[Jonnerboy]

Hello all,
Lately I have been having issues with the brakes in my 2004 SVT. They have been squeaking on and off while I apply them for the past few months, however this is not the issue I wish to seek information about. (Probably need new brake pads) Anyhoo, in the past couple weeks something scary has been happening to me while driving; Every once and while I will go to brake and my brake pedal will hardly budge and there is basically no force being applied to the brakes.(Very frightening feeling...I'm lucky I've caused no accidents). I will take my foot off the pedal and re apply pressure and it usually acts normal after that, until the same thing happens again.


Any ideas what is causing this? Squeaky breaks having a part in it? Also to note, my brake light has been coming on more often than it used to and it usually just flickers as I drive like it's low on fluid so I'll refill it and it will stop flickering. Could the appearance of the brake light be indicating something more than just low brake fluid? Perhaps a leak?

Thanks!!

 

[mlbbaseball]

bubble in the lines??? when was teh last time u blead the brakes?

 

[mlbbaseball]

o waiat, could be ur master cylinder going as well. ur loosing hydrolic pressure

 

[Jonnerboy]

o waiat, could be ur master cylinder going as well. ur loosing hydrolic pressure

Doesn't the master cylinder also involve the transmission? I just remembered that from time to time I will shift and fully depress the clutch and it wont go into gear until I release the clutch and the depress it again...

[B)]

 

[mlbbaseball]

o waiat, could be ur master cylinder going as well. ur loosing hydrolic pressure

 

[..:: sleestak ::..]

I think air in the line would result in a mushy feeling in the brakes and under continuous or hard braking you would push the pedal down far with little braking effect.

Check to see that the Brake booster is working correctly. Run the engine for a few moments, then turn the key off. Once the engine dies, pump the brake pedal a few times. You should hear a hissing noise each time you press the pedal. Then hold the pedal down and start the engine. The pedal should move and get softer (power assist from booster). If none of this occurs, check to make sure that the brake booster has a vacuum source (it connects to the intake manifold and the booster is on the firewall, I believe). If the booster has a vacuum source, and still does not boost the pedal effort, the booster is more than likely bad.

Another culprit would be a bad check valve. Sometimes a faulty check valve will allow vacuum to bleed out of the booster causing a hard pedal when the brakes are applied. This condition can be diagnosed by starting the engine (to build vacuum), shutting it off, waiting four or five minutes, then trying the brakes to see if there is power assist. No assist means a new check valve might be needed.

 

[bringler26]

This to me sounds like the master cylinder going. When it is dying ( from what I understand) the pedal won't work then if you let off and mash it again it will work fine or at least better.

 

[BadIdea]

Pads could be glazed as well.

Fluid level goes as the pads wear. If you have over 30k on the pads I'd replace them and check the rotors. Rotors typically last for 2 sets of pads. Do not turn them, just slap the new pads on if enough material is left on the rotor and be sure to bed the pad in correctly. Flush the brake fluid if it's been over a year.