brake pedal travel problem

[raphael204]

Okay, we have a 2002 xc with a brake pedal which travels almost to the floor. Front pads are brand new by Volvo dealer, rear recently completed (8k miles) also by dealer. Paid a grand to have a new master cylinder installed, but alas, the travel, while better, is still way too far before engagement. There are no alerts about leaks, pressure, etc. Volvo dealer tells me there is nothing more to do and that the lengthy travel is "normal" for this age, but it is not normal and while the car does stop, one worries about safety. Any thoughts? Thanks very much! Raphael Harris

[BillAileo]

You have probably already consider the following but just in case: The replacement of the master cylinder should be followed by the bleeding of the brake system. After the bleeding, the system should be checked for the presence of air. According to VADIS this would be done as follows:

"Press down the brake pedal using a jack at a pressure equivalent to heavy braking, 200 Nm. With the engine off and the brake pedal depressed 3-4 times, the pedal travel must not exceed 40 mm. If the pedal travel exceeds this limit, bleed again and re-check the pedal travel."

[howardc64]

So far, the few times I've heard about deep brake travels on this car, the following turned out to be the problem. Read "Common Mistake" of the following link

http://www.freewebs.com/howardsvolvos/brakes.htm

But these problems were mostly newbies doing Volvo brake pad job (including me) Dealer did yours so I would guess it is something else.

In any case, food for thought.

[raphael204]

Bill and Howard, thank you very much for your responses. The local Volvo dealership, and large one in the mid-Atlantic area, has done all of the work including the replacement of the master cylinder. I have no idea if how the mechanic did the work, but I will bring the 40 mm spec to the attention of the service manager. Clearly, something is wrong! Thanks again for the responses -- they are very helpful.

[Blessyouboys]

Was there excessive brake pedal travel before you replaced the pads? Why did you replace the master cylinder?

[JRL]

What does age have to do with anything?
Your XC brakes needs to be BLED and bled properly.
Volvos are notoriously cranky to bleed and it may have to be done a couple of times.
It took us three times (to bleed) my 00 R to get a good brake pedal