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New Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2013
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Flagstaff, AZ
- Vehicle Year
- 2000
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 2.5
- Transmission
- Manual
I've got a 2000 2.5L RWD Ranger. My brake pedal is really soft and goes 2/3 to the floor before it engages, and makes a hissing sound when depressed. The ABS and parking brake lights on the dash aren't illuminated on startup, but illuminate after a few brakes (particularly if those are hard brakes where I really stand on the pedal).
With the truck off, I can pump up the brake pedal nice & stiff so it barely moves when I stand on it. But if I pump it up and keep pressure on the pedal while starting the engine, the pedal hisses and goes 2/3 of the way to the floor right at startup.
I checked the brake fluid and it's maybe 1 cm below the "max" line on its reservoir. Brake fluid looks cloudy and old - I bought this truck 10,000 miles ago, so I don't know when the brake fluid was last changed (looks like a looong time ago).
The soft pedal/hissing problem has been an issue for a year and a couple months, the dash lights only started showing up in December 2013 when I replaced the battery.
Does this sound like I just need to bleed/replace my brake fluid, or is it something more insidious? I tried searching this forum, but couldn't find anyone with the _exact_ same problems (most folks seem to have either low brake fluid or can't pump up the pedal while the engine is off).
With the truck off, I can pump up the brake pedal nice & stiff so it barely moves when I stand on it. But if I pump it up and keep pressure on the pedal while starting the engine, the pedal hisses and goes 2/3 of the way to the floor right at startup.
I checked the brake fluid and it's maybe 1 cm below the "max" line on its reservoir. Brake fluid looks cloudy and old - I bought this truck 10,000 miles ago, so I don't know when the brake fluid was last changed (looks like a looong time ago).
The soft pedal/hissing problem has been an issue for a year and a couple months, the dash lights only started showing up in December 2013 when I replaced the battery.
Does this sound like I just need to bleed/replace my brake fluid, or is it something more insidious? I tried searching this forum, but couldn't find anyone with the _exact_ same problems (most folks seem to have either low brake fluid or can't pump up the pedal while the engine is off).
