# Soft Brakes



## 01Pathfiner (May 13, 2005)

My 01 pathfinder se brakes really soft, i mean when your braking the pedal almost goes to the floor but its not like im losing brakes or anything it brakes fine is just the pedal is really soft. its been like this since i bought it, suspecting a mater cylender, i went to the dealer to price one, i asked the guy if they comonly sell them he said he's never sold one. so im assuming its not common. has anyone here experienced anything like this? HELP!?! 

thanx


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## Frank1 (Jan 17, 2004)

I own a 2004 LE and have found the brakes to be soft from day one. My dealer checked this and found the brake pedal travel to be normal. I have driven other Pathfinders and found the same thing. I have read that due to excessive brake pedal travel that there have been some cases where the driver's foot also pushed on the gas pedal while braking. Be careful!!


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## 01Pathfiner (May 13, 2005)

so this is normal...good because i was getting worried. buy why would nissan make the pedal so soft it makes no sense, its more dangrouse than it is safe.


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## Frank1 (Jan 17, 2004)

I agree, it took some time for me to get used to the soft feel. The brakes work fine but the pedal should not travel as far as it does. I have not tried an 05 but hopefully it's not the same.


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## no1uno (Feb 1, 2005)

My 01 SE has soft brakes as well. After I changed the pads and bled the brakes, I was hoping they would be firmer but no change. I don't notice it anymore, I guess I just got used to it.


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## beige01pathfinder (May 14, 2005)

does anyone know if u could buy a aftermarket master cylinder to harden the pedal, or is there some kind of adjustment u could make.


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## Derogate (Apr 30, 2005)

hehe yea i noticed that today in my new-to-me 95 pathy. I was trying to lock up the breaks and just about slammed the pedal to floor without so much as hearing a chirp, or the abs (i was actually checking to see if i had it... guess i have to wait for rain).


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## dgmodel (Mar 19, 2005)

same thing with me, ive owned audis, and acuras before my 01 pathfinder and the first thing i thought was "man these brakes suck, i need new ones" took in for a routine service and asked for them to check the pads and brakes etc. and they told me everythings fine the brakes tend to be "spongey" so long story short its supposed to be like that... ive never owned a car like this but if its supposed to be its supposed to be.


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## SLVRPATH (Mar 19, 2003)

Ive got an 02 path and my brakes are soft as well. when my dad or brother drive they say my brakes suck so i did go get them checked and the dealer said they are fine and the reason they are soft is because they have this G-Shock sensor and they adjust to the type of road you are driving on and how hard you press them. if you constatly push the brakes with force they will adjust and become hard but at the sametime pushing so hard will kill your brakes. I've tested what he said and they did stiffin up if i press the brakes hard. ive been driving normally with out pressing my brakes with so much force and i changed them at the begining of the year with 65,000 i believe. 
I do have to say pathy brakes suck!! i would suggest making them 4 disc brakes like my 94 honda passport had....daym i miss that car!!


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## dgmodel (Mar 19, 2005)

that sounds like a load of bs.


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## beige01pathfinder (May 14, 2005)

lol man nah thats not the case. when u push the pedal the become stiffer cuz u build pressure in the lines. neways i found a solution sorta, it helps a bit.
u basicly adjust it like you would a clutch but dont turn the input rod too much or the pads will push on the rotor and cause drag while driving. here it is


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## jquigley (May 5, 2006)

beige01, can you repost your adjustment? It looks like its missing and I'm having the exact same issue with my 96 LE Pathy. Stupid soft brakes are driving me nuts.


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## grover (Jul 27, 2005)

if you can adjust the rear brakes up abit more manually you will find the brakes allot better if you want to test the amount of slack in the drums just pump the peddle a couple of times and you will find the peddle will be right up :fluffy:


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## jquigley (May 5, 2006)

Thanks Grover. Actually, I have tried that, both by myself, and getting a mechanic to do it, and it does help for a while, usually a week or two, then the problem returns. My mechanic did do a good job adjusting the brakes, but it seems no matter who does it, the problem returns. I'm not sure why my brakes keep coming out of adjustment like this. Any ideas? The brakes are supposed to be self-adjusting via the e-brake, but it seems that when I use the e-brake each day, the brakes get looser rather than tighter and pedal freeplay increases.


