The vehicle is 2000 F150 Lariat 4x4 V8 ext cab (I'm the wife, gave all i could think of) My husband was driving to work this morning. Braking fine first 2 times. 3rd time, the pedal went to the floor and NO BRAKES! He used the emergency brake to stop and it worked fine. I must tell you that he was on the ON RAMP to I-80 during AM rush!! I am still thanking the guardian angel that intervened on what could have been SO MUCH WORSE!! WOW! Anyway, I would appreciate some knowledgable input on the possible cause of this, as in, what to look at first. I don't expect an exact diagnosis, of course, but he is very upset and if I can help by narrowing it down a little for him that would be wonderful! Also, I believe he said the ABS light (on dash) is on continuously now.(if that helps) Appreciate any help out there, but please, only if you are SURE of the answer(s) you give. Thank you so much!!

 

sounds like his master cylinder and booster are totaly shot. get it to a shop asap, and have a tech give it a good once over. the repair is a few hundred

 

x2 had this happen on our 95 f150

 

Before your husband moves the truck again, have him look under it on the ground for oil/brake fluid. I have seen rusty brake lines rupture, causing loss of pressure and ....no brakes. Sometimes the brake lines will rust around clamps that attach it to the frame, if this is his problem, you can replace a section of brake line without too much difficulty or expense. Brake lines use double flair fittings. Hope this helps.

 

I had a brake line bust on mine not long ago

 

Ours started with a busted master cylinder, and booster, then the line busted. You should be able to fill the master cylinder back up with fluid, and have someone push the pedal, lay under the truck and look for shooting fluid. My ranger busted a metal line, and it did that.

 

^^^^^ Look for leaks first. Check the fluid level in the master cylinder. If it is empty suspect a leak in the lines or the master cylinder. No leaks remove the ABS fuse and pump the brakes. A sticking valve in the ABS unit could allow the fluid to return with applying the brakes. Did someone leave a bleeder screw open?

 

Thank you, to all those who replied. Your answers were what I was looking for---easily identified problems, before looking further. The brake line, behind the front passenger side wheel, was broken. And I mean BROKEN!! Fortunately, it is easy to get to and replace. Our garage is too small to fit a vehicle in and it's January in Iowa where we are. That translates into "vehicle repairs are done outdoors." Thank you, again. You can bet we will come back if we need advice again. We have a 1980 F100 also, but that one is usually an easier fix as there's less equipment to fail!