Ford F-150 - 1997-2003 :: Brakes Pedal Goes To The Floor?
Sep 16, 2012
I bought a 97 f150 4x4 last week. I was cleaning the frame up with a wire brush on a grinder and accidently cut one of the front brake lines. Seeing how this truck has only 100k on it and all oem stuff on it, I decided to replace the front brake components, calipers, pads, rubber and steel lines. Got it all back together and bleed the air out of the front brakes. But the pedal still goes to the floor. I can pump them up with the key off but when i turn it on the pedal goes to the floor. I did not bleed the back brakes becasue I assumed that the master cylinder would be divided and independent of each other- back and front. So it this just that the back brakes needs bled or do I have another issue like bad booster- everything was working well before I cut the line?
View 6 Replies
Advertisement
I have a 2003 Ford Escape 3.0l V-6. In June while driving to a job interview, my brakes unexpectedly failed. With absolutely no warning, the pedal went straight to the floor. I replaced the master cylinder...problem solved. 5 months later, driving to the gym, after stopping successfully several times with no mushiness in the pedal, at an intersection, the pedal goes straight to the floor...no stopping power.
I can't remember if the brake light came on last time. This time it did. Both times the fluid in the reservoir was full and looked to be relatively clean. Both times there were no apparent leaks in any of the fuel lines, abs module, at the cylinder, etc. I'm no slouch when it comes to car repair. The master cylinder replacement was done correctly, the lines were bled properly.
I have my own theories but I don't like any of them as my car rolls properly at idle, my brakes have not, nor do they currently make any noise or grinding sounds, and the pedal goes all the way to the floor.
View 8 Replies
I have a 2003 F-150 supercrew 4x4, was having problems with the brake pedal going to the floor, had replaced the front calipers, master cylinder and the brake booster. I have blead everything out including the rear calipers even though I didn`t touch them, the truck stops but the pedal isn't what it used to be, even when the truck is off the pedal has a tendency to go down, there is nothing leaking and not losing fluid, don`t know what else to do?
View 3 Replies
The problem occurs when you hit bumps while braking, or if you get on the brakes to hard. It seems like the brakes lose pressure entirely and the pedal goes to the floor. It kicks back in when the ground smooths out, or if you are braking hard it slowly grabs again. At first i thought it was sliding, but it definitely is not. The truck appeared to be equipped with abs but the previous owner seems to have cut the abs wire/sensor at the hub. Another thought i had is maybe the brakes need to be bled and have fresh fluid put in them, I have not tried this yet (Plan to this weekend along with a dozen other things). Its rather scary when it happens. but i didnt think much of it until i nearly rear ended someone..with my younger brother in the car. Now i need to fix this asap.
View 14 Replies
The brake pedal intermittently goes to the floor on my nephew's 2003 F150 without grabbing at all. Pumping the brakes restores them, then they act normally for a while. I've replaced the master cylinder with a new Motorcraft unit, no change. No ABS codes. All rubber lines are in good shape. I'm stumped, although I suspect the ABS system somehow. I'm going to have him pull the ABS fuse and see if the problem goes away.
View 6 Replies
I have a 99 F150, Regular cab, long bed, with a weird brake problem. With the engine off, the pedal goes firm about 3 inches. But when you start it, the pedal goes to the floor.
I've replaced the master cylinder, and bled the heck out of the 4 wheel cylinders. No soap. The pedal goes nearly to the floor, and does not "pump up".....but does stop the truck.
The ABS light is "on".
View 3 Replies
2002 F-150 4x4 w/ 5.4 v-8. Brake pedal goes half way to floor before it starts to stop the vehicle. I have replaced and bled the master cylinder, bled out all of the calipers, and the calipers are installed correctly because the bleeder screws are at the top on all of them so no air can be trapped up there. The truck seems to stop fine, but just takes more pedal to get it to start stopping than I'm comfortable with. Could the ABS unit need bled out too? Or could it be an adjustment issue with the booster rod?
Also, something else I noticed, and it may be related..the ABS unit usually makes a slight clanking sound (like someone kicking a metal garbage can) a couple seconds after the key is turned on. I know its the ABS unit because a couple weeks ago I had a friends scanner hooked up to the truck, and I went into the ABS computer to clear the codes (have ABS light on from what I found to be a bad sensor wire on the front drivers side according to the scanner) and as soon as i cleared the codes on the ABS, it made that sound. I don't know if maybe there is something wrong with the ABS actuator, or if it's related to the brake pedal issue.
