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On the way to work this morning my brakes died.. The route I take to work has 4-5 stops from 30 mph and I tend to drive "like a normal person" in the morning before coffee. Please note: I was the only car on the road. The progression:
- First stop was nice and pedel was rock hard as normal with minimual travel.
- Second stop like the first.
- Third stop when I moved the brake pedal past the normal point were the brakes bite hard it stated to get mushy like air in the lines. But still stoped ok
- Fourth stop same problem as 3 but much worse and was able to push the pedal to the floor. After pumping the pedal lightly a couple times the pedal gets hard but soft again after it's pushed past the normal brake "bite" level.
It's raining hard so I could not tell if there is any leaking fluid. I did check the brake fluid and it looks to be down 1/4? I took a quick check on all the fuids Sunday before a 300 mi long trip back from the Pittsburgh and it looked ok. But I only took a quick glance so the fluid level change may not be a good indicator. Does anyone have an idea what it could be.. All the pads are good. 6 month old wilwoods up front (with new dot 4 fluid) and the rear are getting close to needed changed but are still OK.
Woz
2000 Contour SVT #136
Black with Blue leather
30% tint all around
12.2" Wilwood Billet NDL
PS: I hate ALL Ford Dealers
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Sounds like master cylinder problems. What happens when brake pedal is applied when car is at a standstill?
98 Mystique LS v6 atx 163,000km
97 Contour LX v6 atx 163,000km
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Hard-core CEG'er
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Originally posted by horseydug:
Sounds like master cylinder problems. What happens when brake pedal is applied when car is at a standstill?
I'd second that.
I had a master cylinder fail on my old car in a similar manner to what was described.
Bless our servicemen & women overseas.
L.Cpl Ian Malone, 1st Battalion Irish Guards, R.I.P.
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Same problem as above, hard then mooshy.
Since it stoped raining, i pumped the break a couple times and there was a nice puddle of fluid on my front right brake. So I guess that's the problem..
Thanks
Woz
2000 Contour SVT #136
Black with Blue leather
30% tint all around
12.2" Wilwood Billet NDL
PS: I hate ALL Ford Dealers
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Joined: Aug 2000
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I had to do some hard braking the other night Almost hit a body and one of my passangers noticed smoke from my front right. I now know that this was leaking brake fluid and I would guess that it was spraying onto the roter and burning? Would this still effect the ABS? When i did the hard stop the brake pedal feel was fine.
Woz
2000 Contour SVT #136
Black with Blue leather
30% tint all around
12.2" Wilwood Billet NDL
PS: I hate ALL Ford Dealers
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Read that "missed some bodies" post. Whew, quick thinking.
When the ABS is working, it has a hydraulic pump to keep up the pressure (and valves to release, it's how it modulates brakes). The ABS pump was probably keeping the pressure up. Lucky you didn't run out of brake fluid.
My name is Richard. I was a Contouraholic.
NOW: '02 Mazda B3000 Dual Sport, Black
BEFORE: '99 Contour SE Sport
Duratec ATX Spruce Green
PIAA 510's, Foglight MOD, K&N Drop-in
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Thanks, glad it also did not go out on the 300+ mile trip on the way home.
Woz
2000 Contour SVT #136
Black with Blue leather
30% tint all around
12.2" Wilwood Billet NDL
PS: I hate ALL Ford Dealers
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 125
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Originally posted by woz:
one of my passangers noticed smoke from my front right. I now know that this was leaking brake fluid and I would guess that it was spraying onto the roter and burning?
Well it turns out that at some time in the past a chunk of metal (road junk) cut stuck between my SS break lines and one of the mounts. The metal bent the SS line back and crushed / broke the internal plastic tube and also started to cut the SS.
Looks like I am thumbing it home.
Woz
2000 Contour SVT #136
Black with Blue leather
30% tint all around
12.2" Wilwood Billet NDL
PS: I hate ALL Ford Dealers
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Surprised your brake or ABS warning light didn't come on through all of this.
98 Mystique LS v6 atx 163,000km
97 Contour LX v6 atx 163,000km
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CEG\'er
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Originally posted by woz:
Well it turns out that at some time in the past a chunk of metal (road junk) cut stuck between my SS break lines and one of the mounts...
Hmmm... Which line(s) were damaged? If the damage was just at one corner, i.e., only one line leaking, before your reservoir runs dry you'll still have the other brake curcuit working. Remember, the 'Tour has dual diagonal brake circuits, so a leak in one won't screw you immediately.
If your reservoir level went down appreciably at all, the dashboard light should've illuminated, but you didn't mention that. So, I see one of two possibilities:
--The road junk damaged both circuits at once (unlikely, but I'm leaving that open pending more info from you)
--Failed master cylinder. An easy test here is to start the vehicle and press VERY lightly on the pedal. If it steadily drops to the floor under light pressure, but stiffens up with quick pedal pressure, then bingo.
Great writeup on the downed motorcyclists, BTW. I'm an accident reconstructionist, and by far the scariest part of my job is the site inspection where I have to be out in the roadway. Even in daytime, wearing a bright orange vest, with law enforcement providing a lane closure, it's scary. People just don't bother to slow down. At night, especially out in the sticks, the danger increases a hundred times. Your actions saved lives!
//> //> //> //> //>
Garrick
2006 Mazda6 Grand Sport wagon, silver, MTX
I'll never forget you: Silver E0, #3895 of 6535, built 10/2/97 
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