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ABS Brake Questions and Answers
This category contains featured questions as examples. They relate to most vehicles.
Question: 1998 Buick Riviera 3.8 mileage: 60,000.
I am doing a brake job on my car it has disc
brakes all the way around. I got the
front ones done and now doing the rear but
for some reason I am unable to retrieve the
cylinder back so I can install the new pads.
I have done as much loosen the bleeder to
release pressure but nothing is happening
can you give me a few tips what I am I doing
wrong.
Answer:
It takes a special tool to wind the caliper
piston.
Question:
1994 Cadillac Deville. After the rear
brakes were replaced, the ABS brake light
came on and traction disabled flashed in the
information area. I know it is because
the computer needs to be reset but I am not
sure how to do this. My husband
replaced the front brake pads without a
problem, and the rear brakes work fine -
just unsure of the warning light problem.
I do not want to take it to the dealership
where I was taking it because of the many
problems we have encountered. Do you
have any tips for resetting the warning
lights?
Answer:
Check the sensors for the rear brake ABS
system. One may have been damaged when
the brakes were replaced. Try
disconnecting the battery for several
minutes to reset the light. If there
is a fault in the ABS system, it will
relight the light.
Question:
1999 Ford Ranger Super Ca V-6 mileage:
62,000. I had an accident about a month
ago where I rolled the truck onto the
passenger side into a ditch.
There was minor damage to the exterior and
it peeled the front tire off the rim.
When I got it back from the body shop, I
noticed that the ABS system kicked in every
time that I stopped no matter what the road
conditions. It always kicks in at
about 10 mph and I can feel it feed back
through the pedal and I can hear the system
engaging. It has not lit the abs
warning light and the Ford dealer said that
there is no code in the computer to read.
They suggested driving it until it really
breaks and lights the light, but the
feedback is really annoying and I worry
about brake failure. Could it be a
sensor/abs rotor problem on that front
passenger side wheel? Thank you for
your assistance.
Answer:
Check the replaced brake rotor for
a reluctor wheel that the ABS sensor reads.
The ABS system should not cause a brake
failure that you mentioned.
Question:
2002 Mazda B2300 mileage: 70,000. When
I apply the brakes the pedal goes almost to
the floor before the brakes engage, (when
this fist started if I pumped the brakes it
helped but that doesn’t work as well
anymore), and they seem softer when they
engage. If I push harder with my foot
it gets a little better, but not as good as
normal. I checked the fluid and it is
fine. My friend suggested the master
cylinder, what do you think? Great
site by the way!
Answer:
You may have problems with the brakes
themselves. Remove all four wheels and
inspect the brakes paying close attention to
the rear brakes and the self-adjusters.
Also, inspect the wheel cylinders for
leaking break fluid. If everything is
in order, try bleeding the brakes. If
the master cylinder is faulty, it could be
the cause of your problem as your friend
suggested. However, check the other
thinks we suggested first.
Question:
1999 Chevy 1500 series mileage: 86,000.
My 1990 Chevy pickup is experiencing
problems with the instrument cluster.
You can be driving down the road, the
speedometer will quit working, and then a
few minutes later the brake light will come
on. When you press the brake pedal,
the brake light will start flashing and the
speedometer will start working again.
This will only happen when the lights are
turned on. During the daytime, this
never happens. I have replaced the
speed sensor but the problem still exists.
You can remove the battery cable and of
course, the brake light goes out, but as
soon as you turn the lights on and drive
about 15 miles, it will start this same
problem over again. I have been told
that the instrument cluster is bad but that
is hard for me to believe. I thought
the instrument cluster only receives
information. I think it is
something that feeds the cluster. What
do you think is wrong?
Answer: The “ABS”
(antilock breaking systems) light will
“light” when there is a malfunction in the
braking system. The fault code is then
stored in the computer. The computer
must be scanned to retrieve these stored
faults to pinpoint the malfunctioning
component. Because the ABS light indicates
something is wrong, a trip to you
neighborhood automobile service center
sooner rather than later is recommended.
