Jim Grant's Tech Tips

’97 Honda Civic, Brake Master Cylinder Leaking at Rear

Q: I took my ’97 Honda Civic to a dealer for the 60K service. He said that the brake master cylinder was leaking from the rear. The brakes have been working well so far. What can I do to verify this myself before investing? I am novice at this.

Mohan

A: That’s easy, just get under the hood of your Honda and look at the brake master cylinder. The brake master cylinder is bolted to the power brake booster. If the master cylinder is leaking at the rear you will see what looks like oil running down the face of the power brake booster. The origin of the leak will be in the area that the brake master cylinder bolts to the booster. If the area appears to be wet as described, wipe it dry with a cloth, be sure the brake fluid is at the correct/safe level. Monitor the brake fluid level daily and check to see if the brake booster has signs of leakage. Sometimes when the master is topped off, brake fluid gets spilled and runs down the back and looks as if there is a master cylinder leak. Other times it is real and the correct repair requires a replacement master cylinder. Checking this problem out is a visual thing and it is not that difficult to determine if repairs are needed.