Long EOC no brakes at the bottom

[GasSavers_Jack]

I took a new route to work so that I could take full advantage of the mountain that I live on. I got a couple 1 1/2 mile EOC with no issues. I got to a longer 4 miles down a mountain and have to use the brakes often. Near the end I went to push the brake and it did almost nothing. I would have been ok if the light at the bottom would have been green. Is there a way to prevent that other than a restart midway.

Or should I just try using the handbreak?

What a car dumbass I am!

[SVOboy]

Oh geez, that's not good. MetroMPG just bumps on for a second and shuts off. It doesn't use all the much gas but recharges the vacuum for the brake booster.

Good luck and don't die!

PS: If I'm coasting to a stop I always bump on and then engine brake to the stop as engine braking doesn't use any gas anyway.

[zpiloto]

Originally Posted by Jack

I took a new route to work so that I could take full advantage of the mountain that I live on. I got a couple 1 1/2 mile EOC with no issues. I got to a longer 4 miles down a mountain and have to use the brakes often. Near the end I went to push the brake and it did almost nothing. I would have been ok if the light at the bottom would have been green. Is there a way to prevent that other than a restart midway.

Or should I just try using the handbreak?

What a car dumbass I am!

I've noticed with mine it's the number of applications of the brakes. I have 4 shots and then it's gone. But if I apply the brakes and continue with pressure it lasts a long time. But I don't have any 4 mile sections of road to do it on. Be careful out there.

[Sludgy]

Gee, I think I posted something about the danger of loss of vacuum with EOC a few months ago.

FYI, diesel trucks used a vacuum pump to provide brake boost. This might be a possible mod if you want to EOC regularly.

[GasSavers_Jack]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Oh geez, that's not good. MetroMPG just bumps on for a second and shuts off. It doesn't use all the much gas but recharges the vacuum for the brake booster.

Good luck and don't die!

PS: If I'm coasting to a stop I always bump on and then engine brake to the stop as engine braking doesn't use any gas anyway.

I think what I will do is just restart midway recharge the vacuum and shut off again. That was my first trip that way with no kids in the car (that trick is not to be tried the first time with kids).

I would have been ok but the light 2/3's down was red or I could have gotten 2 more miles before I needed to hit the exit and that ramps off to up hill.

[LincolnW]

If it's a long hill your brakes could just be getting really hot and your brake fluid could be bubbling (boiling).

The only way to avoid this would be to engine brake to take some of the stress of the brakes. If you turn the engine off and just use the brakes the whole time, they are going to heat up fast.

The brake booster will run out of vacuum assist, but your brakes would still stop you, you would just need to use a little more pedal pressure.

What kind of brake fluid are you using? You could try flushing the system and using a brake fluid with a higher boiling point.

[GasSavers_Jack]

Originally Posted by 90CivicStandard

If it's a long hill your brakes could just be getting really hot and your brake fluid could be bubbling (boiling).

The only way to avoid this would be to engine brake to take some of the stress of the brakes. If you turn the engine off and just use the brakes the whole time, they are going to heat up fast.

The brake booster will run out of vacuum assist, but your brakes would still stop you, you would just need to use a little more pedal pressure.

What kind of brake fluid are you using? You could try flushing the system and using a brake fluid with a higher boiling point.

I am sure it was lose of the vacuum assist. As far as brake fluid got me it came in the car.

[GasSavers_civicminded]

I believe it's assist also. I ran into the same issue night before last on a steep section that's about 3 miles long. Kinda scary the first time it happens - they still work, you just have to REALLY mash on them (and pulling the ebrake helps too). What I've found on that section is I use the ebrake to keep the speed down going into and during the really steep section then I have assist for the rest of the desecent (I agree with zpiloto, about 4 seperate shots).

All be carefull out there!

[LincolnW]

Have any of you considered stepping up to a little larger bore master cylinder?

Having a larger bore MC decreases the amount of pedal travel required to stop the car. If you were using the EOC method frequently then I would think a larger MC would really help, and be safer as well.

[SVOboy]

I want 1" but that's so annoying to get running with the reflaring the lines or whatev you have to do, *shrug*