Your ABS system may not be functioning.
Question:
1999 Jeep Wrangler mileage: 60,000.
My front right brake leaks brake fluid, and
my brakes will not work. What should I
do?
Answer:
Locate the source of the brake fluid leak
and repair. If the brake pads have
gotten wet with brake fluid, they should be
replaced. Check the other three
corners of the car’s brakes to make sure
they are in good shape. Finally, yet
importantly, bleed the air out of the
system.
Question:
2003 Acura Integra mileage: 80,000. I
replaced the front left caliper a couple of
months ago. Now my pedal sinks to ground at
stop signs. I am planning to change
the master brake cylinder. I am
wondering if there were any mismatch between
the calipers, would it cause any extra
stress to the master cylinder. What
bad effects can I observe from changing only
one caliper? Thanks very much,
Answer:
The brake master cylinder is failing.
Changing only one caliper should have no
affect on the master cylinder.
Question:
1999 Ford Escort mileage: 47,000. The
brake pedal has an extreme amount of travel
before engaging the brakes (almost to the
floor). I have replaced one leaking
rear brake cylinder, master cylinder and
bled the brake system. The rear brake
shoes and front pads were worn, so they were
also replaced. The push rod to the
booster is adjusted to its limit.
Answer: Check the
self-adjusters on the rear brakes.
Check to see that the master cylinder push
rod is adjusted correctly, bleed the brakes
again, and check for air bubbles.
Question:
2002 Ford Explorer mileage: 110,000. I
have recently had both front and rear brakes
done. I notice however a squeaking
which occurs until I step on the brake which
stops the squeak immediately. What do
you think could be causing this? There is
also a grinding sound, which occurs just
before the car comes to a stop. The
third issue which I have noticed is a thud,
which occurs sometimes when the car comes to
a stop, or when the vehicle first
accelerates from a stop. A local
mechanic suggested it is probably the
bushings, which need replacement at a cost
of about $700 for both. Might this
also be a loose motor mount, which would be
considerably less expensive to fix?
Thanks for your help.
Answer: Have the brakes
rechecked to find the grinding noise.
New brakes should not do that. Inspect
suspension bushing front and rear, and motor
mounts.
Question:
1999 Chevy 1500 4x4 ext cab mileage: 166,000.
Hi, since last month I have had a clunking
noise in the left front brake. I put
new pads on it and it was ok for a few days
and started clunking on a slow down just
before a stop. I checked to make sure
that everything was installed and tightened
properly, everything seemed good but noticed
that the outside thin metal plate that is
riveted to the back side of pad was crinkled
up. I removed that because I didn't
want it to get caught in the brakes. It
still did the same noise. I returned
the brakes and put a new set on. The
same thing happened. I also noticed
that the caliper had indented the back of
the pad slightly, something I hadn't noticed
on other brake changes. I'm thinking on the
line of caliper problems. How can you help?
Answer: Check for worn or bent
parts on the caliper slides. Try
buying factory brake pads. There are
sometimes minor differences that make a
difference.
Question: 2002 Ford truck
F-150 mileage: 47,000. I have two things to
ask about: 1. Is it normal at this mileage
to have to replace the brakes and the
rotors? 2. I have a check engine light that
keeps coming on. I had the oil changed on
time; would you know what else to check out
on this?
Answer: Yes it is normal to
replace the brakes at 47,000 miles. If the
rotors are worn undersize, there is a
minimum size they can safely be turned to.
The "check engine" light will "light" when
there is a malfunction in the engine
management system. The fault code is then
stored in the computer. The computer must be
scanned to retrieve these stored faults to
pinpoint the malfunctioning component.
Question:
1999 Ford Taurus mileage: 128,000. How do I
remove the front brake calipers?
Answer:
Remove the two bolts on either end of the
caliper. Pry the brake pads back lightly and
remove the caliper.
