Brake pedal won't come all the way back up

[guido34]

I searched the forums and couldn’t find this particular problem. I noticed my brake lights would not turn off so I got under the dash to see why. The brake light switch was secure and in the proper position. What was out of whack was the brake pedal. It was not returning all the way to the switch. I grabbed it and gently pulled it up. It resisted a bit but then broke free and stayed fully up against the switch and my brake lights went off.

I pushed it back down and let go. It returned from the floor but not all the way to the switch. Once again I pulled it back up. It resisted slightly but broke free and returned fully up and stayed there. While driving, the brakes work and feel just as they always have but the pedal will not return fully unless I reach under it with my foot and pull it up. There is a slight resistance at first but then the pedal breaks free and returns fully up. There is no resistance going down, only back up.

I’ve looked for a mechanical obstruction but found none. The master cylinder is full. I did put on new front brake pads but that was three weeks ago and I drive it daily. Could it be a bad linkage in the booster? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

 

[JohnZ]

With manual brakes, there's a coiled spring around the pivot shaft at the top of the pedal that holds it up against the bumper; with power brakes, that pedal return function is handled by a return spring that's internal to the booster. Sounds like it's booster time.