Spongy brakes on 2004 Forester...

[J S Narayan]

Hi

I just got a new 2004 Forester and the brakes seem very spongy to me.
Funnily enough, the demo one had much firmer brakes. I did some
research and it seemed like spongy brakes were the norm back in 2001.
Do the newer models still have this "issue" or do I need to do
something about it?

I checked with the dealer and I got the usual "Oh, that is normal for
a Subaru" answer that postings on the Internet had already warned were
the expected answer from the dealer.

Thanks
JSN

 

[name]

J S Narayan wrote:

I checked with the dealer and I got the usual "Oh, that is normal for

Yes it is, because some Subarus come with air in the brake system.
Please ask them to bleed it out, or do it yourself.

 

[TG]

Bleed the brakes and get some non expanding stainless steel braided lines
like Goodrich or similar. TG

 

[Edward Hayes]

If you put a few hundred miles on the brakes by breaking them in and they
still feel spongy compared to other Forester have the dealer check them and
FLUSH the brake system with new fluid. ed Hayes

 

[Guest]

This might not be your problem, but:

NEVER add brake fluid from a can you've had sitting around the garage--throw it out! ALWAYS use fresh brake fluid. It's hydroscopic, absorbs water, which gives a spongy feel to the pedal and can cause the interior steel parts of the brake system to rust! If you enjoy your car and push it on mountain roads heat form braking can cause the water in the fluid to boil which then causes "fade". A scary thing to experience. Been there, done that! You can buy one-person flushing devices pretty cheap.

If you put a few hundred miles on the brakes by breaking them in and they
still feel spongy compared to other Forester have the dealer check them and
FLUSH the brake system with new fluid. ed Hayes

Username munged by FixNews

 

[J S Narayan]

This might not be your problem, but:

NEVER add brake fluid from a can you've had sitting around the

garage--throw it out! ALWAYS use fresh brake fluid. It's hydroscopic,
absorbs water, which gives a spongy feel to the pedal and can cause
the interior steel parts of the brake system to rust! If you enjoy
your car and push it on mountain roads heat form braking can cause the
water in the fluid to boil which then causes "fade". A scary thing to
experience. Been there, done that! You can buy one-person flushing
devices pretty cheap.
Thanks for the tip. My Forester has about 100 miles on it so I have
not yet reached that stage.

- JSN

 

[Edward Hayes]

Let the dealer do their job to avoid any complications later. I would not
flush my brake system myself while under warranty because if a major problem
occurs then YOU (who are not a brake certified technician) will be held as
the problem. Ed