I flushed and bled my brakes today. Anyways I was expecting a firmer pedal than I have. I thourougly flushed and bled them and got all the air out. How firm should the pedal be? It has a good bit of travel before it really starts to brake hard. I thought I remembered a better pedal than that.

When I was bleeding them with the car off and pumping it the pedal would get really firm. When you start the car the pedal has more travel and even pumping it does not get it any firmer. Is this normal? How much pedal travel is normal and should I be looking at other parts of the system than a brake bleed for a real firm pedal.

 

Last time mine were done the pedal felt quite squishy for a while. I was a bit worried as I was headed for a track weekend but I was assured by Detroit Tuned that they would come back after some use. After one track session the pedal felt right again.

 

Interesting, any thoughts as to why?

 

Interesting.

I've think I've noticed a difference between MCs (like Tristan) and MCSs (like Shawn), Tristan's pedal feels a lot more squishy, but still works well. I first noticed that after a track day in Tristan. I got a low brake fluid warning, got the fluid topped up and the pedal felt all squishy. I don't know if I was just hypersensitive given the fluid issue, or if the feel had changed. I compared the pedal to another MC at the dealer and it was about the same.

I got a brake flush, did another track day, then the dealer did the 2 year brake flush, and the pedal still feels squishy. I've been wondering why. I was wondering if it was to do with the pads being on the way out, there's only a couple of mm left on them, the computer doesn't think they need doing for another 4200 miles. I'll be using Shawn for the track days until they get changed.

Meanwhile Shawn's brakes feel quite firm, even after a track day. I've been wondering if a brake flush would be a good idea before the next one. If it makes the pedal feel squishy, that doesn't sound like a good thing.

 

That doesn't sound quite right. The pedal having more travel when the engine's on is normal, I assume once the engine is on, there's some power assistance. But I'm pretty sure they do get firmer as you pump.

 

They will get a little firmer after you use them a bit but you should have a pretty firm pedal right off. Guess it depends on your definition of "squishy".. Did you bleed in the proper order. Right rear, left rear, right front, left front?

 

Yep, if they don't get better I will be installing some speed bleeders I have ordered and trying them again to make sure there is no residual air in the system. If when bleeding them I get a full stream of fluid with no air several times in a row I can assume the air is out of the system right?

 

Ironically the pedal is getting better after spirited braking. Time will tell.

 

Should but it depends on where the air might be, sometines if its way up in the system you need to flush through a good bit of fluid to get it out. Are you using a power bleeder such as a Motive or the peddle pump way? Haven't had it happen myself but I've also heard of air being trapped in the caliper itself which can be a pain to get out..... If you've just got a little bit of softness to it you might give it a day or two and see if it goes away, When I put my JCW calipers on it was a little soft at first but it's very firm now.

 

After thinking about this I realized my memory failed me. Chad (Detroit Tuned) just replaced my rotors. He didn't open the brake system at all. He thought the squishiness was because they weren't bedded in yet. I then changed the fluid myself. The pedal got firmer the more I drove it. So it wasn't due to the fluid change. Sorry....I'll shut up now

 

It's funny, I replaced my pads rotors on all four sides and than did a brake fluid change with ATF Super Blue. It felt a bit squishy as well. Right now, I'm now sure if I'm use to the change or it got harder.

 

Did the DT BBK kit and stainless lines all around 2 days ago and flushed with new fluid and the pedal was very soft. BUt the more I drive the better it gets. I am going to re bleed in a few days to make sure no air has worked its way around.

 

I just had the Detroit Tuned stage 1.5 brake kit put on and I'm getting this problem too. I talk to Chad about this and he told me the same thing that it would firm up once it was broke in. I really don't remember having to do this with any other kits I have got for my Mini. And the guy I had do the Brakes has been doing work on BMW/Mini's for a long time and he has never seen this before. Could it be the ATF Super Blue needs to settle or maybe the Caliper Bushings? I know right now the Caliper Bushings I got from Detroit Tuned are moving when I touch them. The stock ones didn't move.

But I got my car back yesterday and I have been driving and breaking and it seem to get a little better but not great. I will post back once I give it more time.

 

Professor,

How did the rebleed help your pedal? I will be rebleeding just to make sure all the air is out. I bought speed bleeders and will do it tomorrow.

K

 

Okay, are my expectations to high or is something just not right? I re-bled my brakes. I put on my new speed bleeders which made the job 10 times easier. A real quick one man job. Anyways now the pedal is back to the way it felt right after the brake flush. It firmed up over a couple hundred miles but now is not as firm. When I say firm it gets very firm at the end of the travel I was just expecting less pedal / higher pedal... Whats going on or is this normal?

The Bentley manual talks about using the ABS system for a brake flush. What is that all about?

 

I've had same symptom for quite a while, after many bleeds - more pedal travel than I think I should have... but firms up once it finally engages.

The reference to ABS/DSC in the Bentley manual refers to using the dealer scan tool to put the ABS/DSC unit in service mode - which ensures that air can't get trapped in that unit. MANY people bleed their MINI brakes without it... but I have too have been wondering if that may be my issue...

 

Well, after a good test drive it is firmer than before the re-bleed but still not what I think it used to be. After researching, it is possible I have a vacuum boost leak but I am not sure. After the car sits for a while the pedal is rock hard which suggests from reading a vacuum leak. Braking function is very good I am just used to it taking effect almost immediately with little travel. I will hopefully have Waylen take a look sometime...

 

Well after a lot of trouble I found that the problem was the pads. I guess they are just to soft or something. I put the old pads back on and the brake pedal feels great now. The old pad was hawk pads and the new ones was hawk pads too so I don't know what the deal is but it was the pads for sure. Good thing I only really needs the rotors and brake lines from the kit. My old pads were still good.

 

recently joined this forum and am very impressed with the information available.

However I cant see any published resolution to some of the posts where members have found their brake pedal travel to be concerningly more than it was before.

Its not that the brakes become spongy or that they are inefficient because the braking force is very good once the pedal has travelled some distance and no amount of pumping actually reduces the travel, its as though some slack in one of the braking system components has to be taken up with the first bit of travel before the fluid actually starts to be compressed to 'activate' the brakes.
The other posts that have highlighted this are usually pad replacement, nothing that would cause air to get into the system. On these posts, the members try all kinds of different bleeding procedures without it reducing the travel, and as I say the brakes are very good when they do come on.
its quite strange this appearance of excessive travel and i would very much like to hear if there has been any resolution to it before i ask the dealer to have a look.

 

Hi Coully,

I've changed my brake pads myself last weekend - pretty straighforward process - only to find a very spongy brake pedal. As you know, you usually step on the pedal and your nose can meet the windscreen if you're not careful. I'm just back from my local BMW dealer who bled and checked and bled again and finally announced that it would take about a 100km's (60 miles) for the pedal to return to it's original feel... "be careful in the meantime". So, I'm searching through this forum for answers too. The original post in this thread dates back to 2009.

Glenn