Oil in brake booster?

[Bulletman]

Gday All
I know this has probably been covered heaps, but can someone tell me if and how to check if my booster has oil in it. I have read you can suck it out to get you out of trouble. Car seemed to loose brakes last night and looking at the obvious things today nothing seems to be amiss.
I'm sure the recall was done but we are talking about a 14 year old car so would guess its possible oil has gotten into the booster.
Cheers Bulletman

[PerthDisco]

Exacto what just happened to me.

ShaneShed has videos on replacement.

Step 1 - with engine off pop apart the vacuum line quick connector in front of booster and you might hear the air suck in as some verification the NRV is working. You may notice oil oozes out as well (mine did not).

Step 2 - with engine running you should be able to feel vacuum suction at the connection. Put your thumb over it.

Step 3 - with a long flat blade screw driver prize the vacuum line out of the booster. It’s a friction fit into the rubber seal so work carefully in a few directions and it will pop out. The screw driver can get behind it so you don’t snap it off.

Step 4 - using something long and flexible dip for signs of oil in the booster. My oil extraction vac pump worked here and I also was able to suck out oil. Not a heap but an obvious amount. The rubber grommet comes out making a bigger hole to see into with a torch and you will easily see oil contamination.

Mine worked again intermittently after doing this - it is no fix. Your booster is cooked.

Step 5 - buy updated RRS booster and watch Shane Shed videos.

I took my vacuum lines completely off and by blowing into them you can verify the NRV works. I washed mine in soapy water and very little, if any, oil came out. I did not replace the line or touch the vac pump.

Hardest part of whole job is getting that damned safety clip off the brake pedal. Extreme torture.

New TRW RRS booster is amazing. Less than $300 delivered via AF.

[RANDLOVER]

Gday All <br>
I know this has probably been covered heaps, but can someone tell me if and how to check if my booster has oil in it. I have read you can suck it out to get you out of trouble. Car seemed to loose brakes last night and looking at the obvious things today nothing seems to be amiss.<br>
I'm sure the recall was done but we are talking about a 14 year old car so would guess its possible oil has gotten into the booster.<br>
Cheers Bulletman

The recall check valve can and does fail but you can buy it separately without the vacuum pipes. The booster doesn't need to be replaced unless the mineral oil has got on the rubber diaphragm.

[PerthDisco]

The recall check valve can and does fail but you can buy it separately without the vacuum pipes. The booster doesn't need to be replaced unless the mineral oil has got on the rubber diaphragm.

But if it isn’t working it’s either no vacuum or dead booster. Simple as that.

[Bulletman]

So I took the car for a drive and the brakes work fine when driving at normal speed and when slowing at the lights but on a few occasions when I was coming to a stop the pedal would basically just go to the floor.

I have ordered a new booster the upgraded RRS version and plan to look to see if the booster is contaminated either later today or tomorrow. I always thought other cars I have driven stopped better than the D3 so dont think better brakes will hurt even if the booster isn't at fault.
Also ordered a new vacuum pump as I'm positive its leaking oil so may be easier to change when the booster is out of the way.

Cheers Bulletman

[PerthDisco]

Pedal sinking to floor is another symptom like master cylinder failure or air in system. When the booster fails it’s like pushing on a rock. There’s no sink you have to use leg power to stop.

[Bulletman]

Well I just checked and there is no oil in the booster , well if there is its further down than the 200mm long piece of air line I poked the down there .
The system hasn't been opened or anything touched so wouldn't think its air.

So I'm looking for something else it seems.

Cheers Bulletman

[BradC]

Gday All
I know this has probably been covered heaps, but can someone tell me if and how to check if my booster has oil in it. I have read you can suck it out to get you out of trouble. Car seemed to loose brakes last night and looking at the obvious things today nothing seems to be amiss.
I'm sure the recall was done but we are talking about a 14 year old car so would guess its possible oil has gotten into the booster.
Cheers Bulletman

Is it consistent? Reason I ask is on another vehicle I've experienced a "temporary loss of braking" that turned out to be a malfunction in the ABS which thought a wheel was locked and eased off the brakes significantly. That was highly intermittent and took a while to track down. Admittedly that ABS system is considerably older and more agricultural that that in the D3.

