[therightcoastrider]

I noticed some oil around the lever as soon as I opened the box. Additionally the lever was not engaging the brake until it was almost fully depressed to the handlebars.

brought to a LBS and paid $40 for a bleed and it's still occurring.

any thoughts or things to look into? Should I bring it back to a shop? Contact Shimano? Chain Reaction?

ugh I just want to ride!!

 

[noapathy]

Contact the place where you bought it. A bleed will do no good if it's leaking.

Also, whatever shop you got it bled at should know not to bother bleeding a leaky brake. smh

 

[cobba]

Sounds like the bike come from CRC, contact them, tell them about the problems, how you tried to fix it and how the brake still doesn't work properly.

Does the brake still leak?

Does the bike shop know what they're doing?

 

[Lone Rager]

There may not be a leak in the system. It's not uncommon for some brake fluid to get under the cover on those brakes when they're assembled/bled. It'll leak out of the seam around the edge until it's all gone. You can hasten the process somewhat by dousing/rinsing the lever liberally with isopropanol and wiping it off, but the fluid will still keep showing up for a while.

 

[Forest Rider]

You can either 'take' it back to the shop and ask them to perform a full service to correct the issue and pay parts/labor or work with the seller.

Not sure what the issue here is.

Where is the leak -I can't tell from the picture. Perhaps it just needs a new olive.

Perhaps the issue wasn't properly identified when sent to bike shop and/or the shop did what was asked. Again, a situation of customer purchasing a bike from a different place then asking local shop to bail them out. Ethically the shop should have offered to fix the problem (unless it's an internal brake issue that can't be repaired) but this isn't a discredit to the shop for not correcting the brake, unless customer said "call me when it's 100% correct" at which case, shop didn't properly do the work.

 

[therightcoastrider]

There may not be a leak in the system. It's not uncommon for some brake fluid to get under the cover on those brakes when they're assembled/bled. It'll leak out of the seam around the edge until it's all gone. You can hasten the process somewhat by dousing/rinsing the lever liberally with isopropanol and wiping it off, but the fluid will still keep showing up for a while.

Is this common? Should I try to ride a bit and see what happens or is that a terrible idea?

 

[therightcoastrider]

so i seem to have identified that the leak is originating from the connecting bolt. that is where most of the oil seems to be emanating.

does this help drive next steps at all?

about to head to the LBS and ask them too.

 

[Harold]

so i seem to have identified that the leak is originating from the connecting bolt. that is where most of the oil seems to be emanating.

does this help drive next steps at all?

about to head to the LBS and ask them too.

That threaded bit doesn't seal anything on its own. It is far more likely if oil is leaking out of the connection that something else is going on. Maybe the hose got tugged and the various connections aren't sealing well, or maybe needs a new barb/olive.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

 

[therightcoastrider]

That threaded bit doesn't seal anything on its own. It is far more likely if oil is leaking out of the connection that something else is going on. Maybe the hose got tugged and the various connections aren't sealing well, or maybe needs a new barb/olive.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

LBS seems to think the same. Headed there now.

 

[therightcoastrider]

Well this sucks. It’s heavily leaking from the reservoir. They’re going to work with Shimano to warranty it. What a pain in the ass for my first bike.

 

[therightcoastrider]

guys...could use some advice/direction:

guys i need some help and direction here.

i just called the LBS to see what the status was. they haven't even taken it off, let alone sent it to Shimano for replacement. their argument was that the "hiccup" is b/c i didn't buy the bike with them. fine.

how can i get these brakes and rotor (if need be) fixed as soon as possible? given the anecdotes i've read about how long Shimano can take in receiving and then dispatching new brakes, this is just turning into a huge issue and it'll be winter before i get something rideable at this point.

i just contacted CRC for their advice on what to do next but, man, this is a bit annoying.

 

[SqueakyWheel73]

guys...could use some advice/direction:

guys i need some help and direction here.

i just called the LBS to see what the status was. they haven't even taken it off, let alone sent it to Shimano for replacement. their argument was that the "hiccup" is b/c i didn't buy the bike with them. fine.

how can i get these brakes and rotor (if need be) fixed as soon as possible? given the anecdotes i've read about how long Shimano can take in receiving and then dispatching new brakes, this is just turning into a huge issue and it'll be winter before i get something rideable at this point.

i just contacted CRC for their advice on what to do next but, man, this is a bit annoying.

I hate to be that guy, but have you considered buying either a new lever or a new rear brake? While it seems like the LBS is sort of jerking you around, I totally understand that you aren't going to get their best service. And I will be curious to hear what CRC offers, but it will likely take some time even if they are willing to help out.

