That's what I did, actually, I took out about 1/2". It has solved the problem during daily driving. However, I still get a leak after some hard spririted driving, i.e., taking lots of sharp turns, fast breaking, fast accel, etc.

 

mine has been leaking for a while, and i have noticed that when it gets below the full mark, it doesnt shift as smoothly, and i have to top it off. i guess i will try the washer thing, im sick having to wipe it up and top it off every once in a while!

 

Why does low brake fluid affect shifting?

 

Because we have a hydraulic clutch, brake fluid IS hydraulic fluid and our clutch feeds off the brake resevoir.

 

I wouldn't remove fluid if I were youz guys. I'm gonna slap a washer in tomorrow and see what happens.

 

Well I'm sure that at some point if enough people get in an accident or die Ford will issue a cap that actually works.... maybe...

 

I've never seen a car before that had only one reservoir, I don't believe it could be that way.

 

GO to the dealer and look at a car before you post.
The fluid is the same. They are just saving a few pennies so they can put them where it counts...in the engine and suspension.
Try posting this.."I've never seen a car before that had only one reservoir, I don't believe it could be that way". Don't post " It does NOT feed..." if you can't look at the car.

 

OK, so I'm wrong. Sorry. Is that better?

 

I know MANY MANY different cars and trucks that share one resevoir for the clutch and brakes. One example was my brother 96 camaro. I dont see anything wrong with just the one resevoir. Less parts to break less things to go wrong and one less resevoir fluid level to check and keep a eye on.

 

So in an auto tranny, removing some fluid shouldn't affect the shifting, right?

 

In case your not kidding, No removing brake fluid from a Auto wont affect shifting. As a auto has no clutch in the traditional sense. If you look on the back of the brake resevoir of a auto mustang there is no hose.

 

Yea, I know it seemed like a stupid question. But to be honest, when I first read the post that said his manual tranny shifting was worse after removing some brake fluid, I thought "what?!? that dude's imagining things", until you all explained it. So now, I'm just making sure that what I think is correct is actually correct, even at the risk of sounding stupid.

 

Why hasn't Ford released the correct cap gasket? The 2007s still have this problem.

 

Yes... I wish someone at Ford WOULD release the proper cap... or a revised version of the reservoir or whatever.

 

because they would rather go farther down the tubes than fix a few minor problems. Really a sad state of affairs. 3 years in production and still the same ol problems. TO SAD
I still love my car tho

 

I thought Brake Fluid is flammable? Its close proximity to the exhaust manifold could prove to be a fire hazard. Does Ford really need class action lawsuits to fix minor problems on cars? Toyota/Honda would have fixed the problem by 2006 MY at the latest and issued recalls for all 2005 models.

 

its a .79 cent fix at home depot. what is the big deal? what do you expect when u get 300hp/320tq WAY underrated, for like 27 grand?

 

I had this problem and I went through all the things that you guys are describing or have been thinking about. The problem is simple, the top of the filler neck is not flat. I think that quite a number of the plastic reservoirs were not molded correctly. You can try putting a thicker gasket or o-ring in the cap or even around the base of the neck. But what really will fix the problem is a replacement under warranty with a reservoir that has a flat top surface.

I had my reservoir replaced under warranty, and have had no leaks since. That's been about 6 months now. And, yes, brake fluid is flammable. It is also a great paint remover.

I really can't understand why Ford is not following up on this more aggressively. It could represent a large potential liability to them. A big recall after someone has an engine fire could drive them closer to bankruptcy. And I don't think any of us want to see that.

 

It's a cheap fix that Ford should have implemented years ago. This is the cracking intake manifold all over again.