I had the local brake shop replace a leaking brake line to the rear brakes. Now they say that the brake fluid wont pass thru the actuator valve for the ABS from the rear to the front. So now there are no rear brakes. I tried searching the forum and can't find anything. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. The car is a 85 300 SD.

First time I have ever heard this. I would keep trying to bleed the rears. Were they working prior to replacing the hose. I would suspect air in the line.

__________________
Jim

I'm not sure if the rear brakes were working prior. The mechanic said something like he can't figure out why the rear fluid won't pass thru the relay actuator to the front. He said air and bubbles were coming out of the lines when he was pumping the brakes. I hope they didn't mess it up.

Air and bubbles will come out until all the air is out of that hose and caliper. Sounds like he needs to keep bleeding them. If you are getting air/bubbles out it is just a matter of time before the fluid shows up.

__________________
Jim

Thanks for your reply. He said the air was coming out the protovac valve? I assume it's that box that sits in front of the fluid resevoir that has bosch written on it and that has 2 lines coming from the front and back. The air was coming out of the front lines when he would pump the brakes. I think they really messed it up, because now there is much more travel in the pedal before the front brakes engage.

I should add that he thinks that because of the leak, it shut something off that needs to be reset?

I have never heard of a protovac valve. The box in front of the reservoir with Bosch written on it is your anti lock brake modulator. I wonder why he would be messing around with any of those brakes lines. The lines he needs to bleed are the calipers at each wheel.

__________________
Jim

I don't know why he was messing with the ABS modulator, but he was sure that was the problem. Something like the lines coming in from the back weren't feeding the lines coming out the front? I'm not sure of the competency of these brake shops. Maybe he was not aware of bleeding at the caliper?

I think he is trying to ramafram your discombobulator and runafritz your refractionator.

This guy is trying to snow you. The job was over his head and he is trying to cover. I would stop payment on the check or challenge the credit card payment and take the car to a different tech.

JCD

I agree with JCD, he's in over his head. I'll bet he never topped up the resevoir during the bleed, of course all he'll get is air, that's all that's in the rear chamber.

The rear chamber will run plum dry in just a couple cracks of the bleeder screw, and unless you look closely you won't see that it's empty, The front chamber has to be filled slowly until it appears it will overrun, then the fluid will transfer to the rear chamber.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

There was fluid in the rear chamber. I'm concerned if he had any business fooling with the ABS modulator lines? Which lines go to the rear wheels the front or back?

On the cars that I have bled the brakes on with ABS I have never touched the line at the ABS modulator.

__________________
Jim