98 ranger brake pedal. Brake pedal doesn't come all the way back up leaving brake lights on killing my battery. Was told brake pedal return spring and the parts store folks laughed at me. It doesn't have one lol. Brakes work great no issue other than my dumb @$$ forgetting to use my foot to pull it back up. Any idea what could cause it and a correct name to buy another lol. I'm not a mechanic but not an idiot either. I can fix it if I know what it is. 98 Ford Ranger 2.5 5 speed and not 4x4

 

I am having the same issue replaced the booster and no difference. I lubed the pivot pints on the brake pedal arm no difference.

 

So, might not be quite the same thing: But I've found my Ranger's parking brake tends to 'stick' a bit in the winter, and won't fully jump back up, thus leaving the brake light on all the time. But, the trick I found - and maybe this is just because of my own habits, not universal - was to put the truck in gear, take my foot off the pedal, and then release the parking brake, rather than releasing it with the brake pedal depressed. That's worked pretty consistently.

Sorry that doesn't really answer your question, but perhaps it can be a temporary response!

 

Was Master or booster replaced recently?

Parts store was correct, kind of................there are two internal return springs, one on the master and one in the booster
There is an adjustable nut between master and booster, master is "main" return spring
When properly adjusted booster shaft(has nut on the end) will touch master piston when they are bolted together
If there is a gap then Masters spring can not push brake pedal back up all the way


Master is a cylinder with a spring and piston, your foot on the pedal pushes in piston to send fluid out to the brakes, it also compresses the spring behind the piston, when you take your foot off the pedal the spring pushes piston back out and the brake pedal with it

 

Thank you. I'll look for it tomorrow morning

 

Remove the two nuts on master and slide it forward
Push in on the booster's rod, see if its "sticking" or pushes brake pedal up all the way, it should
Adjust the nut out a bit, push master back on and put on the 2 nuts finger tight, test if pedal will come back up all the way
If so tighten nuts
If not adjust the nut out a bit more


One more test
Shut off engine
Press brake pedal down 4 times, that should drain the vacuum from booster, so pedal gets hard to press, see if pedal is coming all the way up now, try it a few times
If so then your booster has a leak in its atmosphere valve, very very uncommon issue
And you should HEAR air being sucked in, inside the cab at booster