If you have the know-how, swapping the lever and re-bleeding shouldn't be difficult. The hard part would be making sure you got a compatible lever (I was poking around and couldn't find an exact replacement, assuming that is an Acera brake). But swapping out the entire rear brake would be pretty straight forward. If you aren't comfortable doing this, then I'd seriously consider buying a brake from the LBS and get into their good graces.

 

[therightcoastrider]

I hate to be that guy, but have you considered buying either a new lever or a new rear brake? While it seems like the LBS is sort of jerking you around, I totally understand that you aren't going to get their best service. And I will be curious to hear what CRC offers, but it will likely take some time even if they are willing to help out.

If you have the know-how, swapping the lever and re-bleeding shouldn't be difficult. The hard part would be making sure you got a compatible lever (I was poking around and couldn't find an exact replacement, assuming that is an Acera brake). But swapping out the entire rear brake would be pretty straight forward. If you aren't comfortable doing this, then I'd seriously consider buying a brake from the LBS and get into their good graces.

a lot of people are recommending this and i am not opposed to the approach. it makes total sense. any idea on how much i could expect to pay?

i presume i could still warranty the defective brake and keep/sell it if i decide to so i wouldn't be 100% out of pocket.

 

[sturge]

1. LBS is not the answer...go get your bike and never go back
2. Research your bike and find out specific model of brake lever
3. Search on-line to find best deal and order a new one (I would say it's < $50)
4. While you wait for it to arrive, go to Shimano website and download 'install/bleed' instructions for that specific component. Search YouTube for 'how to' vids.
5. Replace old with new per instructions and IMMEDIATELY go ride your new bike
6. Send removed lever to CRC for return/refund/warranty
7. You can always sell replacement lever if they don't offer a refund.

 

[biff55]

if your going to buy a bike from an online only retailer with no high street stores then its probably best to learn some basic repair skills , such as bleeding brakes , shortening hoses, indexing gears, greasing bearings etc otherwise you will always be at the mercy of either a slow postal warranty process or expensive bike shop charges.
should really consider this **** prior to buying tbh.

and 40 dollars to bleed just 1 shimano brake ? lol , being robbed at gun point seems more honest.....

 

[dir-T]

i just contacted CRC for their advice on what to do next

So, what was their advice? These should have been the first guys you called.

There's likely a rubber gasket between the leaking cover and the body of the lever. Since you have nothing to lose, try taking the cover off and see if that gasket is pinched or not seating correctly. It might be a simple fix.

Other than that, I agree with Sturge. In these days of Youtube you can figure out how to replace your brake yourself. That will get you riding fastest. Look on the lever for the model number then Google to find one for sale - or get one from the bike shop to start building some good will with them for future service.

I doubt that you'll be able to sell a single brake lever though so don't count on that.

 

[SqueakyWheel73]

40 dollars to bleed just 1 shimano brake ? lol , being robbed at gun point seems more honest.....

I'd have to say that the LBS definitely sounds hostile. I would think they could handle this two ways: offer great service to convert you to a loyal customer, or get pissed off and screw you over. Pretty clear which route they are going...

 

[therightcoastrider]

I'd have to say that the LBS definitely sounds hostile. I would think they could handle this two ways: offer great service to convert you to a loyal customer, or get pissed off and screw you over. Pretty clear which route they are going...

So the first shop charged me $40 for the bleed and $10 to fix the handlebars (which I didn't ask for but whatever). CRC credited me that amount back.

I then brought it to another shop whom are the ones that noticed the significant leak and actually we're pretty accommodating.

 

[SqueakyWheel73]

a lot of people are recommending this and i am not opposed to the approach. it makes total sense. any idea on how much i could expect to pay?

i presume i could still warranty the defective brake and keep/sell it if i decide to so i wouldn't be 100% out of pocket.

Honestly, I am not sure. When I did ten minutes of internet searching, it looks like your brake is an Acera, but I couldn't find anyone selling it. You could move up to Deore 6000, but you need to pay a little attention. It looks like the brake levers on the Accra's are longer than some of the other brakes so you might end up with a different feel if you don't get matching brakes. Also, I saw one review where they mentioned that the Acera rotors were only for resin pads (it would be marked on the rotor), so double check that and make sure you know what you are dealing with.

Shortening hydraulic hoses is pretty easy, and the Shimano bleed kit is cheap - definitely something you could do, as others suggested.

Edit: actually, there is a seller on eBay selling a pair set of Acera brakes for $60.99 with free shipping (rotors cost extra). You would have an extra front brake, but it would get you a matching rear brake. You would still need to buy an olive/insert, a bleed kit and mineral oil (if it doesn't come in the bleed kit - I forget).