# Brake Booster question



## wankel (Dec 28, 2005)

I was helping my friend install subs in his 2002 altima 2.5s yesterday. After we finished the install and started the car up, the engine would shake and every 10 seconds it felt like it was going to shut off. And we lost function of the power brakes. So we were looking around the firewall where we got the amp wire through and realized that the hose coming out the top of the brake booster isnt connected to anything. So does anyone know where that hose is supposed to be connected to? 

Cliff Notes:
Engine idles bad and no power brakes.
Hose coming out of the top of brake booster isnt connected to anything, its just dangling there.

So can anyone give me a location as to where this hose is supposed to go? Thanks.


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## metro273 (Sep 16, 2005)

wankel said:


> I was helping my friend install subs in his 2002 altima 2.5s yesterday. After we finished the install and started the car up, the engine would shake and every 10 seconds it felt like it was going to shut off. And we lost function of the power brakes. So we were looking around the firewall where we got the amp wire through and realized that the hose coming out the top of the brake booster isnt connected to anything. So does anyone know where that hose is supposed to be connected to?
> 
> Cliff Notes:
> Engine idles bad and no power brakes.
> ...


It goes behind the intake plenum at the top somewhere. There should be like a "nipple" sticking out where that hose goes. That's why the engine is idling funny, too much air being sucked into the engine cause of that disconnected hose... :thumbup:


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## wankel (Dec 28, 2005)

So your saying it connects to the actuall intake itself? And thanks for the reply man.


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## KraZThug (Dec 27, 2005)

wankel said:


> So your saying it connects to the actuall intake itself? And thanks for the reply man.


It connects to any open nipples you think its missing a hose


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## Darktide (Jul 29, 2004)

your power brake booster is made functional by the vacuum supplied by your engine from the.... nipple. Anywho, that's why its connected, to supply vacuum to the power brake booster and not let tons of air get sucked in. 

AKA you have a rather nasty vacuum leak. I had the same happen on my '81 Trans Am.... didn't take me too long to figure it out ( I love clean engine bays)


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## wankel (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for the responses guys, but I think I may have a bigger problems on my hands. He took his car to a Nissan dealership and they told him we drilled throught the brake system when we were installing the subs. They qouted him $360 for the system and they said because of the leak his spark plugs went bad so he has to pay another $250 for a tune up. They claim that the hose coming out of the brake booster doesnt connect to the intake, but rather a pipe that we drilled through behind the strut mount. Is this true? I'm pretty sure we would have noticed a leak or something if we did drill into it.


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## Darktide (Jul 29, 2004)

you need to remember that its vacuum in the pipe. So you wouldn't notice a leak. However drilling through a pipe? I hope that you notice something like that. The pipe may connect to the intake somehow but the line from the brake booster HAS to have a source of vacuum, and unless they are running a vacuum tank (and I know they aren't) it's coming from the intake manifold. As for $250 for a tuneup. Tell them to go pound sand. 4 spark plugs that take all of 15 minutes to change.

A quick fix for it though. saw through the pipe (that you supposedly drilled into) right on the point that you drilled. Saw it in half. Then oil up a piece of rubber tube that'll fit snuggly over the line and slide it on. mate the two ends of the pipe together and then put the rubber hose over both ends and clamp it down. It'll hold up to vacuum no problem. And that should technically fix the problem. And they can take their $610 and cram it in the butt for the $3 fix. 

Also on the tune up. Pull a plug and check it out... unless its white/char black/covered in oil(yeah right). You probalby have NO reason what-so-ever to change them. Unless you're at around 70k miles and feel like doing a tuneup. 

That's my 2C but do your friend a favor and tell the manufacterer to go pound some sand for a day job. 


also (*sigh*) He doesn't HAVE to pay a damn thing. They CAN NOT do the work unless he authorizes it. if he did not authorize it he legally does not have to pay. If they refuse to give his car back tell him to report it to the police immediately. 

Good luck with it, if you have any more questions I'll be checking the board monday afternoon. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


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## wankel (Dec 28, 2005)

Hey man thanks a lot that makes so much sense, I'm gonna give it a shot. And yeah I was like how the heck does a vacuum leak cause spark plugs to go bad. Well thanks a lot man I really appretiate it. Happy new years to you too


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## KraZThug (Dec 27, 2005)

wankel said:


> Hey man thanks a lot that makes so much sense, I'm gonna give it a shot. And yeah I was like how the heck does a vacuum leak cause spark plugs to go bad. Well thanks a lot man I really appretiate it. Happy new years to you too



Well when common sence come to worse, since the brake booster is connected to the inatake manifold it can cause the Air Flow Meter more known as a MAF to give or take more air into the motor, making it run lean. I understand how spark plugs get bad when you run too rich, but there is also an explanation to that too. So having bad plug cause of your booster, it can happen. but like stated before spark plug cost like $1something each and replacing them is like watching your favorite car show.


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## Darktide (Jul 29, 2004)

KraZThug said:


> Well when common sence come to worse, since the brake booster is connected to the inatake manifold it can cause the Air Flow Meter more known as a MAF to give or take more air into the motor, making it run lean. I understand how spark plugs get bad when you run too rich, but there is also an explanation to that too. So having bad plug cause of your booster, it can happen. but like stated before spark plug cost like $1something each and replacing them is like watching your favorite car show.



On most cars that new (actually on most cars newer than '98 I believe) they call for Platinum spark plugs, which are actually needed in the newer engines and recommended in the new ka24's. I run laser platinum's in my 2000 because that's what I pulled out of it when I did the change. They cost a lot of money but I won't run anything other than OEM. They last 100k miles under normal circumstances and run much cleaner in an economy standpoint.


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