I've got a 98 Ford Escort Station Wagon leaking brake fluid. Before you flame on my car, I bought it for $1500 ($1250 less than KBB) from my parents, it has 60 k miles, it gets 28/33 MPG, and it's a "Wolfpack" red color.

1) Is this something I can fix myself even thought I'm a car n00b? I've been trying to fix any of the problems in my cars myself to try to learn more about them.

2) How much is this going to cost me if I let someone else do it?

7/8/2008 8:01:37 AM

Level of difficulty and expense to repair depends on what is leaking. You need a diagnosis first.

7/8/2008 8:35:18 AM

que? Well....I filled up my brake fluid reservoir the other day to the maximum, notice the level was decreasing after checking it for the las couple days, and now it's at the minimum level.

Is there a good way to check where it is leaking?

[Edited on July 8, 2008 at 8:48 AM. Reason : yo]

7/8/2008 8:47:44 AM

I'm not a brake expert, but it seems to me if you were leaking fluid anywhere in the lines
you would basically have no stoping power (mushy pedal, fluid evrywhere)
So my guess would be that it is seeping through the caliper piston seals.

maybe also the master cylinder, but somewhere before any high pressure is applied.

7/8/2008 8:55:01 AM

Im not much of a car person, but

The way a master cylinder works is that it will still work even if fluid is leaking from one of the outlets as long as there is fluid in the resiviour. You would need to find out where it was leaking.

Do you notice braking has changed, if it was a really really bad leak, yo ucoudl put it on jacks i woudl guess and hold the brake in neutral and see which wheels could spin.

[Edited on July 8, 2008 at 9:04 AM. Reason : dd]

7/8/2008 9:03:58 AM

I never had that good of brakes to begin with (need to change brake pads) but they are worse than before. The brakes feel a little more "mushy" than before.

7/8/2008 9:26:54 AM

^^ Well, at least the first half of that post is good.

Checking for a leak: fill up the master cylinder to normal level, replace the cap and STAND on the brake pedal while someone goes around and inspects the brake lines, master cylinder connections, and the individual wheels themselves. you are looking for an active (dripping) leak at that point.

prior to that however you can go over the same areas and see if anything is wet with brake fluid. if it is a caliper or wheel cylinder leaking you will likely be able to see a nasty mess on the backside of the tire at the corner causing the trouble.

[Edited on July 8, 2008 at 9:29 AM. Reason : 4655]

7/8/2008 9:29:35 AM

Fill it up...sell the car and then go buy a new one

7/8/2008 9:38:45 AM

^^ unless the mc is leaking into the booster

7/8/2008 6:04:08 PM

just got home from work and checked

It's leaking from a connector (or around the connector) that connects the set of brake fluid lines that run along the bottom of the car

The leak is located right behind the driver's side seat

I took pictures if that helps. I don't have time to upload them yet though.

7/8/2008 6:20:53 PM

that will be fun

7/8/2008 6:21:28 PM

YAY!

7/8/2008 6:26:28 PM

too bad diesel injection isnt around anymore. it would be an easy fix

7/8/2008 6:28:48 PM

its still an easy fix.. there are other places to get the same things they offered.

7/8/2008 7:20:09 PM

on a serious not who else does as good of a job around here as they did

7/8/2008 8:20:09 PM

i didn't realize brake line repair on an escort was brain surgery.

7/8/2008 9:01:19 PM

Brakes Inc.

7/8/2008 9:58:40 PM

^

7/8/2008 10:16:32 PM

Quote :

"It's leaking from a connector (or around the connector) that connects the set of brake fluid lines that run along the bottom of the car"

is the car from up north?

if it's corroded, the best thing to do is replace the entire line or if you can cut and flare it in a good section ,replace the corroded section, chances are, when you try to loosen the fitting, the whole line is gonna break off at the fitting

7/8/2008 11:20:03 PM

Quote :

"i didn't realize brake line repair on an escort was brain surgery. "

everything on a ford is brain surgery

7/9/2008 2:34:17 AM

^^the car is from up north

there are 5 lines running along the bottom of the car (not sure if they are all brake fluid lines)

3 of them are fine without a trace of corrosion

The other 2 are corroding and rusting like crazy

7/9/2008 7:49:28 AM

should have fuel pressure, return, and vent, and rear brake, not sure what the 5th one is

7/9/2008 8:36:34 AM

that's the supplemental braking system line. it has a quick connect brake controller attached to the other end so the tow truck driver can tap in to it to assist in stopping. ford incorporates this to all their vehicles.

7/9/2008 10:09:53 AM

^ good one, i actually looked that one up jackass

7/9/2008 11:38:26 AM

haha

7/9/2008 1:38:01 PM

the first and last photo is where I think the leak is coming from

anyone know approximately what this will cost me to fix?

7/14/2008 7:45:28 PM

wow that's a nasty job the brake fluid has done.....

7/14/2008 8:05:36 PM

i think the rust was there before the leak

the car driven in the north for most of its 60k miles

7/15/2008 7:10:42 AM

coworker said replacing his brake line in his Ford truck cost him about $1100

seems really steep



...just talked to the mechanic and he said the line will have to probably be rebuilt

he said it was labor intensive and will take time

the parts only cost ~$50-$100

am I looking at a $500+ fix here???

[Edited on July 15, 2008 at 11:25 AM. Reason : yo]

7/15/2008 11:16:11 AM