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CX-3 Right Hand Drive Brake Booster

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1.8K views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  Heresy  
H
#1 ·
Hello, in the mornings my brake pedal is hard to press, I am confident the brake booster check valve has a leak, yes it could be other things, but after the car starts everything is fine, its only after the car has been sitting there for a number of hours this issue occurs. The mouth droolers that work at the local mazda deal couldn't fix themselves a cup of coffee let alone service a car. Yes they are that bad, when I moved cities for work the mazda dealer in the big city had a look at a clicking noise (under warranty) in the left seat and they finally fixed it after the dealer in my small town couldn't (after 4 tries) and they even said the dealer in the small town broke the seat so bad it was unsafe and the whole thing had to be replaced, all under warranty thankfully.

Now car is out of warranty and the local guys are criminals and incompetent. The car has been in for service twice with the problem reported them at time of drop off, after the second time and me specifically asking about the brake pedal/check valve issue when I picked up the car with the "yep everything is fine" report, they tell me "not sure about that problem" but "we can replace the vacuum pump, master cylinder and booster if you like". And quoted me verbally "it would be over $4000"

Anyways you get the picture of what I'm dealing with. I am chasing a picture or parts layout diagram and part number of the vacuum hose that contains the check valve for a right hand drive vehicle so I can then seek a replacement. I have found the vacuum hose that are made for left hand drive vehicles which is a single long hose with the valve built in. Right hand drive vehicles the master cylinder is on the left side of the car looking front on at the engine bay and there is actually 3 hoses broken up between hard steel black tubing as part of the vacuum system. One is easy to get to and I checked it and didn't have the check valve, the others will require quite a bit of work, so I would rather I had the hose ready to go and just replace it even if its not the issue because of the amount of hours involved, If that makes sense.

Thank you if you can assist !!

(PS I live in Australia)
 
#2 ·
That's terrible, having a dealer like that, especially if there's no other option. If you are out of warranty, then you may as well find a brake specialist and steer clear of the dealer that gives you problems. Unless is a mazda specialized part that you need serviced, then dealer would be best.
As for the brake pedal, I can also confirm this happens, when ignition is off (if you pump the brakes it hardens up), but once the ignition is on (hand brake down or up gives the same result), it softens to normal. To me this seems part of the Hill assist feature and may also be due to the configuration of the ABS brake booster. I may be completely wrong, but looking at my parts history, this primarily affects the rear brakes. Because when I wash the car on an incline, I find that when I want to drive off the brake pedal is hard before ignition is on. I can only assume that the incline in combination with me putting my weight against the car while washing causes this to happen and prevent rolling. Also I say it affects the rear brakes because the general usage (wear) is alot higher on the the front pads than the rear - considering that I don't brake hard and that I get in excess of 5years for my brakes, I change them way before it's worn to the indicator.
Again, I may be completely wrong.
 
H
#4 ·
Can I confirm three things with you, just as an extra that what I am experiencing is normal:

1. Ignition off, I pump the pedal the brakes harden up, start ignition they return to normal operation. Everything works fine, Car stops, ABS works. No air sounds when pressing pedal.

2. Ignition off overnight, brakes are hard (but can still be pressed with a little pressure), start ignition and they return to normal operation. Everything works fine, Car stops, ABS works. No air sounds when pressing pedal.

3. Ignition off, only few hours has passed, brake pedal is not hard, still has some vacuum, start car. Everything works fine, Car stops, ABS works. No air sounds when pressing pedal.

It was the number 2 I thought might be an issue or abnormal, I was of the belief the check valve should retain some vacuum and the brakes should hold soft or normal for quite some time. Its a bit of a blur trying to remember what to expect lately, life has been very busy and recently changed jobs too.

Thanks again for your reply, it is very much appreciated.
 
H
#3 ·
Thanks for the tip. I was wondering if it was normal behavior to be honest. In my house there is only me and my partner and we have 4 cars. All different brands. So what we do is drive a car from full tank of fuel to just below quarter, fill it up, then garage and swap to the next car. So it can be 6-7 weeks between when we drive the CX-3. So when I get in the CX-3 I get the hard pedal and think its not right as its unlike my Nissan X-Trail, or Isuzu D-Max or Haval H6GT. And they are all different!! We are in the process of reducing to two cars for good reason!

There is a hill assist switch in the CX-3 and I didn't even think to look at it, I honestly dont do much with my cars except drive them. I have never used the CD player in the CX-3 or even pair my phone yet lol. I generally get in and dont want to waste time stuffing around with those things and while the wife is driving unless if im looking at my phone or down I get car sickness.

Thanks again, my cx-3 is behaving exactly like yours, so I might do a bit of a looky and monitor it.
 
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