,, adviced,, spend the extra money and install a quality master cylinder , it might cost a bit more now but it will last longer and you do not have to worry about pedal adjustment ,, and make sure to bench bleed it before installing it

 

yep, master cylinder. Replaced mine last week.