brakes work fine - pedal doesn't return (1 Viewer)

[weniki31]

1997 lx450
short version:
symptom - cruise won't work and brake lights stay on until i pull brake pedal up with left foot. this is not an electrical or hydraulic issue. would the brake pedal push rod assembly cause this? adjust, rebuild or replace?

extended version:
replaced master cylinder, bench bled, pads 75% life left, truck stops fine.
issue is pedal does not return to normal position after engaging half way down. it does return after a full stop. this is repeatable at will, not intermittent.
symptom - cruise won't work and brake lights stay on until i pull brake pedal up with left foot.
i found there are no return springs on the pedal itself. i assume the master cylinder has internal springs to return the brake pedal to normal. installed new master cylinder and soft pedal went away. the pedal return issue existed before new master cylinder.
i have adjusted the 2 nuts on the pedal to their extremes. that didn't fix it either. although it improved the feel of braking - shortening the distance to pressurize the system. l like that there is not as much slack now.
i think i have read on this site that the push rod and/or assembly can be the culprit.
i can't find that discussion now.

i've read several threads with this symptom. but, it seems the most common advice is air in the lines. this issue is different than that. hopefully, this thread will answer others questions regarding this particular issue.

all help is appreciated. thanks in advance. this is my wife's account. her name is wendi. my name is mark. this is my first post.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

There should be a spring on the pedal. Yours is missing.

 

[weniki31]

Daddy, thank you for the quick response.

Is it obvious where the other end is supposed to attach? I am running outside to look.

 

[weniki31]

you were correct. the spring is not there. i found the eyelet to connect it to. i will price it at the dealer, auto parts and hardware stores. thanks again.

mark

 

[PacToy]

I ran into the same problem tonight. The brake lights would not go off. That is, unless, I pulled back on the brake pedal.

I searched mud and found the answer in this thread. Albeit, a little different, but the same solution applied.

In my case one of the 90 HDJs that I have has a little disc between the push rod and brake pedal. The spring and all was good, but that little disc had fallen off and did not allow the brake light push rod to return all the way to "brake lights off" position.

I found the disc worn out and on the floor mat. I put the disc back in place and everything is in proper working order again.

All is good now!

 

[Bcampman]

Thank you Hoosier daddy for the response in this thread long ago. I found a spring on my floor mat the other day after a very bumpy ride and had no clue where it belonged. My brake lights started staying on when I turned the truck off. I figured the button was not being depressed far enough and that’s how I ended up here. I felt a contortionist trying to locate and hook up to the eyelet but now it works great.