96 Taurus brake pedal noise

[97BlueCavalier]

Hi,

My father has a 1996 Taurus GL wagon 3.0L vulcan with 74,000 miles.

Just recently, the brake pedal developed a strange squeaking noise which almost sounds like the noise a paper towel makes when wiping windex off of a window.

It also feels kind of spongy when making this noise. If anyone has any idea what this could be, or how it is fixed, I would really appreciate it.

It would be nice to know if the brakes are going to fail out of the blue...

[shorod]

If you are hearing the noise from the brake pedal, failure of the brakes is not likely. You will want to check the bellow where the brake pedal actuator meets the firewall and inspect this for brake fluid. There may be some oily residue there (pretty normal) but if you see any drops of fluid hanging off the bellow, you may have a leaking brake booster. Check the fluid level in the master cylinder under the hood.

Otherwise, you may just need to apply a bit of 3-in-one oil to the actuator arm and hinges to silence the squeak. If the noise is a whistle from air escaping from the bellow as the pedal is depressed, well then I'm not sure what the fix is.

-Rod

[97BlueCavalier]

Hi,

I applied the oil to the pedal hinges and arm, and it is completely silent!

Thanks for the help, that noise was getting on my nerves!

[Colt Hero]

Hmm, interesting....I've got a '97 GL Wagon that's been making that noise (and crunchy feel) in the brake pedal for at least two years. Never considered it serious, and so I never bothered to investigate, but now I'll get underneath and oil it up. Thanks!