Brake Pedal Soft Then Firm After One Press

[mattmanic]

Hello,

I've got a '98 GS300 and I've noticed that if I press the brake pedal while driving I'll brake gently and the pedal will feel soft-ish, if I let off then press the brake again straight away, it'll be much firmer and brake harder.

Do I need to bleed my brakes? If so, does anyone have a link to a guide or a workshop manual?

Thanks :)

[jimmythehat]

Yes . Sounds like you have air in system . Fluid should be changed every 2/3 years anyway due to inducing water . 

[CARiD]

That's right, it's probably the air, which is not really safe. I suggest you to bleed the brakes as soon as possible. If you have some technical skills and some spare time you can do it by yourself otherwise just take it to a shop, it's quite a common procedure. You can check some instructions in this article Why is it important to do a brake fluid flush?

[mikeyv]

The first question you need to ask is, why is there air in your system?

If you don't know how to bleed brakes, then you probably wouldn't know how to check for leaks?

Safest thing..... get it checked by a proper mechanic.

[mattmanic]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I guessed it was air. I took it to lexus cheltenham but they wouldn't touch it as they thought it was leaking out of the master cylinder. Upon further inspection I found it was the fluid reservoir that was leaking, from the oring/grommet things it feeds though. I took it off, cleaned it all and reseated it. Doesn't leak anymore and the brakes feel better, but still definitely due a bleed. Lexus wanted £90 to do it originally but I've bought all the fluid so I'll have a go myself. Can anyone link me to a guide? I've read in various places about there being a correct order to bleed in and that you need to turn the ignition on for the rear brakes in order to let the pump push the fluid through...