URGENT - No brakes!

Hey guys. Sorry for all the posts asking for help.

Went to leave work yesterday and as I was going down the parking garage, no brakes! My pedal is super tough to push down and while applying tons of pressure just to get it to stop, it takes its time to slow down.

Now thankfully, Im not the type who panics if something happens while driving, and successfully made it home with no issues. But I feel the next trip out could be even more dangerous.

Note: I checked the brake fluid. It looks super watery. Could this be a probable cause? Was thinking of just flushing the brake system, but want to be sure of the culprit before I go spending money.

 

Sounds like the Master Cylinder went out.

 

Does the e-brake hold at all?
Do you have ABS?

 

It has ABS. EBrake holds just fine

 

If it was the Master Cylinder, wouldnt the brake pedal fall to the floor? Instead what is happening is I have to use tons of force just to get the pedal to go down.

 

Nope. Turn your truck off and push the pedal, feels the same right? If the pedal went right to the floor that's a busted line somewhere. (Ask me how I know...)

 

It doesnt go to the floor at all. I have to exert tons of force just to move the pedal any. Almost like its seized up.

 

Then its not a busted line anywhere and most likely the master cylinder.

 

Maybe the brake booster vacuum hose is messed up ?

 

Exactly. A busted line will send it straight to the floor, not a busted Master Cylinder. A busted master Cylinder will however impede your ability to push that pedal as it's now no longer assisting you and is in fact hindering.

That would make a hell of a noise.

 

Check the vac line to the master, it not... its the master cyl

 

They failed yes, but I was able to safely drive it home by braking way ahead of time. I was that dick who starts braking a mile before the exit. Haha.

 

And there are no strange noises. Besides it being super tough to press down on and little braking power when tons of force is applied, all is normal

 

Well that was hardly "safe"...

Fix your brakes before you drive again. please

 

Thats why I started this thread is to get a possible solution to the problem. I wont be driving it until it is fixed. If I have to, Ill tow it from home to a shop if Im unable to fix myself.

Now most of the responses are in regards to the Master Cylinder. I was always under the impression that if the BMC was bad, there wouldnt be as tough of resistance. But if you all are sure, then it is much cheaper for me to pickup a cylinder and replace than a brake booster.

 

True story. My son had a manual Mitsu at one time. One day driving my Wife, all of a sudden he was totally unable to push in the clutch. He got it to a gas station and I picked them up. I thought about it for a while, and took a 10mm wrench to the clutch Master Cylinder and turned the bleeder valve. Got squirted with loads of fluid. It took the pressure off the clutch enough to drive it to my house. Got another one from the stealership and fixed it. I'll bet you a Coke and 2 chocolate frosted doughnuts that if you went outside right now and opened the farthest bleeder valve you too will get squirted with brake fluid, and it will prolly start working once again, to fail later on. Change out the MC!

 

I have yes. It is hooked up and still intact