View 3 Replies
I have a 2000 SCrew KR F150. A couple of weeks ago I noticed the brake pedal was slowly going to the floor while at a red light. I pulled over and popped the hood checked the fluid reservoir. It was full, so obviously no wheel cylinder issues or fluid loss. I haven't had a chance to tear into it yet.
View 14 Replies
Last week my brake pedal started going to the floor when I stopped, it still stopped and felt fine on the top half of the pedal travel but then it would just slowly fade to the floor. I took it to a local shop and they said the master cylinder was leaking internally and my rear brakes were shot. I have 75,000 miles and the rear brakes were original so I told them to fix it. This is basically what I expected it to be.
They kept thinking they were getting defective master cylinders but after the two Napa parts and two Carquest parts they realized they misdiagnosed it and said I needed to take it to the dealership. I paid for the rear brake job since it needed done anyways and have an appointment for next week at the dealership. What might be causing the problem? I see no brake fluid leaks, no vacuum leaks, the booster was replaced 25,000 miles ago due to noise, no ABS light on, no CEL on, no other symptoms.
View 14 Replies
My dad is having problems with his truck, brake pedal goes all the way to the floor even after bleeding all the brakes and the master cylinder. The wheel cylinder didn't have clips in it and he fixed it and it hasnt changed. What do we do? Its a 1993 f150 4.9l.....
View 4 Replies
I did a complete rebuild of my brake system in April. Drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, springs, hoses, pads, rotors, calipers, master cylinder, proportioner valve and flushed all the lines and refilled with synthetic fluid. I have made five trips from Southern California to Idaho hauling home furnishings, one trip to Oregon and one trip to Northern California since overhauling the brakes with everything working great. Now something strange is happening. The brake pedal goes to the floor with very little resistance. It isn't spongy like there is air in the lines. It just goes to the floor if you push it all the way down.
The truck stops ok but it is really scary with the pedal going down like that. You can feel when the rear brakes come on because there is a little resistance in the pedal when they come on. You can actually lock the rear brakes up and skid the rear tires. If you push the pedal down further the front brakes start coming on and if you push all the way to the floor the truck will nosedive and you will get planted in the windshield.
I wonder if the aftermarket Bronco Graveyard proportioner valve is blowing all the pressure to the rear wheels because it won't do it if you take the vacuum off of the vacuum booster. You have full pedal when the booster is deactivated and all the wheels operate normally with the exception of having to plant both feet on the pedal to stop it.
View 14 Replies
So the other day I slammed on the brakes when traffic came to a halt on the highway. As I slammed down on the pedal, all the sudden the pedal lost pressure and went nearly to the floor, but firmed up just before bottoming out. My brake and ABS lights went on as well. Someone told me there is some kind of failsafe that blocks off the line if it ruptures, so maybe thats what happened? The brakes seem to work fine and are not loosing any more fluid, but the warning lights remain and the taillights do not light up.
So when I got home I took a look. On the fender side under the fuse box there was a lot of brake fluid, and looked like the line going from the master cylinder down to some kind of module (abs thingy?) below it was all rusted.
Today I replaced the line, and bleed the rear brakes. There did appear to be a ponhole in it, right where it would have been spraying the fender side where I saw all the fluid. The pedal is very firm right from the get go and brakes seem to be working fine. However the brake and ABS light remain, and my brake lights still dont come on when I press the pedal. Do I still have a leak somewhere or is there something else I have to do to clear the warnings and get my lights back?
View 11 Replies
I just joined as I bought my '97 F-150 5.4 4X4 about 3 months ago. The dealer gave me a 6 month warranty but hasn't honored it at all and I've had one problem after another. That's another story though but right now I'm just trying to fix the important issues. The problem at hand are my brakes.
I was noticing a couple days ago (maybe I never noticed it that much as it was a new vehicle to me) that when I apply the brakes it sounds like a bicycle pump and the pedal travels nearly all the way down. It doesn't hit the firewall but I'd probably guess it has 3 more inches or less until it bottoms out. The hissing only occurs as the pedal travels and stops when the brake pedal isn't moving.
