Brake Fluid Low

[oldoutboardjim]

Yesterday the Brake light on my dash started blinking. When I got home, I checked the brake fluid and had to add several ounces.
The car has 64,000 miles, and the brakes are original. Last time I checked (last Fall) the brake pads & rotors look excellent. Brakes work perfect.
Any thoughts?

[FocusMech.73155]

re-check the front pads. the inner pad wears may quicker than the outer pad. if they are fine, i've replace a couple leaking master cylinders. they leak into the brake booster so you don't see a leak. rear shoes usually last longer than the mileage you are at.

[Pappy]

The level lowers the more the cylinders expand for your brakes.

My personal guess is your brakes are shot. Most likely low inner pads (which seem to get the most wear).

Pull them apart, I bet your pads are shot. Which means if you add new pads when you compress your calipers all that brake fluid will over flow now, but it shouldn't be a huge problem (just put a towel aroundyour brake resevoir when you do your brakes and leave the lid off, so if it overflows, it has somewhere to go).

[Monkey Gein]

^^^^ yup...

[focinite]

re-check the front pads. the inner pad wears may quicker than the outer pad. if they are fine, i've replace a couple leaking master cylinders. they leak into the brake booster so you don't see a leak. rear shoes usually last longer than the mileage you are at.

shoot son, if it leaks into the booster then shouldnt you replace the booster, or does ford say that brake fluid is good for booster seals now? chances are if the fluid has seaped into the booster the pedal would be rock hard. check the inner pad as the focus front brakes have no dust sheild and the salt and road sanirt(salt,snow and dirt) get in there and the inner face of the rotors turn to a rust pitted nightmare, so you may be looking at rotors as well. the rears should last till about 100k, then do the rears and toss the drums as they are unmachinable by design.

[oldoutboardjim]

shoot son, if it leaks into the booster then shouldnt you replace the booster, or does ford say that brake fluid is good for booster seals now? chances are if the fluid has seaped into the booster the pedal would be rock hard. check the inner pad as the focus front brakes have no dust sheild and the salt and road sanirt(salt,snow and dirt) get in there and the inner face of the rotors turn to a rust pitted nightmare, so you may be looking at rotors as well. the rears should last till about 100k, then do the rears and toss the drums as they are unmachinable by design.

Who you callin' "son"? Why, I'm probably old enough to be your father!
Anyway, the pedal feels good. It definitely isn't hard. I'll try to jack this rascal up this weekend and check things out.
Thanks to everyone for the advice.

[Steve@Tasca]

Jim, I'd bet your clutch master cylinder is leaking. See if theres a spot on the floor under the pedal or look up under there and see if you can see the leak.

That is by FAR the most common cause of low brake fluid in these cars since the brakes and clutch share a reservoir.

It is possible that worn pads would cause this but they'd have to be virtually GONE to kick the light on.

[Steve@Tasca]

shoot son, if it leaks into the booster then shouldnt you replace the booster, or does ford say that brake fluid is good for booster seals now? chances are if the fluid has seaped into the booster the pedal would be rock hard. check the inner pad as the focus front brakes have no dust sheild and the salt and road sanirt(salt,snow and dirt) get in there and the inner face of the rotors turn to a rust pitted nightmare, so you may be looking at rotors as well. the rears should last till about 100k, then do the rears and toss the drums as they are unmachinable by design.

Who you callin' "son"? Why, I'm probably old enough to be your father!
Anyway, the pedal feels good. It definitely isn't hard. I'll try to jack this rascal up this weekend and check things out.
Thanks to everyone for the advice.

Hey Jim, he was calling Focusmech "son" and Focinite is older than Focusmech

[focinite]

see he didnt say it was a stick. id go with what steven is saying first. if the level is good then take the cap off and flick the sensor with yer finger, some times the sensor gets sticky, id also rec flushing the whole system brake and clutch and replacing the fluid with a dot 4, youll get a better pedal on both the clutch and brake. oh and jim im 30, so can i call you daddy?

[Steve@Tasca]

see he didnt say it was a stick. id go with what steven is saying first. if the level is good then take the cap off and flick the sensor with yer finger, some times the sensor gets sticky, id also rec flushing the whole system brake and clutch and replacing the fluid with a dot 4, youll get a better pedal on both the clutch and brake. oh and jim im 30, so can i call you daddy?

It's an SVT Rob

Holy crap, you're only 30? You don't look a day over 42

[focinite]

see he didnt say it was a stick. id go with what steven is saying first. if the level is good then take the cap off and flick the sensor with yer finger, some times the sensor gets sticky, id also rec flushing the whole system brake and clutch and replacing the fluid with a dot 4, youll get a better pedal on both the clutch and brake. oh and jim im 30, so can i call you daddy?

It's an SVT Rob

Holy crap, you're only 30? You don't look a day over 42

ohhhh jeez here we go again!!!!!! he didnt have ,"its my svt", in the vairid cornacopia of colors like normal, so i must of misvt it. and if i look 42 then what does that make you......retired, or very tired i kid ....sir , no really ....i forgot...sigh

[Steve@Tasca]

ohhhh jeez here we go again!!!!!! he didnt have ,"its my svt", in the vairid cornacopia of colors like normal, so i must of misvt it. and if i look 42 then what does that make you......retired, or very tired i kid ....sir , no really ....i forgot...sigh

He didn't say it but it's in his sig

You know what the best thing about your posts is?

It's the truly great vocabulary you use (vairid cornacopia) (varied cornucopia) and the complete lack of any attempt to spell anything correctly

BTW-I know you can spell, I've seen you do it

[focinite]

oh im crying. i love you too

[oldoutboardjim]

he didnt have ,"its my svt", in the vairid cornacopia of colors like normal, so i must of misvt it.

Whassa matta you? You no like the fancy colors?
And no, you may not call me dad.

[Steve@Tasca]

And no, you may not call me dad.[/b]

What about "Pops"