Hissing brakes/break booster question...

[caryhorner]

So, apparently I've been REALLY lucky. I heard a rebroadcast call in to Car Talk today from a lady with a V70XC with hissing brakes, just like mine. I had been told by one of my repairmen not to be concerned. Tom and Ray said that ultimately if the problem isn't fixed, the brakes will stop working. Boy, was that ever news. I guess I've had the problem for a year and half now! Seriously.

Tom and Ray did say it's usually worse when it's cold, which was totally the case for me. That hissing was so bad in the winter. Now that it's spring, nearly summer, I can't reproduce the sound, but I don't feel like my breaking is very tight. I gotta press the pedal in pretty far to get results. My car is an '02 on the '01 cusp and I have read that these had bad break boosters that would crack. Despite the fact that I'm not hearing the hiss now, I'm pretty sure I need to get this fixed.

My question is... since this break booster is a whopping $500+ (seriously?!?!), have the new ones been better designed so that I wouldn't be throwing my $500 down the tubes 3 years later? I realize parts eventually ware and tear but $500 was beyond sticker shock. I'd hope a new one would last long enough to justify the expense. It's been 12 years now, surely they re-engineered them to stave off the problem longer.

[JRL]

It's BRAKE not break
You break something, but you BRAKE a car
This is rare past MY2002 so I would guess that a replacement booster should out last a 2002

[Astro14]

I disagree with your repairman. This doesn't get better with time, only worse. The vacuum leak will eventually cause engine performance issues. When it gets worse, you will lose boosted braking...and that's dangerous. So, I agree with Tom and Ray.

I replaced the brake booster on my XC about 4 years ago. It's been fine ever since, lasting over 80,000 miles so far. I used a genuine Volvo part, purchased from IPD, which fit perfectly. I can't say if it's been redesigned. I can say it's lasted a long time and I don't anticipate its early failure.

I replaced the brake booster on the T5 last month. I used an ATE unit from FCP Euro...it didn't fit perfectly. Bolted in just fine, but the position of the brake pedal was off by a bit and I had to shim the brake pedal arm to get the stop light switch (which is not adjustable on this car) to work. I still wonder if my pedal height is correct...

You save about $100 on the ATE over the genuine Volvo, but I would go with genuine Volvo if I ever have to do it again. The installation is a pain. I had to open the system, remove lines and move the ABS module...

(By the way, good grammar is a courtesy to the reader...)

Cheers,
Astro

[caryhorner]

I caught myself a few times typing "break" instead of "brake" but didn't think to proofread everything pre-posting. But I am well aware of the difference. I'm just a bit foggy today.

This advice is good though. Thanks for posting. I'm glad to know you've gotten so many miles out of your genuine Volvo replacement. Guess it is time to find the best possible deal I can. That price is one hell of a shock. I got a buddy that can do it, and I've seen good tips online too, such as getting the seat back as far as possible before disconnecting the battery. Howard's site had some good links I found almost immediately.

[Astro14]

I wasn't too happy about the cost either...

The 25 year old booster in my 4Runner is original, and has 248,000 miles on it. A booster should last. Sadly, not all do...

You'll have to bleed the brakes afterward, but that's something that I do every other year anyway, following Volvo's maintenance schedule for the fluid.

On the plus side, the calipers, ABS system and master cylinder are original on both my XC and my T5. I credit that fluid flush for helping them last.