I have no Brakes!!!!!!! Any Ideas or tips to diagnose?

[dmf6978 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dmf6978]

Hi Everyone. My car has sat in my garage sadly for almost 8 months without moving. I know its a horrible thing to do to my poor car. 1983 240DL in mint condition. My personal mechanic called it quits after COVID and now teaches. I have been stuck trying to fix certain items myself. I started the car up few months ago, and the engine starting to shake violently. I assume it might be a vacuum hose issue but this is too technical for me to figure out.

Started the car up today to move it out of the garage and get the fluids moving. I have 0 brakes. Peddle is to the floor. Looked at the reservoir for brake fluid and its empty. Nothing is dripped under the car so I assume i just went poof. Filled it up to the right line, and then pumped the brake peddle. I get nothing. Could this be the brake booster gone bad? What other tricks or tips I can do to test this myself. I am reluctant to take it to another independent dealer, since my personal mechanic touched my car for 20 years. I really trust no one else.

[tardcart Member Find all posts View Profile Close tardcart]

the fluid can go four places; pavement from lines or leaky master cyl. seal, but you checked that; inside the rear breaks, look at the in sides of the rear tires for wet; inside the power booster and either drip on the rug by your feet or get sucked into the engine from the vac line. If sucked in the engine lots of white smoke. You will have to bleed the breaks since they ran dry to have any pedal. probable bad master cylinder seal. but you may also need a booster.

[dmf6978 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dmf6978]

Thanks for the tip. I will check out for leaks for sure this weekend. bad seal isn't so bad, but a new brake booster its a few hundred and to install it. its the original one, so i guess all these years it finally went. its my own fault because the car sits in the garage for long periods of time and I normally try and take it out once a month and drive it, but not this year.

[dmf6978 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dmf6978]

So I ended up taking the car to the shop. He thinks the brake fluid just evaporated and I just need to have them re bled. As far as the surging happening during idle it sounds like air mass meter. I have had this replaced like 20 years ago so its not a bad thing i guess for this to happen again.

[BlueDL Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BlueDL]

Evaporated? Brake fluid? Not to sound like a jerk but I don’t think I would trust anyone that said brake fluid evaporated. It could likely sit open in a coffee can for many years without evaporating, let alone being sealed in a brake system. Sounds fishy.

[tardcart Member Find all posts View Profile Close tardcart]

yeah. and you dont need a new airmass either. just clean it. definitely dont buy a non Volvo airmass. get a used if necessary. You have to use mechanics that do Volvos as a side line, if there are any left . they may have packed it all in like the Saab mechanics. also if the battery was dead or disconnected the ECU may have to relearn the deficiencies of you car and run rough till you drive it some. Im not familiar with the learning curve of the early cars.