1994 Saturn SL1 Brakes and MC all replaced but no pedal.

CHARLIEC.

MEMBER
1994 SATURN SL1
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
16,900 MILES

Howdy guys;
Sure hope you can help as I am pulling my hair out on this one. Brakes are ABS. I replaced the calipers and rotors on all four wheels. Saw no problem with and of the lines and hoses. Bleed the whole system good but got no pedal. I checked all out again and rebleed the system to be sure and still no pedal. Changed Master cylinder(did all the things suppose to do with that) bleed system again still no pedal. Took the MC out re bench bleed, installed. Bleed system again still no pedal. Thought maybe ABS computer needed to update or something so took it down driveway but to no avail. Got a replace MC and did it all over again, Same old same old. Now I have gotten a book and it says need special scan to bleed back brakes but I got great results when I bleed, as in air bubbles when they should, as none for long time then small stream from MC connection and none for long time after. Could I have messed up ABS system when putting it back together somehow even though it does its check and then light goes off like it should. I find it hard to believe I got three MCs in a row (counting original one on). No leaks anywhere, fluid never let get low during bleed to suck air and none sucked back in at bleed screws. Can an ABS system hide and hold that much air that just will not come out that I get no pedal. Not even a spongy one but always all the way to the floor. I would take it to a shop if I had money but with no job, times they be tough. Thanks for any thoughts. Oh Emergency brakes work.
CharlieC

1 Reply

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,870 POSTS

First of all thank you so much for your donation.I posted the bleed procedure for your car it says if you cant bleed it you need to cycle the pistions in the modulator.Then leave them up the way i have always bleed them is by cycling the pistions then homing them up bleeding the car then down reeling them before driving it.Problem is you need a tech 1 with the saturn software to do that special test or a scanner that has abs software for saturn with that special test.The only thing i could suggest for you is get a 10 amp fused jumper wirer for power and a ground wire jumper and jump each motor to make them go up or down.I just dont know what polarity would make it go up or go down i gave you a wire diagram so you can look into that possibility.If you decide to jump the motors make sure you unplug the abs connectors to the master cylinder before you do that so u dont spike the abs computer.I dont think you ruined your abs you just have air trapped in your system and need to run those pistions up and down and leave them up while you bleed it like it says.Let me know what you find and how it goes.