Now I'm not sure if the hissing sound is normal as I replaced the brake booster (from the junkyard though) and the new one still hisses when I apply brakes. The brakes seem to work okay, could be more sensitive it's just the pedal feels soft until it almost bottoms out like I stated before and the the brakes grab a little bit harder. What could it be?
View 2 Replies
yesterday i gave the 02 diesel a treat, 3 new calipers 4 new rotors, and semimetalic pads. the reason for only 3 calipers is the driver side was just replaced 2 months ago after it locked the wheel up on me. both rears were seized so i only had front brakes, and the passenger side front was leaking.
anyway, all new parts and the pedal is fantastic, besides the truck stopping again. this afternoon on the way home from the shop i stopped at a red light. breaks are rock solid. then all of a sudden, the pedal slowly sinks to the floor. but the brakes still hold. i get home and test them. again, pedal slowly sinks to the floor, but they hold. i am thinking still some air in the system, and park hte truck, with the intention of bleeding them again tomorrow.
i get out and see fluid all over the driveway. great. something in the front of the axle is leaking. the frame is drenched. whatever it is, is in front of the frame, on the engine side. what is in there, the ABS unit?
View 3 Replies
I have a 2003 F-150 4x4 with cruise control and 4-wheel disc. When I am at a stop light for a while, when holding the brakes, the pedal slowly begins to fade towards the floorboard. I have replace two master cylinders, the original and a reman and then put on a new Motorcraft one...all providing the same problem. I have been told by dealerships that it is my imagination or that this is a "normal" problem. Having my truck roll at a stop light while the brakes are applied is not normal.
View 8 Replies
I have a 1997 F250LD 4WD. I was driving and came to a stop light. I hit the brakes and the pedal was rock hard with what seemed to be very little travel. I pushed hard to get to a stop and the abs activated and I came to a slow stop. This has happened about 3 times over the last 1000 miles of driving. I see no ABS or Engine lights. Most of the time the brakes are normal. Pads are fine, fluid is fine. Brake booster seems to work fine, pedal is not mushy or hard to press other than the 3 or so times this has happened. Once this happens I can let off the brake and everything is normal. I have not found any vacuum leaks.
View 6 Replies
My buddy just bought a 1992 f250 460 the brake suck the pedal goes to the floor don't know if master or the booster or the rod needs to be adjusted or what the brake look ok and it stops ???
View 7 Replies
My problem, Brakes. I hardly have any at all (pedal all the way to the floor and hardly stop), yet the front pads are dragging, and heating the rotors. Maybe a bent line? I bled the fronts, and as soon as I loosened the bleeder nipple, a good bit of fluid came out, without pressing the pedal of course. It's dark out now or I would inspect for bent lines. Could there maybe a problem with the booster?
View 6 Replies
I've got a 2001 Excursion with the 7.3 and while out driving around on Friday I noticed that my brakes were gone and when I pushed the pedal it went straight to the floor. I pulled over and put in brake fluid (it was empty) and managed to get home. I have discovered that the brake line (it is metal) that runs from the front to the back is rusted out and the brake fluid is just pouring out of it. What is the part called? I spent about a half hour looking for that particular schematic on the ford parts web site but couldn't find any mention of that brake line. Here is a picture. There are 3 metal lines and one is leaking the brake fluid? Can I fix it in my driveway or should I have it towed somewhere?
View 4 Replies
I am working on a e-150 van, 2005. the brake pedal fades to almost the floor with little pressure on it. I just replaced the master cylinder, bled the entire system, and it STILL fades to the floor. driving, or in park. engine running. 4 wheel disc, 4 wheel abs...
View 5 Replies
1987 F-350 460 Auto Trans. Brake Pedal slowly going to the floor. Stopped at a red light yesterday on a slight down hill and I noticed the brake pedal slowly going to the floor. I had to put the truck in Park to avoid bumping into the car in front of me. I checked brake fluid level and still at the full level, check rims for brake fluid leak from brake cylinder, none. Could my master cylinder need rebuilding or is my vacuum diaphragm going. Not sure that's what its called.
View 7 Replies
