JamesB
04-11-09, 07:13 AM
I've got a 1998 Pathfinder with a VG33E engine and something like 270,000 km on it.
Over the past week, the engine has begun stalling at idle, and diagnosis of the problem revealed that the stalling only happened if I applied more than moderate pressure on the brake pedal with the engine at idle. Some further experimentation has revealed that the engine won't start if the brake pedal is pushed at the time, and the brake system seems to lose vacuum very quickly after the engine stops. I'm guessing that it's a vacuum leak somewhere in the power brake system.
The only thing between the intake manifold and the booster is the hose and a check valve. Apart from checking the easy to access check valve, what should I be looking for to determine if the booster is the problem before I haul it out?
I've never worked on a brake booster, but I'm assuming if the problem is the booster, then it's most likely a damaged diaphragm that's causing the problem.
Over the past week, the engine has begun stalling at idle, and diagnosis of the problem revealed that the stalling only happened if I applied more than moderate pressure on the brake pedal with the engine at idle. Some further experimentation has revealed that the engine won't start if the brake pedal is pushed at the time, and the brake system seems to lose vacuum very quickly after the engine stops. I'm guessing that it's a vacuum leak somewhere in the power brake system.
The only thing between the intake manifold and the booster is the hose and a check valve. Apart from checking the easy to access check valve, what should I be looking for to determine if the booster is the problem before I haul it out?
I've never worked on a brake booster, but I'm assuming if the problem is the booster, then it's most likely a damaged diaphragm that's causing the problem.