[max_330i]

Hey all,

Pulled my car out of the driveway this morning and there was a wet spot under right front wheel. Figured it might be A/C but the spot didn't dry up... Now I'm thinking brake fluid because the pedal has felt mushy recently. I suspect a problem with brake lines or caliper.

Couple things:
- Brake fluid flushed with ATE and brakes fully bled approx. 2 weeks ago
- Front pads are a little worn but still plenty of material. Hawk HPS front/rear pads sitting in my trunk but haven't had time to replace
- Dash shows red car on lift and red brake light. I have new front/rear brake wear sensors that I'm hoping will clear the lights.

My questions:
Am I okay to drive my car home from work? I'm worried I'm going to burst an old brake line and rear end somebody.
Anybody upgraded to stainless steel brake lines or something similar? Example here http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/ss_brake_lines/

Thanks in advance
Max

[ycehcky]

You should fix this as soon as possible. It may be a loose or cracked brake line and this will cause an eventual brake pedal to the floor with nothing happening.
Side note, if your e brake works pretty well.. You can just risk it haha.

[max_330i]

Originally Posted by ycehcky

You should fix this as soon as possible. It may be a loose or cracked brake line and this will cause an eventual brake pedal to the floor with nothing happening.
Side note, if your e brake works pretty well.. You can just risk it haha.

I know. I think I will risk it just to get the car home but I realize this is a huge safety issue, hence the thread. I'm just wondering which brake lines to order and what to fix first!

[NiNeTyOne]

Why not jack the car up and pull the wheels and find the problem first?

Until you put eyes on the hose there's no way you're going to really know what the issue is, and until then we're all just playing pin the tail on the donkey.

Not to be an ass, but you really have no idea what your issue is and you really haven't done any of the requisite basic diagnostics yourself. You're guessing, and you're asking us to guess so you'll feel better about your guess.

Just doesn't seem like a safe or prudent way to go about this.

Go pull 5 17mm bolts and report back on what you actually find, then maybe someone can make an educated guess as to what's ailing your car (or it'll be obvious to you).

[John 070]

If your car has sat (assuming you're at work) and you see fluid again, I wouldn't drive it. Have you uncovered the reservoir to see if the level has dropped? Given that your pedal already doesn't feel right, my recommendation is to not drive until you're sure there are no leaks and all the air is out of the system....

[max_330i]

Originally Posted by NiNeTyOne

Why not jack the car up and pull the wheels and find the problem first?

Until you put eyes on the hose there's no way you're going to really know what the issue is, and until then we're all just playing pin the tail on the donkey.

Not to be an ass, but you really have no idea what your issue is and you really haven't done any of the requisite basic diagnostics yourself. You're guessing, and you're asking us to guess so you'll feel better about your guess.

Just doesn't seem like a safe or prudent way to go about this.

Go pull 5 17mm bolts and report back on what you actually find, then maybe someone can make an educated guess as to what's ailing your car (or it'll be obvious to you).

I agree with you that I do not have a diagnosis. I would pull the wheel and investigate myself but I am stuck at work. I made my post because I wanted others' opinions and because this forum is a great resource when I have access to my computer, but not my car.

I'm not asking you or other forum members to magically guess what's wrong with my car, rather, just sharing my story in the hopes that someone else has been through a similar experience. My apologies if I sound ignorant or immature for asking.

Originally Posted by John 070

If your car has sat (assuming you're at work) and you see fluid again, I wouldn't drive it. Have you uncovered the reservoir to see if the level has dropped? Given that your pedal already doesn't feel right, my recommendation is to not drive until you're sure there are no leaks and all the air is out of the system....

Thanks for the input. The reservoir level has dropped but not by much (it is still within the min/max guidelines.) I will check again later and that should give me an idea of how much fluid is escaping.

[Willsbma]

You flushed the brakes and now you have a leak? I'd check the bleed screw and make sure you tightened it all the way/not stripped. Def don't mess around with brakes. It's possible you have a leaking caliper also, did the pads wear down really far and scrape?

[Miller335]

Originally Posted by Willsbma

You flushed the brakes and now you have a leak? I'd check the bleed screw and make sure you tightened it all the way/not stripped. Def don't mess around with brakes. It's possible you have a leaking caliper also, did the pads wear down really far and scrape?

This

[Hacksaw]

This is how accidents happen. Track side, if I heard someone saying this we would not let them on the track. I do not understand how you can think it's ok to drive.

Jack that thing up and locate the source ASAP. Do not drive it period.

All it takes is a quick look to determine if you left a bleeder a little loose or you just had some extra fluid that pooled up from the bleed.

But don't take your life and possibly someone else's in your hands when you know there is something brake related going on.

[max_330i]

Update: oddly enough it is a front strut that is leaking fluid under the car. Brake fluid reservoir is at the same level as earlier today. When I took the wheel off, I saw all the moisture dripping down the strut, and the brake lines were bone dry.

Anybody know a good place to order a front strut?

[AM330i]

Always replace in pairs. If you replace one side and not the other the old strut will not dampen as much as the new one resulting in a very awkward ride. You should also plan on an alignment afterwards. You can try bavauto, fcpeuro, ecstuning and many other places.

[mweisdorfer]

If your strut is gone, probably your rear shocks are gone or on their way out. You should replace in pairs, or replace all 4 in one shot.

FCP euro is a good place to get them. You get a Life time warranty on them, if you order them from FCP.

[mweisdorfer]

You can probably get Bilstein B4's and the surrounding hardware for about $600.00, if all you want to do is have an OEM setup. Bilstein 4's are slightly better than the OEM shocks.

When looking at surrounding hardware, Look for lemforder parts and buy those vs BMW OEM. Lemforder is the OEM provider.