96 Contour - brake peddle to floor - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

BTAAA · 06-07-2010, 04:37

Pretty decent mechanic, but never seen this before. Just started happening. Brake peddle on daughter's car goes right to the floor. Fluid was a little low, but it wasn't sucking air. Absolutely no vacume, no matter how many times it is pumped.

Have researched the forums but on similiar issues I'm reading that people are replacing everything (vacume booster, master cyl, etc. . .) to no avail. Thanks for any advice.

**Bert** · 06-07-2010, 08:11

Does it go to the floor with the engine off or just when it's running? When you say no vacuum, what do you mean?

BTAAA · 06-07-2010, 08:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtg143

Does it go to the floor with the engine off or just when it's running? When you say no vacuum, what do you mean?

I only tried it while running. What I meant by no vacume is no brake pressure, sorry - bad wording there. Also, just noticed another typo. . . it's a 98 Contour, not 96.

While having someone pump the brake I can see movement on the vacume booster. Also, the car brakes manually, so is it safe to assume the master cylinder is moving? That's about as much as I know about those two components.

**Bert** · 06-07-2010, 08:44

Leave the engine off, pump the brake a couple of times and chack the brake sysem that way. The pedal should be pretty high and solid. Brakes are a safety feature and if you're not sure of something, you're better off having a shop look at it.

BTAAA · 06-07-2010, 08:54

I'll try while vehicle is off. Also will check vacume to booster. If booster is failing shouldn't I be getting a hard pedal? Didn't have much time with it last night.

BTAAA · 06-07-2010, 09:23

Just had wife check it. The brake pedal does build pressure with vehicle off.

**Bert** · 06-07-2010, 10:32

The pedal is high and hard?

BTAAA · 06-07-2010, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtg143

The pedal is high and hard?

Just got off phone with her. No, the pedal did not stay high and hard. It built up some pressure, but she was still able to depress it.

**Bert** · 06-07-2010, 12:13

If there are no external keaks, then the master cylinder is leaking down internally.

**jwko** · 06-07-2010, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtg143

If there are no external keaks, then the master cylinder is leaking down internally.

Yep! My 01 Taurus did the same thing. Brake pedal to the floor with no leaks, was the master cylinder bypassing pressure internally.

Only other thing it could possibly be, rear brakes needs adjusting out, if it has drum brakes.