Please HELP!........ no brakes!

[PRE-H20]

ok so i have a question for you guys......

1st i am NOOOOO mechanic so please forgive the novice question, i know its probably a no-brainer for you guys but i dont know my way around trucks.

i have a 1994 ford explorer sport.

something is wrong with the brakes,.... i was driving and the pedal went to the floor..... obviously it scared the sheet out of me. i had to pump the brakes 2 or 3 times and then the brakes seemed to work fine.

when the truck was turned off the brake pedal was stiff and i barely was able to depress the pedal...when i fired the engine up the pedal went to the floor again.... once i pumped the brake pedal it seemed fine and i had regular braking ability, but once i let off the pedal the pedal went to the floor so i would AGAIN have to pump the pedal to get brakes.

any idea fellas?

thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[BobWiersema]

Sounds like you got air in it. Check fluid level. If its ok, it could be the master.
How are the break pads? If the pads wore down enough for the master reservoir to suck in air, you need to do a full break job including bleeding.

 

[PRE-H20]

bob,... thanks for responding.

(i checked the brake fluid level PRIOR to posting and the brake fluid was a bit low, i filled it up and the problem continued same as before)

the brake pads are a year old (i dont drive the explorer more that 10-15 miles a day at the most)

i also had the master changed about a year ago also.

this problem (pedal going to the floor started a couple of weeks ago, but it was a VERY gradual process now that i think about it)

can it be that there is air in the system after this additional information?

 

[plance1]

Speaking of this, I will do a search so please don't kill me, but does anyone have any brake upgrade recommendations of any type? I know I need new brakes soon and I was wondering if there is anything special I should do.

 

[BobWiersema]

If that's the case, I would try and bleed them, if that doesn't solve the problem I would suspect the master.

Also plance1, No Hijacking.

 

[PRE-H20]

brake bleeding

hey bob!

thanks so much for the follow-up and response.....

i will look into the bleeding this week and report back!

how would air get into the lines?.... im just curious.

thanks for the no highjacking comment too..... i was a bit worried about that.

 

[sickwilly]

Go back to whoever put in the new master. You need another one, or you have a leak in one of your brake lines.

 

[PRE-H20]

brake fluid

anyone know what type of brake fluid a 1994 ford exlorer sport takes?

anyone?....

 

[BobWiersema]

Should be Dot 3, I think its marked on the fill cap.

 

[bdmaash]

look at the rear brakes too? I say that since you said brake pads, and rears are probably shoes.
The vehicle in question is a 1994 ford explorer sport, and not a 2001 - 2005 explorer sport trac

 

[FROADER]

What are the reasons you would keep the Nissan if you get this?