try applying the brakes with the handbrake on (not full on), if this firms
up the pedal and reduces the pedal travel then it means that your rear brake
shoes are out of adjustment (and the auto adjust mechanism is not working).

Alistair

on 8/11/99 4:57 PM, Sharon & Miguel Calvin at mcalvin@ICAN.NET wrote:

> Volks,
>
> My brakes are behaving strangely.  When I press the pedal it goes down at
> least halfway before anything happens, and then the brakes seem weak.  But,
> if I pump the pedal once, it starts braking after about an inch of travel
> on the second depression, and the braking action is much better.
>
> I have bled the brakes at all four wheels with a combination of a vacuum
> bleeder and pedal depressions.  I ran a total of 1.5 litres of DOT4 fluid
> though the system.
> So I beleive that air in the lines is now unlikely.  What else could it be?
>
> TIA
>
> Miguel Calvin                              ==+=========
> mcalvin@ican.net                          /[ ][  ][  ]}|
> Guelph, Ontario, Canada                  |  _       _  |
> "Frieden" is our 83.5 VW Campmobile      =='O`-----'O`-= ~~
> with 1.9l wasserleaker and manual trans.
>