Yesterday, I was driving my 2000 S-Type to a store and was pulling into a parking spot when I lost all brake pressure (brake pedal went to the floor). The car proceeded to bump into another car. It happened so fast that I didn't have time to react to engage the parking brake. Luckily, I was going slow enough that there was not any damage on my car or the car that I hit. When I put it in reverse, I regained full brake pressure. I proceeded to drive home and then to my local Jag dealer without any brake problems (while keeping my hand on the parking brake the whole time).

So does this sound like the master cylinder should be replaced? I have had a master cylinder go out (on a old Chevy) but the loss of break pressure was repeatable.

I do not want this to ever happen again. Had I been stopping at a intersection and lost all stopping ability, this could have been quite serious.

 

is it possible you just lost brake assist.? meaning you lost vacuumm to your booster.. was it hard when it got to the floor?
as you said a master that is faulty usually is faulty all the time.. or did it feel spongy and went all the way down and the brakes dint stop the car at all..?

 

What I recall (since it happened so fast) what that as I pulled into the parking space, I briefly had brake pressure and the car started to slow down, then, the brake pedel went quickly (almost instanteously with no resistance) to the floor and I lost all stopping ability (as if I took my foot off the brake completely) and coasted in the Honda Accord parked in front of me.

So based on this, you think I lost brake assist or is my master cylinder failing?

 

Did you check the reservoir level.....and you have it at the dealer now? Let them diag it.....much easier when car in front of you.

 

The resevoir level was full. I didn't get any warning messages either.

It's at the Jag dealer now so I should get an answer by tomorrow. I was just hoping that someone on this forum had experienced this issue and knew of a fix.

 

Is it possble u are in error about what happened? There is no real feasible theory for what u describe. No disrespect to you, just sometimes when things happen so fast, hard to remember what really happened and the last scenario people want to believe is that
they were at fault somehow.

 

FJT,

I've thought about what you said. I've replayed the incident in my mind and I'm certain about the events. The brake pedal when all the way to the floor and I lost all stopping ablility. When something like this happens, it's a little scary and you don't forget it.

We'll see what the dealer has to say.