Brake Issue

[yamfanboi827]

Hey all, new to the forum, good to be here.

I have a 2010 expedition with just shy of 169K on the odometer. Over the last year and a half, i've noticed a braking issue that I'm almost certain has gotten exponentially worse.

It starts immediately after startup. Even after allowing time for the engine to warm up and the brake booster to get through a power cycle (if it does that), the first time i press the brakes, the power assist is non existent, and i VERY slowly get to a stop. Thankfully, i know this is coming, and I get this out of the way before i get near other vehicles. But i've almost very slowly gone into a wall when parking.

Once I'm on the road, i've noticed dramatically reduced stopping power, even at full send on the brake pedal. It lacks the power to trigger the abs, unless the pavement has reduced friction (rain/snow).

About 1k miles ago, i replaced pads and rotors all the way around, and while it got a LITTLE better, its still not performing like it should. It's not inspiring confidence to tow my water toys.

All this said, I'm planning to do a brake fluid flush this week, as i found out while going through my records that it hasn't been done, EVER. I'm hoping its just bad fluid and I can be on my way.

Have any of you experienced this? Any ideas as to what it can be?

Thanks, everyone!

-J

 

[yamfanboi827]

Update: Did the fluid flush. Problem Persists. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

 

[Trainmaster]

It's not your brake fluid. If no warning light is on, my guess is you have a bad brake booster.

 

[07navi]

I was thinking bad booster too.

 

[Aspen03]

Reading the first post I was thinking brake booster before getting to the replies. I'd start there.

 

[yamfanboi827]

Thanks everyone, That was my next thought as well. I'm hoping that's all it is. I'll keep everyone updated.

 

[yamfanboi827]

UPDATE: Still no luck. Mech checked booster, said it was good. Pads and Rotors are new. Problem persists. Its super inconsistent as well, but its always mushy. The pedal feel, I mean.

What are the lines made of? Are they rubber, as opposed to stainless steel braided? I had rubber lines on my moto, and over time, when they'd get hot, they'd expand and cause a similar feel. Just a thought.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

 

[Trainmaster]

These trucks have a known problem with front-wheel brake hoses. They contribute to a mushy pedal feel, though the nature of the system is a somewhat soft pedal. Bad hoses wouldn't cause you to completely lose power braking though. I would replace those hoses as a matter of good practice, but I don't suspect they are the only cause of your problem.

 

[yamfanboi827]

These trucks have a known problem with front-wheel brake hoses. They contribute to a mushy pedal feel, though the nature of the system is a somewhat soft pedal. Bad hoses wouldn't cause you to completely lose power braking though. I would replace those hoses as a matter of good practice, but I don't suspect they are the only cause of your problem.

I haven't lost power completely. The truck still stops, just not well. The pedal has a really inconsistent "bottom out", and it is unable to lock the wheels to engage the ABS system, unless the pavement is wet. Other than the booster, what else contributes to the power assist that may have gone bad?

Thanks,

 

[07navi]

Update: Did the fluid flush. Problem Persists. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Replace the booster. Fluid flushes are good but never change anything dramatically.

 

[yamfanboi827]

Replace the booster. Fluid flushes are good but never change anything dramatically.

Mechanic said booster was good. Its going in for an oil change on friday I used the opportunity to set up an apt for them to look at the brake system too.

 

[yamfanboi827]

Update: Not sure why I thought this would be any different, but dealer techs and service manager say that they don't notice anything wrong. Meanwhile, none of them were able to trigger the ABS with panic braking, unless they wet the pavement. So no idea what's wrong, and everyone thinks I'm nuts.... again. Rather frustrating.

 

[yamfanboi827]

Getting a recurring, yet intermittent C109F code on the truck. Pointing to a bad vaccuum signal or sensor, i believe. Any insights?

Thanks,

 

[yamfanboi827]

Final update:

Turned out that the batch of brake rotors and pads i got from R1 concepts (drilled and slotted rotors, super duty pads) were faulty for whatever reason. Swapped for the Motorcraft pads and rotors at dealer, and now the truck stops. The weird thing is that the swap cleared up the increased sponginess and the inconsistent pedal feel. I can't explain it.

Truck stops now, though. which is nice.

 

[07navi]

Final update:

Turned out that the batch of brake rotors and pads i got from R1 concepts (drilled and slotted rotors, super duty pads) were faulty for whatever reason. Swapped for the Motorcraft pads and rotors at dealer, and now the truck stops. The weird thing is that the swap cleared up the increased sponginess and the inconsistent pedal feel. I can't explain it.

Truck stops now, though. which is nice.

I can, that's aftermarket hoopla to make money, I will never run slots etc.

 

[Trainmaster]

that's aftermarket hoopla to make money,

I see all this as a way to get $80 for a $12 Chinese rotor.

 

[07navi]

I see all this as a way to get $80 for a $12 Chinese rotor.

Chinesium alloy.

 

[yamfanboi827]

In any event, it works now.

 

[Trainmaster]

Thanks for getting back to us one this one. One more reason I don't buy China parts. Simply not worth the grief.

 

[jimz]

My 2008 brake pedal felt spongy like air in the line, my opinion, and I took it in while still under warranty. Explained pedal slammed close to bottoming out in panic stop. I could double pump pedal to get firm pedal and brakes worked "normal".

We had Ford "specialist" come to check it and he said it is OK. Service Manager let me drive other new expeditions and they felt the same. Even drove his pickup and it felt that way.

Now, less than 60,000 miles, brakes still work the same but I work different.