having problems with our breaks after about an hour on the road. We are trying to replace 1 of the caps on the fluid reservoir the seal is bad. The may be the problem. After we replace the cap we'll need to bleed the brakes, yeah? Any difference on bleeding hydralic breaks as oppossed to regular breaks? Heard the fluid may be boiling to cause this problem....any cure for that issue? How do we find out if this is happening? Any ideas or suggestions?
You need to replace ALL the fluid in the lines and cylinders. This should be done on MH brakes every two years. Use the fluid recommended by your chassis manufacturer. Start at the furthest away brake and bleed fluid out being sure to keep the master cyl reservoir full. Wne you get fresh fluid out of that wheel cyl go to the next closest one and do the same, then the next and then the last. Unless you have a bad master cyl that should take coer of the problem.
Deen - Vancouver, WA
'02 Dutch Star 4090 (41+', triple slide)
435/1200 ISC Cummins/Banks PowerPak
'08 Honda Civic/dolly
'05 Honda Odyssey/dolly
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What problems after an hour? Resevoir cap removal does not require bleeding, it doesn't affect anything. Hydraulic brakes vs regular brakes? What vehicle are we talking about. More info please.
-Jeff
Some posted about brake fade after an hour yesterday but I do not remember the name of the thread but just do a search on brake fade and you should find it.
With Hydraulic brakes you can change the cap when the brakes are not in use. If you used the brakes while the cap was off or fluid was low, you should bleed them because that is how air gets down into the system. Bleeding is how the air is purged and fluid is replaced. Bleeding is wise every few years even when all is well.
If you experience fade your brakes may be failing to release, or overheating from some other extended use. This is what happens when the brakes become so hot that they boil the brake fluid. In a car it feels like a soft brake pedal and no stopping power, the brake force fades away. It is rare nowadays. In a camper you might see smoke by the wheels and feel heat near them, if you suspect they are hot don't feel the wheels directly, you could receive contact burns.
Good Luck, you are wise to deal with this right away, brakes are very important.
05 F150 FX4 Supercrew, 5.4, 3.73 LS, Jordan Ultima 2020 Brake Controller,
04 TrailCruiser 30QBSS, Battery Disconnect,
Dual Cam HP, Ultra Fab Power Tongue Jack, Bal Lockarm Stabilizers
Brake fade after an hour's driving (your original post) isn't caused by a bad cap on the brake reservoir. You need to have someone, who knows what they're doing, check your brakes (and flush the old fluid out) before you have an accident and hurt yourselves or someone else.
Mark
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U on a Ford chassis
2003 Ford Explorer toad with US Gear brakes,
ReadyBrute tow bar, and Demco base plate.
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