[CopoNova]

I know this isn't a BMW question, but my other car has an issue and I need help:

I found a brake leak tonight on my 2014 E350. It is pretty bad. If I press on the brakes fully I get a pretty nice puddle under the car, to the point that the brake reservoir is pretty much empty. The thing is, I had my service B done at the dealership 9 days earlier (April 27). I thought for sure that the service department didn't fully tighten the bleeder when they replaced the fluid. The leak happens to be right behind the passenger rear tire. I pulled the tire and saw that it wasn't actually the bleeder on the caliper but the connection between the rigid line and the flex.

Is it possible that this was loosened during my service when they were bleeding the brakes? If so, can I just tighten it? I don't even know what to call this connection to google it.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SunglassesGuy]

you can try tightening it to see if it fixes the problem.. be sure not to let you reservoir get empty. if this stops the leak, then you'll need to bleed your brakes as well. air could get in the line with a loose fitting. sounds like your shop should be redoing this job unless something is broken. - which they should have pointed out.

 

[Garfunkgrin]

As someone who has recently done a full brake line replacement on a rusty dodge pickup, I will give you my honest opinion:

• avoid pumping the brakes any further - as mentioned you can introduce air into the master cylinder if the level gets too low. You don’t want air at all near the master or the abs system.
• Looking at the state of the hard line, this looks like corrosion leak, not loosening of fittings. If you put a wrench on these, it is likely that the line will be seized to the fitting “rust-welded”
• I would not touch these lines unless you are prepared to replace the full hard line section as well as the flex line that goes to the caliper.
• To me this looks like a tow to the shop job unless you are comfortable replacing the line and bleeding yourself. Usually there can be risk of cascading lines breaking as you try to replace sections, so be ready
• Lastly, check the other side also, if it’s equally as corroded, consider replacing as well to avoid repeat labor
  
  

 

[Garfunkgrin]

Also, passengers side will typically be more rusty in right-drive countries, since the slushy salty junk gets plowed to the curb side.

 

[cphes]

It’s rust. You need copper lines. American Grease Stick - available at Advance Auto. Good product. You can bend by hand - carefully, but doable. I used this on both an e38, and a r53.

 

[cphes]

It’s rust. You need copper lines. American Grease Stick - available at Advance Auto. Good product. You can bend by hand - carefully, but doable. I used this on both an e38, and a r53.

For sure you will need the line to that junction, and a new flexible line. Look at the rest carefully - that won’t be the only rust ( in most cases ). COPO Nova? What year?

 

[CopoNova]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I'm sure that the corrosion is a major factor.

 

[CopoNova]

For sure you will need the line to that junction, and a new flexible line. Look at the rest carefully - that won’t be the only rust ( in most cases ). COPO Nova? What year?

I like that you know what a CopoNova is. I had a 1971 SS clone but lost it in the divorce.