Question: 2002
Ford Focus mileage: 83,000. I cannot seem to
get new disc brakes back on. The new pads
are ok on the rotor, but the two bolts that
hold caliper on to frame cannot match up
anymore. Are the bushings that the bolts fit
into adjustable? How can I line them up or
make them fit? The rotor is all the way in
to the end, but those two bolts are too far
in to catch. By the way, I haven't done
brakes in 15 years, because I have a company
car!!!
Answer: We think
your problem is the pistons need to be
pushed back into the calipers. This is
easily done with a "C" clamp. It is a good
practice to do one side at a time leaving
the other side for reference.
Question: 1999 Geo
Metro mileage: 75,000. I was recently
overseas for 6 months. While I was gone, I
had my wife start my car once a week. Well
when I got back it started right up and I
was really surprised all it needed was an
oil change. Then while I was driving it on
my second or third day back I started
feeling what seemed like the brakes were
sticking. Turns out both front brakes are
sticking. Thing is that they don't do it
until you've been driving for ten minutes or
so. Then the longer you drive the tighter
they get. One time I could not get over 45
on the freeway. That’s when I figured I
better really check it out. I took it to
Midas because to be honest I had no idea. I
am a decent mechanic but other than both
calipers going out at exactly the same time,
I was lost. Well the guys at Midas said
there was nothing at all wrong.
So I drove it home and on the way it
started doing it again. By the way, I jacked
each tire up individually to come up with
both front brakes sticking. I talked to a
couple people and tinkered a little bit and
decided to get the proportioning valve from
the dealer. After changing it the problem
continued. Then replaced the master cylinder
after taking it apart. It seemed pretty
worn. Problem continues. This has really got
me stumped. Even if both front calipers went
out they wouldn't get tighter and tighter
the longer you drove it would they? Any
suggestions would be great. Thanx. Oh yeah
one more thing. Midas said the fluid wasn't
contaminated but even if it was after
changing the prop valve and master cylinder
I've bled all the old fluid out of the
system.
Answer: Yes, if
both brake calipers failed they would get
tighter as you drove because they are
getting hotter and expanding, dragging on
the brake rotors. Remove both front wheels
and with a pry bar move the brake pads back
from the rotors. The pads should move slowly
with mild force. If they do not, the caliper
pistons are "frozen" in the bores. The next
possibility is the brake pedal linkage may
not be allowing the master cylinder to fully
return, holding pressure on the brakes.
Question: 1999
Cutlass Supreme miles 49,000 I have replaced
the ABS brake accumulator four times since
purchasing new. It has 97,000 miles on it.
This last time I asked the tech, if
something else in the brake system could be
causing it to go out. According to him, the
accumulator is only good for about 50,000
miles. Is this true?
Answer: That
particular anti-locking braking system had
problems.
Question: 2004 Toyota
Sienna miles 45,000, runs great, but it use
to belong to my mother, I just bought it 3
weeks ago. The problem lies with the front
brakes. They were done by a so-called
friend...they are fine but, sometimes I feel
a grinding sound. I put it on the rack. The
rotors looks good, semi-metallic pads look
good although kind of thick. I don’t
understand it. I even get a little squeaking
now and then. Mom told me they were replaced
about 4 months ago but this does not seem
right. Others have told me that the
thickness of an aftermarket pad can do this,
but I don’t understand it. Is it worth my
time to slap some new pads on this puppy,
possibly check the rotors to see if they are
warped? Help!!
Answer: Replacing the
brake pads and brake rotors will fix the
problem you describe.
Question: 2002
Dodge Caravan has squeaky brakes.
The Dodge dealer says there is nothing wrong
with the brakes. They say it's dust
between the brake pads but I don't hear
other cars squeaking like ours. Is
there something wrong with the brakes on my
car?
Answer: A brake
squeak is a high frequency vibration.
Characteristic of cheap brake pads. Always
purchase a high quality brake pads and brake
rotors.
Repair Topics /
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Brake Pads-2 /
Brake Pads-3 /
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Brake Pads-8
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