Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

Many vehicle systems are complex. A failure in the system can maifest itself with symptoms that apply to more than one component.

The history of the individual working on the vehicle will affect his judgment. If I have found that a low reservoir and subsequent draining of fluid in the m/c was the cause of my brake loss, I'm far more likely to suspect the exact same problem in the future, when the rear brakes go out. It's human nature.

It takes a very careful analysis of all the data for a single individual to be successful with a complicated problem. Many times, the personnel at the dealership do not perform this analysis. They focus on one specific part and pretty much have the solution before the analysis is ever done. So, they change the part and the problem remains.

With this forum, you get the input from 15 (more......sometimes) different people , all with different experiences with the same symptoms. If you read all of them carefully, you obtain far more insight as to the potential problem than you can otherwise do by yourself.

Sometimes we get into a discussion regarding the problem with many possible scenarios explored and hashed out.

I recently remember a lengthy discussion regarding whether the brake booster or the vacuum pump was at fault. It's a very difficult diagnosis because a leaking brake booster can have the exact same symptoms as a weak vacuum pump. It may have been possible that both the pump output was low and there was a slight leak in the booster.

So, Richard, don't kick yourself for a misdiagnosis. That's what the forum is for. If you have doubts about a diagnosis, generally, the depth of the forum can set you straight. It's a very valuable asset.

I will add, for the benefit of new members, that the best solutions are provided to those members who can provide some hard data and detailed explanations of the symptoms.