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## grover (Jul 27, 2005)

jquigley said:


> Thanks Grover. Actually, I have tried that, both by myself, and getting a mechanic to do it, and it does help for a while, usually a week or two, then the problem returns. My mechanic did do a good job adjusting the brakes, but it seems no matter who does it, the problem returns. I'm not sure why my brakes keep coming out of adjustment like this. Any ideas? The brakes are supposed to be self-adjusting via the e-brake, but it seems that when I use the e-brake each day, the brakes get looser rather than tighter and pedal freeplay increases.


iIf you are using the E brake (hand brake here in oz ) to adjust it and it is getting looser there has to be somthing wrong . On our aussie model's the drums are adjusted by braking every time you stop in reverse (or that's what im'e told ) I must admit my brakes do have a bit of travel but it has become second nature to give them a little pump, most times I dont even know I am doing it


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## jquigley (May 5, 2006)

Actually, the Canadian ones are probably the same. I wasn't sure if the hand brake did it or not. But I tried backing up a few times and braking hard and it feels like it helped a bit. Thanks a bunch Grover! I'll post again if I see anything new develop.


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## jquigley (May 5, 2006)

Actually, it IS the hand brake that adjusts the rear drums on the Canadian models. At least for the 96 model it does.

But for some reason it doesn't seem to adjust itself very well. I suspect some faulty non-nissan parts in the drums from Midas may be suspect but I can't be sure. Looks like its back to the garage.


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## colinnwn (May 13, 2006)

Something else that tends to cause spongey brakes is expansion in rubber brake lines. If you were to replace them with braided stainless steel lines, it would probably firm up the pedal considerably. This has been common practice on IH Scouts for years.


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## jquigley (May 5, 2006)

Actually I have the braided steel brake lines already  I think the problem is in the rear drums somewhere. The hand brake doesn't seem to tighten them up at all, and my brake travel is the biggest concern, as it is getting worse with every passing week.

I suspect there is a problem with the auto-adjusters on the brakes, and they are not performing correctly. This would account for the fact that when the garage adjusts my drums, they are nice and tight and firm, but as time goes on and the shoes wear down, the pedal travel grows. The interesting thing is that the hand brake seems to be making the problem worse rather than better, so perhaps my adjuster star wheels are not working or even on backwards?


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## bbells (Aug 15, 2007)

Sorry to revive an old thread. But here is some info other owners might need to know. I have had this same problem on 3 Pathfinders, 92, 98, 2003. And I agree the travel is dangerous. There is an unorthodox fix. 
Do the following only after adjusting your rear brakes, bleeding your brakes, and making sure your pads and lines are all in good shape. 
I have had to do this on every pathfinder I have owned.
There is a rod at the top of the brake pedal - It goes to the master cylinder. Loosen the locking nut that is tight against the brake pedal bar.
Use a pliers to turn the shaft out a couple complete turns. It will turn clockwise when looking at it from the steering wheel side. Tighten the nut. Go for a test drive. If it is better, fine. If not, adjust it a little more. Don't adjust it too much or your brakes will drag. Adjust it as little as necessary. Again, it would be idiotic to do this if you haven't confirmed everything else is fine.


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## rvogel (Jan 7, 2011)

Just bought an 03 Pathfinder and it has spongy brakes so I thought it was air in the lines. Just bled everything, check all hoses, etc, no air getting in. Just mushy brakes I guess. Funny that they firm up when you pump them, just as they would if there were air in them.
Not a master cylinder problem?


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## grover (Jul 27, 2005)

rvogel said:


> Just bought an 03 Pathfinder and it has spongy brakes so I thought it was air in the lines. Just bled everything, check all hoses, etc, no air getting in. Just mushy brakes I guess. Funny that they firm up when you pump them, just as they would if there were air in them.
> Not a master cylinder problem?


You could also try braided brake lines


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## rvogel (Jan 7, 2011)

grover said:


> You could also try braided brake lines


good idea. Has anyone tried them? Do they justify their cost by firming up the pedal substantially?
Has anyone sourced made-to fit braided lines, or have you used generic hoses?


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

rvogel said:


> Just bought an 03 Pathfinder and it has spongy brakes so I thought it was air in the lines. Just bled everything, check all hoses, etc, no air getting in. Just mushy brakes I guess. Funny that they firm up when you pump them, just as they would if there were air in them.
> Not a master cylinder problem?


