97 Chevy Lumina help with brakes

[carnewbie]

Hi everybody, thank you ahead of time for reading this and any help you may be able to give me.

 

I am encountering two problems with my brakes. One is this hissing sound whenever I step on the brakes. As I understand this is a problem with the power booster. How can I tell if this is a problem I have to replace the whole thing, vs a hose? Or a friend was talking about a one way vale that might be a $5 fix. My mechanic wants $600 to replace the whole thing, $300 in parts, $300 in labor.

 

My second problem is with my rear brake lights not working. The middle one (in the rear window) works, but not the other two (on the right and left sides of the trunk, facing backwards) dont. I was told they SOMETIMES works, probably connected to if I signal my turn before braking. I just recently replaced the turn signal, and it was working, as far as I knew (it wasn't before that, as well as my turn signal stick straight up broke)

[95 vert]

Sounds like the brake booster needs replaced.

I have the same brake light problem in my 96 CS.

My CS needs the turn signal switch replaced. Common problem.

[carnewbie]

Thats what I think as well. I heard something about a one-way valve at the apex of the "pyramid" that may have gone bad. Is there a cheap way to replace it I can do myself?

[Schurkey]

Thats what I think as well. I heard something about a one-way valve at the apex of the "pyramid" that may have gone bad. Is there a cheap way to replace it I can do myself?

I don't know about the "apex of the "pyramid", but the one-way valve in the booster won't create noise you can hear from the passenger compartment. On the other hand, a defective hose will make the engine run terrible, and be noisy pretty much ALL the time.

 

Noisy booster = defective.

 

My mechanic wants $600 to replace the whole thing, $300 in parts, $300 in labor.

That better include a complete brake fluid flush, and a lifetime warranty on the booster. If it does...you could do worse. I initially thought the price was excessively high, but I forgot about the fluid and labor for the brake flush.

Edited July 30, 2013 by Schurkey

[carnewbie]

I don't know about the "apex of the "pyramid", but the one-way valve in the booster won't create noise you can hear from the passenger compartment. On the other hand, a defective hose will make the engine run terrible, and be noisy pretty much ALL the time.

 

Noisy booster = defective.

 

 

That better include a complete brake fluid flush, and a lifetime warranty on the booster. If it does...you could do worse. I initially thought the price was excessively high, but I forgot about the fluid and labor for the brake flush.

 

Do you think I could get one from a junk yard with relative reliability? Or is this likely to happen again/already be affecting the "new" one?

[Schurkey]

Do you think I could get one from a junk yard with relative reliability? Or is this likely to happen again/already be affecting the "new" one?

Booster failure is irrationally common on earlier W-bodies. I don't have a lot of faith that it's better on the later ones.

 

I got mine from CarQuest, rebuilt with lifetime warranty, about $150 each, but that was a few years ago. The symptoms I had were entirely different from yours, but the booster was still at fault in both of my Luminas.

 

http://www.w-body.com/showthread.php/32510-Hard-brake-pedal-no-stopping-power?highlight=poor+stopping+power

[l67ss]

Had same prob wit my 97 monte on da tails

[ron350]

Carnewbie if your symptoms are the same as Schurkey you probably need a new booster.

 

If your brakes work OK and just hear the vacuum noise you just lost the silencer. Most vacuum boosters suck air in under the dash when the brake pedal is pushed. They add open cell foam rubber silencers in the neck of the booster under the dash to keep dust out and noise down. When the foam gets old it usually gets sucked into the booster sometimes messing them up sometimes not.

[Cutlass350]

Do you think I could get one from a junk yard with relative reliability? Or is this likely to happen again/already be affecting the "new" one?

 

The booster went on my 2000 Olds last year. Imho, get a new one. Getting a used one is like playing Russian Roulette by yourself - you know you'll loose, but not exactly when.

 

Yea, it takes time (and hence, money if you're paying for the repair) to replace the booster since you have to disconnect the brake lines from the master cylinder, yank the MC, then yank the booster. Replace all, then bleed the brakes. It takes time to do all of that stuff.

[carnewbie]

Carnewbie if your symptoms are the same as Schurkey you probably need a new booster.

 

If your brakes work OK and just hear the vacuum noise you just lost the silencer. Most vacuum boosters suck air in under the dash when the brake pedal is pushed. They add open cell foam rubber silencers in the neck of the booster under the dash to keep dust out and noise down. When the foam gets old it usually gets sucked into the booster sometimes messing them up sometimes not.

 

That sounds like possibly the problem. Thank you! Since holding the brake down stalls my car, eventually, I am guessing it messed up the booster. Thanks everyone!

[1979lee]

id say booster. my old 98 lumina did the hissing thing. it was a pain in the @$$

to change.