Brakes have a mushy to floor response - 2005 Ford Taurus

How To Bleed air out of brake system alone without helper

mushy brakes can be from air in the system or weak rubber brake lines expanding under pressure. I would try bleeding the brakes starting at the longest line first

Power brake master is culprit, Call parts store and ask, prob about 150 us dol or so.Just guessing at cost.Yu have to return old unit.

If the car has drum brakes in the rear, Jack the rear up and have someone push the brake pedal hard and you try to turn the wheel. If you can turn it you need to adjust the rear shoes. They may be traveling out so far that the fluid level drops causing the pedal to go to the floor. You must adjust them with the drum on till you hear and feel the shoes rubbing against the drum. Hope this helps.

check brake lines and wheel cylnders on the back

If your power steering is whining you may just be low on power sterring fluid. I would check that first. If that is good your power steering pump may be on its way out.

There is a power brake booster in your system, but that should not affect if your brakes feel "mushy". I would look at the master cylinder, you probably need a new master cylinder they have a tendency to leak fluid past the seals as they age giving your pedal a mushy feeling. I woould also check your brake lines on each wheel to see if one might be leaking, this will give you a mushy feel as well. I doubt that is the case if you aren't loosing fluid however.

First of all, don't drive with the brakes this way...
Sounds like you've lost the hydraulic pressure in the brake system.
Check the following:
1. Open the hood and check the brake fluid reservoir to make sure it's full of brake fluid. If not, top it off with the recommend brake fluid.
2. Try the brake pedal again, with the car running in PARK, press a few times and see if the pedal "firms up".
3. If it does, press and hold the brake pedal with the motor still running. Look to see if the pedal slowly sinks to the floor or if it's a bit "mushy" or feels ok.

If the pedal sinks to the floor, you've got a major leak in the brake system. This could be from one of the wheel cylinders, from the disk brake caliper piston, a damage brake hose, brake line, a faulty master cylinder, power brake booster.
The best way to check is a visual inspection. Look around each wheel- look for fluid leaks, for signs of fluid where you park, on the axles, under the hood near the brake fluid reservoir, etc.
If after the fluid is topped off, you get a mushy pedal, I would suggest getting the brakes "bled". Bleeding the brakes simply means getting all the air out of the brake lines. (Air compresses where brake fluid won't- if the pedal is mushy it's got air.)
If you've not done brake work before, I highly recommend taking it to a local mechanic to help you out. You really want to KNOW that your brakes are going to be there when you need them. So if in doubt have a mechanic check it out.

May be air in the brake lines.
Bleed the brakes. Most brake shops do a lousy job. If you have it done make sure they test drive the car before you pay. If the brakes are still mushy, take it back and make them do it right or get your money back (all of it).
Very difficult to do by yourself, you will need an assistant if you haven't done it before.
Yes, there are one-man bleeders, not for first-timers.

You have air in your break lines. The two ways you can solve this problem is have the breaks blead to get the air out of the lines, or you can take the top of the break reservoir and pump your breaks to the floor. DONOT DO THIS With the car moving. What this will do is force the air to the reservoir.