It sure sounds like your brake master cylinder has bad internal seals.

If so, the cure is to replace the master cylinder, which you can do
yourself, then the brakes will need to be bled.

In that the brake fluid should be changed every 2 years or so ... now is
probably a good time to flush the system, too.

Mike
'84 GL 7 pass
'85 GL Westy

Dustin Jones wrote:
> Hello, the brakes on my 1990 Carat seemed to grow tired this weekend and
> don't have much stopping power. I was driving 3 months problem free, it was
> great! Anways the problem is quickly getting worse, and my daily driver is
> not safe for me to drive anymore :-( I checked the brake fluid, it is fine,
> although it probably could use a change. I really have to pump the brakes a
> couple times to get any stopping power and it doesn't hold long before it
> feels like something. I gotta get this fixed by next monday, I have to make
> a road trip to to Philly for work. Hopefully this is something I can
> fix  by
> myself or with an assistant, the funds are kinda low. Any help would be
> greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>