Certain components of your car are necessary to its correct performance, and to go further, fundamental to your safety and that of other users. Your braking system is one of them, and if there’s one thing that must be in good operating conditions, it’s this one. When you begin to have brake problems you need to take care of it right away, that’s why our team has created this content on brake fluid leaks on Ford Explorer to help you solve this difficulty in the right technique and handle it fairly quickly. For this, we will first see the purpose of brake fluid, then, what causes a brake fluid leak on your Ford Explorer , and to finish, how to fix such a leak.

brake-fluid-leak-ford-explorer

What is the purpose of brake fluid on a Ford Explorer?

So we commence our article by fairly quickly explaining the purpose of this famous brake fluid in the braking system of your Ford Explorer. To discover, a brake system operates with a closed hydraulic circuit, that is to say that you will have rigid hoses filled with brake fluid that are pressurized by the master cylinder, and when you press your brake pedal, your brake fluid will be pressurized and will actuate your brake calipers so that they pinch the brake pads on your discs. It is therefore vital that you constantly have the right level of brake fluid on your Ford Explorer, if you don’t know how to perform this manipulation, seek advice from our article on this subject.

Motives of a brake fluid leak on your Ford Explorer

We now proceed to a more important component to help you discover why you have a brake fluid leak on your Ford Explorer .

What causes a brake fluid leak on a Ford Explorer?

First, we’ll explain the different possible sources of the leak of your Ford Explorer. Here are the ones below:

  • A broken brake hose: It’s one of the most general causes, one of the brake hoses has been cut and you lose brake fluid and pressure through this hole.
  • A defective master cylinder on Ford Explorer can lead to leaks on its different entries or exits.
  • In most cases this comes about when a brake drain has been performed recently, and it is generally not tightened effectively.
  • Wheel cylinder: Only present on drum brakes, this component can leak and trigger an imbalance in the braking.

How to detect a brake fluid leak on Ford Explorer?

We will now give you the different recommendations and symptoms to interpret to verify that you have a brake fluid leak on your Ford Explorer , locate them below:

  • If the ABS warning light of your Ford Explorer is on , you have to verify directly the state of your circuit, do not hesitate to seek advice from our dedicated article to have all the measures to perform.
  • If your Ford Explorer pulls to the left or right when you brake you could have a brake fluid leak.
  • This is one of the most noticeable signs, if you experience that your pedal is much less difficult to press down and goes up more slowly, it is very likely that you have a loss of pressure in your brake system.
  • More obvious, but if you locate brake fluid on one of these elements you are bound to have a leak since this circuit is supposed to be closed.

How to correct a brake fluid leak on Ford Explorer?

The just solution when you encounter a brake fluid leak on your Ford Explorer is to go to your mechanic. If it is light, verify your level and drive carefully to the mechanic, if it is too big don’t drive and have your car towed. A general breakdown of your brake system will lead to an accident. You can, nevertheless, make a few frequent checks to limit the risks:

  • verify the brake fluid level regularly.
  • Purge your brakes every two years or 40, 000 miles.
  • Replace the brake fluid if you experience the brakes on your Ford Explorer become “soft”.

If you have any additional questions about the Ford Explorer, do not hesitate to consult our Ford Explorer category.