So I let my b5 a4 sit for a few months, over the winter actually. Naturally, the battery is dead. But the brake pedal is frozen and the brakes are hanging, but not locked up. I actually flat towed it 4 miles and was still able to use the handbrake to slow and stop it. Also, when I popped the hood, the brake fluid reservoir was empty and cracked on the top. Any ideas or suggestions?

 

Without brake fluid, you're not going to have brakes.

Replace the reservoir, bleed the lines, hope for the best? There might be some other catch or issue you'd need to work out in doing this, but someone else can chime in if there is.

The handbrake runs on cables and is basically separate from the rest of the braking system.

 

Ill give it a go

 

Agree. Replace the reservoir, fill with fluid, and bleed the brakes.

We have fluid available below.

Click HERE to order or for more information


We also have new reservoirs available as well shoot me a PM since there are model splits.

Jason

 

Well, today I'm going to try bleeding them. Assuming that doesn't work, what do you think the problem could be? I'm thinking the master cylinder, connected to the reservior...

 

Opening a bleeder valve didn't do anything. Is there a brake booster or something?

 

haha yeah, there is a booster or something.

what do you mean by brake pedal frozen? can you physically not move the pedal down at all?

 

this is too vague. please ellaborate on the "frozen pedal". i lack the vision for the problem at hand... details man!

 

Literally, the pedal is frozen. Wouldn't move at all. Like I said, it sat over winter. I pulled off the master cylinder and it allowed the pedal to move so I'm pretty sure the master cylinder is seized. Is there a way I could confirm that its the master?like test it while its out of the car?

 

Its probably the piston that is seized.