Brake Pedal goes 2 inches from floor before engaging

September 28, 2017

Model: 2010 Toyota Corolla S, 1.8Liter 4-Cylinder

Original Problem: Failed inspection due to brakes engaging too far down, close to floor board. Brakes were also very spongy, and there was hissing under the hood when braking (was told it was too loud to be normal)

Replaced or performed (in order):

- Master Cylinder (piston was completely broken off.) Bled brakes. Still spongy.

- Rear drum brakes, and adjusted. Checked front brakes, rear drums, and front rotors...all appear in good condition. Bled brakes again. Still spongy.

- Rear passenger brake cylinder (it fell apart when removing brakes) Bled brakes again. Checked other brake cylinders, they seemed fine. ....still freakin spongy.

- Changed out the 11/32 vacuum hoses leading from Master cylinder.

- ABS works, tested traction control on gravel, appears to work fine.

- Brake Booster...after replacing everything mentioned above, still heard hissing under the hood when braking and brake pedal would push upward when turning car off with pedal pushed down after idling for 2 minutes (read in forums that was an indicator of vacuum leak and failing booster) Not spongy after replacing booster, yay!

Current problem: The brakes are firmer, no longer "spongy" and work much better, but they still engage fairly close to floorboard (probably 2/3 or 3/4 of the way down...which is why the car failed inspection in the first place) unless they are pumped prior to actually braking. Can still hear hissing but have checked the vacuum hoses...all seem fine.

- Attempted to adjust rear brakes by engaging emergency brake while in reverse at 15 mph several times, although I don't think that was necessary since I'm pretty sure we adjusted them properly when we installed them, and it made no difference in where the brakes engaged afterwards anyway.

Will be bleeding brakes for the bazillionth time tomorrow afternoon, since it wouldn't surprise me that changing the booster would require bleeding after. Seems to be a trend with changing out brake parts...I dunno, before last week, all I knew about brakes is that you push the pedal with your foot and the car magically stops. If that doesn't improve where the brakes engage, I'm officially out of ideas lol.