I went down the same road described in this thread but with my Toyota Sienna over about a year or more...on a number of occasions after reporting to dealer and even getting a brake job they sez..."that's just the way they are". Now bear in mind..."squishy" or "soft" is a matter of degree. In my case the Sienna brakes would go WAY down near the floor. Long story short..that's not how they were when I bought the thing new....and low and behold when I finally got a tech who knew what he was doing and gave the system a good bleeding...voila...solid brake feel again. So in the cases where one has "really" soft brakes...and I realize "really" isn't a quantifiable measure..but nonetheless...I call BS on any tech who sez "that's the way they are suppose to be". That's a "cop out" answer.

Regarding braided steel lines...I haven't tried them yet but they'll be going into my Pathy when I re-do the brakes next summer...ones designed specifically for my model. $100 for the lines plus labor to replace 13 year old rubber lines....worth it to me even if they help just a little.


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## carman3 (Dec 23, 2004)

The long travel on the brake pedal before the brakes engaged was solved on my pathfinder by turning the rear dums. The drums were slightly warped and because of this is affected how closed the shoes could be adjusted before they contacted the drum. Note I didn't replace the rear shoes I just had the rotors turned and brakes adjusted to just contact the drums.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

carman3 said:


> The long travel on the brake pedal before the brakes engaged was solved on my pathfinder by turning the rear dums. The drums were slightly warped and because of this is affected how closed the shoes could be adjusted before they contacted the drum. Note I didn't replace the rear shoes I just had the rotors turned and brakes adjusted to just contact the drums.


That is interesting and sounds very unusual to me. Were the brakes bled in the process? If the drums were warped I would think that would result in LESS brake pedal travel.... or even more likely... variable or pulsing pedal. If your brakes were NOT bled...I'd speculate the fix was more likely the cleaning/adjustment more so than the drum turning...


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## bigdaddyjr2 (Jul 23, 2011)

Need some advise. I have 98 pathfinder2wd. I changed the worn out pads in the front wheels and bled them out with the help of my brother. Placed new ceramic ones in the front. Upon test drive brakes felt low and mushy. Brake travel increased. Any idea how to fix problem? I didnt rouch the rear drums. Im planning to check them tommorow thanksgiving and bleed them. Does anybody know the bleeding sequence? Go bless!!!


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## bbells (Aug 15, 2007)

I am on my 3rd Pathfinder. The best way I have found to bleed the brakes is to slightly open every bleeder valve and let the fluid drip out for an hour or 2. Make sure the fluid level does not get too low. Don't touch the brake pedal if you do this. It makes a big mess unless you have a gravel driveway.


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## bigdaddyjr2 (Jul 23, 2011)

Thanks for the quick response. So that means taking all the wheels off, i may not have the euipment ro do that. But you think what caused the mushy brakes was not bleeding or working the rear drums? I obtained a manual for the pathy and states to start left rear then right etc.... To bleed air out. I only have one jack to work on. I also read a post from you bout the rod above the pedal as a last resort


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## bbells (Aug 15, 2007)

Personally, I wouldn't remove the wheels. I would just crawl under and loosen the bleeder screws. But, it should only cost $20 or so to have someone bleed them all for you. The Pathfinder is hard to bleed for some reason, so letting it drip or bringing it in has always worked best for me. Don't adjust the brake rod until you are sure they are bled right and the rear brakes are adjusted right. Good luck!


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## bigdaddyjr2 (Jul 23, 2011)

Thanks a lot. Bbells. One more follow up. After 2hours of loosening the bleeder screws. Whats are the proper steps? Thanks again. Its really helpfull info


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## bbells (Aug 15, 2007)

Just tighten them up again. Then try your brakes. It will take a few pumps before they are normal. Make sure you don't let the reservoir get low while doing it. And, the bleeder screws just need to be snug, don't over-tighten. Good luck.


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## Aldefurianni (Dec 1, 2016)

Ok. I read all the old posts about brake pedal travel and solved it on my 2002 Infiniti QX4 with the help of my mechanic Sal at Apple Tire in Rahway NJ.

Oddly enough, the power booster was working overtime causing the pedal to go further down than normal because . . . One of the two slide pins on each of the two calipers were stuck. The calipers needed to be removed, heat applied to remove the pins cleaned and greased. Once reinstalled, the pedal had normal travel. Sounds odd but it worked for the abnormal travel.


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