[Bulletman]

Is it consistent? Reason I ask is on another vehicle I've experienced a "temporary loss of braking" that turned out to be a malfunction in the ABS which thought a wheel was locked and eased off the brakes significantly. That was highly intermittent and took a while to track down. Admittedly that ABS system is considerably older and more agricultural that that in the D3.

No I wouldn't say its consistent and if you are doing anything about 10ks/hr the car will stop normal. Its happening when you try and pull up coming out a driveway and go to stop the pedal just looses all its pressure, similar but not as bad as bleeding the brakes but along those lines.
Happened to me coming into a car park so doing maybe 2 or 3 km/h went to stop and no brakes quick pump and it managed to stop.
I had a car pull out when I was doing 60 and car stopped perfect.

Cheers Bulletman

[BradC]

No I wouldn't say its consistent and if you are doing anything about 10ks/hr the car will stop normal. Its happening when you try and pull up coming out a driveway and go to stop the pedal just looses all its pressure, similar but not as bad as bleeding the brakes but along those lines.

Does it go to the floor?

[Bulletman]

No but it's very soft and goes close. It almost seems like the brakes dont apply at all when it happens as the car will keep rolling.
Just seems like it looses all its pressure at very slow speed.
Cheers Bulletman

[discorevy]

No but it's very soft and goes close. It almost seems like the brakes dont apply at all when it happens as the car will keep rolling.
Just seems like it looses all its pressure at very slow speed.
Cheers Bulletman

Better order a master cylinder, better still, see if there's one in Perth ( assuming you're still there ) and get someone to fit it ASAP.

[Bulletman]

Better order a master cylinder, better still, see if there's one in Perth ( assuming you're still there ) and get someone to fit it ASAP.

I have ordered the booster and a master cylinder as knowing my luck when I start touching stuff on a 14 year old car it will start a chain reaction of breaking stuff , plus I know the booster will probably fail sooner rather than later if I dont change it together.
We have another car to use so will use that till the parts arrive and I will do the booster as well as the master cylinder, and if the vacuum pump is leaking oil as bad as I think it is then that will get done as well.
Cheers Bulletman

[PerthDisco]

If you’ve ever had a clutch master or slave cylinder go that’s how it feels with pedal sinking to the floor with no clutch release. Rubber piston seals fail and other tell tale is darkened clutch fluid. Not a regular occurrence on master brake cylinder but exactly same principle.

[Bulletman]

Well to update this , changed out both booster and master cylinder. No oil present anywhere in the booster or the vacuum line.
Bled the 4 wheels and wow what a difference in braking. I opted for the upgraded RRS booster from AF and I would go as far as saying the car stops better now than it ever has.
The change out wasnt that hard, well depends on what your frustration threshold is when trying to get the clip off the brake pedal pin... if only they put the pin in the opposite direction it would be a 1 minute job instead of a torch, mirror and a bucket full of swearing.
All in all not the worse job I have done on a LR but there always seems to be something that just makes it not a simple task. I never opted to change the vacuum pump as that just looks like a whole new world of pain. I did notice it is the source of my oil leak on the bellhousing tho.
Now to sort out my suspension/compressor issue.
Cheers Bulletman

[BradC]

I never opted to change the vacuum pump as that just looks like a whole new world of pain. I did notice it is the source of my oil leak on the bellhousing tho.

Years ago I had a motorbike that had an oil weep from the join between the crankcase halves. It wasn't huge, but it was enough that the oil would build up and run down the inside of the fairing where it'd drop out in front of the back wheel. It was a total disassembly to fix. I ended up wiring a sponge up against the leak and just changed that as regularly as was required.