A friend of mine has a 07 F150 and is having a brake problem. The dealer called it "brake pedal step thru" and said it was normal on a 07. While stopped and holding down the brake pedal the pedal creeps almost to the floor. The brakes work fine. Has anyone else experienced this and what can be done?

 

Have the dealer put that on paper, use it against them when your buddie plows thru somebody. Sounds like the rod behind the booster is out of adjustment, there is a write-up on this.

 

WRONG
If the booster output rod was out of adjustment it would only affect initial travel to build pressure.

Have your friend watch his brake fluid level in the reservoir real close... is it dropping some over a several day period? A slow drip at one of his connections can lead to the brake pedal traveling while maintaining pressure. A very slow leak will take a long time to lower the fluid level to the point of activating the FLI switch, but will change the brake pedal feel. Your friend should also check all the fittings he can easily reach (master cylinder, ABS, calipers) to see if there is any brake fluid on the connectors.

Is this something new? Or has it done this since he bought the truck?

If the brake fluid level is staying steady, there is a chance there is a bad seal in the master cylinder. But this is unlikely to make it past the testing during manufacture.

Also important to know - is he holding a steady force on the brake pedal as it is falling away? Or pushing harder? Due the flex line swell and brake system absorbency - if you sit at a stoplight (not moving) and push harder on the brake pedal, the brake pedal will travel further. This is totally normal (my truck does the same - if I really push on it, it will travel aways). It feels to the person like it is going to the floor, but it really isn't. The master cylinder will bottom out before the pedal hits the floor.

Did the dealership actually drive the truck? Or did they just say it was normal? If one of the technicians drove the truck, I'd be likely to believe that it is ok. If not, I'd take it in and have someone drive it.

 

Thanks. I will pass this information along. The tech did take the truck for a ride and called Ford. They said there were no bulletins and that this was normal. Since the brakes are working I would answer your question that he is pushing harder on the brake pedal.

 

No brake pedal should go to the floor , when stepping hard with ABS brakes the pedal should pulse but not go all the way down , take a 07 off the lot for a test drive and see if that truck does the same.