Hi guys, I have been to the site occasionally in the past - mainly for my '72 F100 (now gone), then for my '05 Escape (also gone), and now for my '11 E350. This is the first time I've had to actually post a question, so you all are doing something right. Anyway thanks for all the input so far.

Summary: 2011, E350 12-passenger, V8. ABS and disc brakes. Bought from dealer at 23Kmi about 15 months ago.

Since I got it, the brakes on the E350 have struck me as very soft on the first press - they will travel quite a bit. If I pull back and re-press, I am golden - stop pressure is at the very top of pedal travel. If I drive for another few minutes, same problem.

I took it in to the dealer for a bunch of under-warranty issues (35.5Kmi now and complained loudly about the brakes. They say it is normal, and in particular found no leaking in the master cylinder or hoses. I took the truck guy out for a test drive, he says that his personal diesel E350 does the same, and that it has something to do with vacuum being used in the brake booster and/or brake pad travel.

In my old-car mindset, I expect the brake pedal travel to be the same for every press. Is this some Ford feature, or is the dealer just trying to avoid doing something? If it is a feature - can I turn it off? It drives me batty.

Thanks,
Tim

 

No one has any thoughts?

If I'm just blind to some other post please point me in the right direction, I did search but of course I may have searched the wrong thing.

Thanks,
Tim

 

Usually that would indicate air in the brake system. A full bleeding of the system at each wheel is what I would recommend.

 

No, that isn't normal.

Take any other truck on their lot and have the service manager show you that the new truck does the same thing.

 

Redford, that's a great idea! I will head over this afternoon, hopefully they will have something on the lot.

Thanks gents!

 

Actually, for the newer trucks (2011+), it is a normal condition. Something about the newly designed braking system. I took my truck in for the same thing, and was told the same thing. I have gotten used to the brakes, and have never had a problem slowing or stopping, even with my 5th wheel.

There is another thread on here somewhere where someone did some mods to the brake calipers, or something like that (could have been on "the other board (DieselStop), but it's been a while since I've seen anything on it.

Bottom line for me is, like I said above, I've gotten used to it. It's not worth my time to try and push it, especially through the dealer, and I'm sure not ready or willing to tear my brake system apart to mod the calipers. The brakes work, they're just different than we're used to.