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Spongy brakes (adjustment?) -- 2004 Santa Fe

I have a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.5L AWD -- about 78,000 miles.

The brakes work (of course), but it feels to me like the pedal has to be pushed too far down before the breaking action starts to function. The pedal doesn't go all the way to the floor and it doesn't feel like a bad master cylinder (the pedal does stop and stays there when pressed down). It is not low on brake fluid. The brakes have been like that for about as long as I can remember -- maybe a couple of years. I recently had a lot of work done on the vehicle at a dealership (timing belt, power steering pump, etc. etc.) and they checked everything out beforehand and they didn't say anything about it needing brakes.

I think the brakes are self-adjusting. But, is there an adjustment that a mechanic or the dealership can make to have the brakes feel more "solid" and begin stopping the vehicle without having to press as far down on the pedal?

Reply to
JayR
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I've had this on my 02 Sonata since about 5 years ago. When I get new rotors and pad put it, it's very solid but after about 6 months of use, they get spongy too. I've had times where I was driving in the rain and had to brake quick. I didn't screech to a stop but it was more of a rolling stop...almost as if the calipers were not gripping tight enough on the rotor even though my pedal was to the floor. I've never heard the self-adjusting thing as it sounds to me like a dangerous thing. Unless there's ABS, they should not be adjusting.

- Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]

Reply to
Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]

Almost all car brakes are now "self adjusting". This simply means that there is a mechanism that tightens the brake settings to adjust for wear. Before such mechanisms were developed you had to have your brakes adjusted every few months.

Reply to
zayton

I've never heard the self-adjusting thing as it sounds to me like a dangerous thing. Unless there's ABS, they should not be adjusting.

disc brakes are self adjusting inherently by design.

Reply to
Partner

On the old cars it used to be self adjusting when you reversed and then braked, this adjustment could also be supplemented by turning a little worm thread in a window on the rear brake housing.

Reply to
Irwell

Just a point of clarification. These were drum brakes, that Irwell is talking about.

Reply to
jp103

And the Santa Fe is four wheel disc. There shouldn't need to be any adjustments.

So the question becomes: is there something wrong with the brake system. We're talking about brakes here, I cannot say I'd recommend anything other than having it checked.

Reply to
hyundaitech

Okay, thanks. I think I'll just go ahead and do that -- have the brakes checked -- since they don't get adjusted.

Reply to
JayR

Gotcha. I was interpreting it as the brakes "sef-adjusting" in the sense that they were trying to act like ABS without being ABS.

- Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]

Reply to
Thee Chicago Wolf [MVP]

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