96 Thunderbird Brake Pressure Problem - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

tag1956 · 02-28-2009, 18:55

My son picked up a 96 T-Bird with 125000 miles on it. The car has had the front right caliper changed and the master cylinder and the brakes have been bled but can't get it to hold brake pressure, seems like when the car is not running you can pump up the brakes, but when running pedal goes to the floor. From what I understand it has the TEVES Mark IV ABS system and supposedly need a special tool to bleed the ABS. Does anyone know if air in the ABS will cause the problem I amn having. I need to get this thing out of the garage. Thanks. Is there a better place to post this question on this sight?

**jwko** · 02-28-2009, 19:52

When the car is not running and you press the brake peddle, you deplete the vacuum in the power booster which makes the peddle harder to push.

You problem sounds like air in the lines. I'm not familiar with bleeding the ABS so I will let someone else answer that.

speaker_king · 02-28-2009, 21:00

Hold the brake pedal all the way to the floor, start it up and slowly release the pedal. I dont know if it will help, but i had the same problem with a 1983 buick lesabre i used to have, and that fixed it. Dont know if it will work for you though the buick didnt have ABS and it had drums.

**chipset** · 03-01-2009, 10:10

You will need the history of this car when they did the brakes. did they bench bleed
the master cylinder ? Was the A.B.S. system emptied of fluid by gravity when the
caliper was replaced ? Were the brakes bled in the proper rotation ? Is the brake booster push rod abjusted properly or not ? Do you have the right master cylinder ? You can buy a vacumm bleeder tool than can be used by one person. Buy the manual for this car. Some A.B.S. systems HAVE TO be pressure bled through the master cylinder. Did this car ever have a hard brake peddle or did this just happen ? If it never had a hard peddle i'd bet the master cylinder was never bench bled. You have air in the line. Make SURE NONE of your wheel cyliners are leaking. Pull all wheels. There are too many variables in your problem.