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2000 Ford Windstar - Brakes Got Hard To Press & Hose Was Off Oil Tank?
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mbradford101
New User
May 22, 2012, 1:44 AM
Post #1 of 4
(2229 views)
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2000 Ford Windstar - Brakes Got Hard To Press & Hose Was Off Oil Tank?
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I know almost nothing about cars, so I'm speaking from complete ignorance here...
We have a 2000 Ford Windstar with a number of issues, but this one really stumped me.
Today I had just started the van and backed out of a parking space, when the brakes became very hard to press. They still worked when pressed hard, but they felt like manual brakes.
So I parked the van again and popped the hood. I checked the brake fluid, which was fine, and then I noticed a greasy open nozzle sticking out on top of the oil tank with a hose that had apparently come off of it. I put the hose back on the nozzle, and then when I started the van up again and checked the brakes, they worked perfectly. I drove home with no further problem.
I had no idea that a hose coming off the top of the oil tank had anything to do with the brakes. So I'm wondering a few things...
1.) Did putting the hose back on the nozzle 'fix' the brakes, or was it unrelated?
2.) If this happened again - possibly going at a high speed - would we be able to stop the van if we pressed the brakes hard enough, or could THIS PROBLEM cause the brakes to stop working (even when pressed very hard)?
3.) The hose and nozzle looked to be in fine shape, so I'm wondering what caused the hose to come off? Do I need to fix or replace something to make sure this doesn't happen again?
If you can give me any other advice on this, I'd really appreciate it!
I don't know if this other info will shed any light on the issue or not...
Among other problems plaguing this van, two summers ago, it ran hot all of a sudden, and we found out it was leaking coolant. For about six months, I had to put gallon after gallon of water and coolant in the radiator tank. Then later, I ended up putting 2-3 containers of leak sealant in the tank, and then head gasket sealer.
Now the leak has been reduced greatly, and the van hasn't run hot since. But a mechanic looked at it from the bottom and said that where the radiator leak is, the pieces there could blow out at any time - looks kind of like a metal container thing under the car... It's too expensive to fix, so we're living with it. But I wondered if this could have anything to do with the oil tank hose coming off.
Just as I wrote this, I remembered - though I rarely have to put oil in it, and the oil usually stays okay between oil changes - that it was a little low on oil a week or so ago, and when I put about a half a quart of oil in the tank and then re-checked the oil, it was a little over the full mark (not much, but a little). Since I just remembered this, I wondered if this could possibly have caused the hose to pop off - a little too much oil?
Whatever light anyone can shed on all this would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!
My wife drives the van a lot with the kids and I want to make sure we don't have a disaster, if this problem happens again.
Thanks!
Mark
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 22, 2012, 3:14 AM
Post #2 of 4
(2191 views)
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Re: 2000 Ford Windstar - Brakes Got Hard To Press & Hose Was Off Oil Tank?
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One problem per question please...............
That hose was a vacuum hose that powers the vacuum power brake booster. It's pretty unusual for it to come off on it's own unless rotted or deteriorated. I would more suspect someone working in that area knocking it off. It merely presses on but it should be tight enough that it can't fall off on it's own.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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mbradford101
New User
May 22, 2012, 3:56 PM
Post #3 of 4
(2156 views)
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Re: 2000 Ford Windstar - Brakes Got Hard To Press & Hose Was Off Oil Tank?
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Thanks for the info. If the hose happens to slide off when we're driving, would the van still be stoppable - by pressing the brakes very hard?
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 22, 2012, 4:11 PM
Post #4 of 4
(2153 views)
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Re: 2000 Ford Windstar - Brakes Got Hard To Press & Hose Was Off Oil Tank?
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It wouldn't stop very good and the big vacuum leak would make the engine very erratic. You really don't want that to happen.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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