Dying powermaster?

[litdog83z]

Just went for a drive and noticed my third brake light wasn't coming on.

I pumped the brake pedal a few times with the car off to check for sure, and smoke started coming out of my hood. Smelled kinda like coolant burning, only a little different. Popped the hood and there's brake fluid dripping off the reservoir. Looks like the seal is possibly bad and leaking, I can push on it and it makes a squishy sound like air is leaking, so yeah..

Well, I siphoned out all the brake fluid a while back and it was all green (burnt?). Now it looks dark in the reservoir (it's dark outside, so I can't tell for sure till tomorrow) and my mom that's been around cars a lot says it smells burnt, like it's gotten really hot. It does smell a little different, but not anything alarming to me yet.

My brakes still work fine, although they do squeak a little bit sometimes when i'm not pushing the pedal, although I did just put on new rotors and pads 500 miles ago.

Is burnt brake fluid a sign my powermaster may be overheating and starting to die then?

 

[litdog83z]

Ok, my mom is just crazy, it all looks fine, aside from the leaking reservoir cap seal. Are the lids/seals powermaster only? Or can I get one for any regal, etc?

 

[zeus87gn]

Your reservior was overfilled. When you pumped the pedal with the key off, you were depressurizing the system. The passenger side of the fluid bowl will fill up with fluid from the Accumulator ball. It should be considered full when depressurized and fluid doesn't run out the top. When you turn the key back on, the motor will pump fluid into the Accumulator and lower the level in the bowl down to about 1/2 way. Leave it there.

Air in the system usually causes the squeaking you are describing. Can't explain the green color, maybe some strange fluid. Burnt or old brake fluid usually turns black. Signals that it's time for a flush and refill.

You did bleed the brakes with the new install of pads? If not, you probably have boiled the fluid and it needs to be flushed out and replaced with good fluid. If your PM goes to working fine after this, you should be Ok.

The third brake light not working is either a blown bulb, bad fuse, or the white wire at the base of the steering column come loose.