Auto Brakes

[T&L]

Hi all--I have a 98 and the problem is as I'm driving the brakes start to engage. This causes the front to shimmy and the steering wheel to shake. I'm thinking because they (Brakes) are getting really hot. It does"nt do it all the time. CHEY put on new Cals, Pads, Rotors and a Master Cyl. and it still does the above. If I feel it starting to happen I put my foot under the brake pedal and pull up and this stops the brakes from applying and the car straightens right out. Does anyone know what is wrong with my brakes? Why do I have "Auto Brakes".

Terry and Linda

 

[Bioscache2]

I don't know too much about brakes but I'll throw out what comes to mind and one of our members with more experience can comment. First have the brake lines been flushed recently? maybe air in the lines? Also do you have aftermarket brake pedals that are abnormally heavy? Also I'm not sure what provides the resistance to keep the brake pedal up normally but is that something that could fail?

 

[T&L]

Brakes

Hi all---Yes Chevy put all new fluid in brake system. It's a new Master-Cals-Pads--ALL Chevy parts. About the return system I know nothing of it.

Terry

 

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
I would check to make sure that the brake pedal switches are adjusted correctly.
From your posts, they might not be. There are 2 of them.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[T&L]

Brakes

Hi C4-C5. Can you tell me what the settings are for those two switches? I thought one was for cruz--and the other for the brake lights. The cruz is about 1/16 in from the peddle. I'm not sure about the other one (but I have to push the peddle down more for it to work) When I pull up on the brake peddle it does not move very much at all before the brakes let go. There is very little play in the peddle linkage. Do these swiches help hold the peddle up? Thank you for your time and advice.

Terry

 

[c4c5specialist]

HI there
You will simply push both switches to the front of the vehicle, you will hear clicks if they move. Be firm this way.
Then, using 2 fingers, pull back on the brake pedal toward the rear of the vehicle.
You will then hear them click again.
That is the adjustment procedure.
Allthebest, c4c5:bang

 

[T&L]

Brakes

Hi again C4-C5 I pushed both switches one click--then pulled back on brake pedal w/fingers. When I did that they clicked again. I drove the car yesterday and all was fine--but it does'nt do it all the time. I'll have to drive it more to see if the problem went away. Questions----If one click was not enough--should I go to two clicks(1 more for a total of two) Also can you explain what this is doing--are the switches being moved AWAY from the brake peddle? And if they are being moved away can you reverse this to move them closer or is this a one time setting that is a done thing now? Thank you for your help--& I hope this is a fix for me.

Terry

 

[c4c5specialist]

If you followed the procedure, that is ALL you need to do.
When you pull the pedal toward the rear, you are adjusting the free play into the clearance between the switches and the brake pedal.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[T&L]

Brakes

Hi again---Well my brakes did the same thing again yesterday. I can tell when they are going to act up because my cruz will not work unless I pull up on my brake peddle (Because the switch is engaged). Is there anything that might be wrong with the power booster? Is there a one way valve in the vacume line going to it? Maybe a leak in the booster itself? Is there a return spring on the brake peddle that might be bad? I'm at a loss and I'm afraid it might get real bad and cause a crash. When I drive it I pull up on my peddle every 5min or so tobe sure they (brakes) are not being applied as I drive. Thank you all for any more help with this---the Chevy dealer is at a loss also.

Terry

 

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
Now that you have eliminated the simple things, yes, I would say that a booster may definately be causing your condition.
If you pulling up on the brake pedal makes the condition go away, then yes.
Plus the fact that your cruise does NOT work, that tells us that your switches are adjusted correctly and that your booster is pulling your pedal and applying pressure to the brakes.
There was a bulletin for Corvette a while back for 2001 models having a condition like this, so it is definately possible.
Allthebest, c4c5:bang

 

[T&L]

Brakes

Hi C4-C5 and all. Well I took my car back to chevy and they found that the swiches were being engaged but they said the brakes were NOT being applied. I told them it did not do it all the time and that when it did it AGAIN that I would just bring it back again. Then one Tech. asked me to leave my car there and he would drive it more to see if it would do it. Yesterday he called me and said "YES they did apply after he had driven it for quit some time". I told him about what you said then (booster maybe bad and that there was a write-up on it from chevy-2001) He then looked it up AND found it. He has ordered the booster that was posted in the write up and I should have my car back this Fri. He told me that it cost $400 for the part--but because this was a problem while it was under warrenty ( I had complained about this before-warrenty is out now) that they are paying for it--THAT MADE MY DAY! He told me the return spring for the brake peddel is IN the booster and that is what was bad. This has been a problem for 4 months and thanks to people like C4-C5 it has been solved. By the way C4-C5 this is the second problem you have solved that my dealer did not (vert top adj)
Thank you for your time on this matter-you are a Master at what you do.

T&L

 

[T&L]

Brakes

Hi all again. This is a update on the brake problem. They work GREAT!!! That was the problem all along and thanks to C4-C5 it got solved. I got alot of free stuff from Chevy--Master Cyl--Cals--Pads--Rotors-Brake swithes-just because they did not find the real problem 1st. I'm lovin it too--lol. Thanks again C4-C5 for your help.
T&L

 

[bling vette]

Auto brakes

Hi all--I have a 98 and the problem is as I'm driving the brakes start to engage. This causes the front to shimmy and the steering wheel to shake. I'm thinking because they (Brakes) are getting really hot. It does"nt do it all the time. CHEY put on new Cals, Pads, Rotors and a Master Cyl. and it still does the above. If I feel it starting to happen I put my foot under the brake pedal and pull up and this stops the brakes from applying and the car straightens right out. Does anyone know what is wrong with my brakes? Why do I have "Auto Brakes".

Terry and Linda

I had the same problem only it was on a new 2003 Pontiac Sunfire. I didn't make it home from the dealership before the right front pads seized up.They claimed it was a bad brake switch.