Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting brake problem

i have 99 svt tour and have had trouble with the brakes. i took it to the dealer three times, all three times they had to replece the master cylinder that was leaking at the brake booster.(all in a 2 month time frame) the brake pedal still feels like mush. the dealer said it not leaking anymore. the fluid looks old, i dont know how it was maintaned before i bought it, i just got it 6 months ago. could someone please give me some advice as to what the problem could be.

Brake pedal feel can be awfully subjective, and depends on what you're used to in other vehicles. Is the brake pedal "mushy" to the point of bottoming out the master cylinder? Or might the SVT have more brake boost than you're accustomed to? Rubber brake hoses certainly result in some squishiness.

Have you bled the brakes? After correcting hydraulic leaks, this would be next on the list for addressing a "soft" pedal, and it would give you a good opportunity to inspect the pads/rotors in the process. Plus, with a good flush the fluid probably wouldn't look so old. Certainly worth a shot.

i forgot to mention that if i am traveling around 60 mph and i brake somewhat hard the pedal almost goes to the floor every time. the pedal used to feel alot firmer when i first bought it.

Brake bleeding


When installing a new master cylinder, or if it has run dry, short lines are usually attached from the exit ports back to the resivoir to clear air from the cylinder itself.

It may respond better to a pressure bleed, but then, the shop should have fixed it.