Leaking Brake Fluid???

Joined
14 March 2005
Messages
78
Location
CA BAY AREA
Just purchased a 92 NSX, drove it back from WA to CA. Drove great, but now that I have it home, I noticed after driving it pretty hard under the front compartment area, near the front behind the driver side headlight I'm leaking a bit of ??BRAKE FLUID??

It's not coming out of the Master Cylinder, or the Plastic attached resevoir, but there is a silver distribution box below, with several metal lines coming out of it. THIS IS WHERE the fluid is coming from, the top resevoir.

Now the fluid level actually is quite a bit over the max line, not to sound like an idiot, but wouldn't this be the cause and effect of it??

The guy I purchased from had just taken the Vehicle to Acura for an oil change and to top off the fluids.

Should I be overly concerned??

Any help or suggestions appreciated.

Mike
 
Same thing happened to me after I overfilled the reservoir. I drove it pretty hard, and leaked a fair sized puddle. No problems after that. The fluid expands as it heats, and in my case, found its way to the garage floor. I don't think its a big deal (imho). I'm not a mechanic, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last week :biggrin:
 
A sticky valve in the abs system can also cause fluid to pour from there. It can happen when the ABS system is activated after a period of non-use. I had it happen once when panic stopping. I resolved the sticky valve by working the ABS (breaking hard on sandy surface a couple of times).
 
I think it was about a year ago that this happened to me and I did a thread on it. Larry Bastanza figured that I had a stuck valve, it happened once, I cleaned the area up carefully and it hasn't happened since. I've also regularly "exercised" my brakes to the point of the abs activating.
 
Good deal, thanks. I bought a turkey baster, I'll remove some fluid, clean the area and keep a watchful eye.

I cannot believe the looks, smiles, and questions I have had in the last 2 1/2 days. This car, or shall I say these cars bring alot of attention. :cool:
 
NSXVURGIN,
I had the same problem on my NSX. I turkey basted the brake fluid, refilled with new fluid, exercised the brakes, turkey basted, refilled, exercised again and the problem has gone away. Remember to not remove too much fluid - don't let the fluid drop below the fluid pickup or you will introduce air into the brake system. Keep in mind that you should probably exercise the brakes reguarly (once a month is my interval).

Now that you have your NSX, join us for the next Bay Area NSXCA club lunch. http://northwest.nsxca.org/events.html
 
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Mickeylex,

Thank you for the invite. I'll have to check out whats upcoming in the Bay Area. I'd like to meet everyone.

Thanks also for the tip!

Vurgin
 
dnyhof said:
I think it was about a year ago that this happened to me and I did a thread on it. Larry Bastanza figured that I had a stuck valve, it happened once, I cleaned the area up carefully and it hasn't happened since. I've also regularly "exercised" my brakes to the point of the abs activating.

I'm currently having the same problem with the brake fluid appearing on my garage floor all of a sudden. It happened a few weeks after I stored it away for the winter. I noticed the puddle because I pull my car out of my garage every weekend to warm it up. I hope my problem is as simple as what you guys experienced. What did you do to clean the area up to stop the leak? As usual, I'm probably being paranoid. :rolleyes:
 
typerturbo said:
I'm currently having the same problem with the brake fluid appearing on my garage floor all of a sudden. It happened a few weeks after I stored it away for the winter. I noticed the puddle because I pull my car out of my garage every weekend to warm it up. I hope my problem is as simple as what you guys experienced. What did you do to clean the area up to stop the leak? As usual, I'm probably being paranoid. :rolleyes:

I know this is off topic and opinions vary on it, but I would just park the car for the winter and not warm it up. All you are doing is giving the car a bunch of cold/hard starts with no exercise. Leaving it sit and giving it one cold/hard start in the spring is (in my opinion) a lot better for the engine in the long run.
 
dnyhof said:
I know this is off topic and opinions vary on it, but I would just park the car for the winter and not warm it up. All you are doing is giving the car a bunch of cold/hard starts with no exercise. Leaving it sit and giving it one cold/hard start in the spring is (in my opinion) a lot better for the engine in the long run.

Your reasoning on the cold/hard starts with no exercise is a valid argument but my main concern is; how long is too long, for a car to sit before the piston rings seats itself against the cylinder sleeves or fluids settling/separating and possibly not keeping certain parts properly lubed?

Thank you for your input as I will decrease my weekly cold/hard starts to a monthly ritual. :wink:
 
I change the oil right before I put my car in for the winter, run it for a few minutes and it won't get started again until March/April. I'm sure others do the same thing (but some may change the oil in the spring instead of winter).

Now back to the discussion of overflowing brake fluid.
:smile:
 
mickeylex said:
.. I turkey basted the brake fluid, refilled with new fluid, exercised the brakes, turkey basted, refilled, exercised again and the problem has gone away.
Hi Nalesh - I'm not sure how much good you are doing with that method other than just changing the fluid in the reservoir itself - exercising the brakes in between "turkey baster extractions" doesn't mix any of the fluids in the actual lines with a dilution/replacement type of method: bottom line is you are still left with old fluid in the part that really matters, the master & wheel cylinders & lines.
Do yourself a favour & buy some speedbleeders - you need SB10125 for the NSX - I'll be happy to help you with the proces if you're unfamiliar with bleeding, with or without speedbleeders (same for you NSXVURGIN - in fact I'll even host a mini "class" if several of you Bay Area locals want to get together to do this) Good time to upgrade to the SS lines at the same time if this is something you might have been considering.
I changed out my fluid using ATE blue which apparent from its inherent qualities, has the added advantage that you see the colour change when it comes out of the wheel cyclinder, so you know all the old stuff is gone!
 
D'Ecosse said:
Do yourself a favour & buy some speedbleeders - you need SB10125 for the NSX - I'll be happy to help you with the process if you're unfamiliar with bleeding, with or without speedbleeders (same for you NSXVURGIN - in fact I'll even host a mini "class" if several of you Bay Area locals want to get together to do this)

Ken,
Thanks for the offer. I would like to take you up on your offer to host a mini-class. Maybe after the club lunch on April 2nd? Two questions: 1. I'm getting ready to order the speedbleeders - do I also need the hose, bag and thread sealant? 2. I'm assuming I need four individual bleeders; should I order a couple spare?
 
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