So it seems like I'm on here every other week to try and find a solution to a new problem i'm having. I cold not find a thread on this but hopefully someone has had the same problem as me and know how to fix it. Any advice is appriciated. I have a 2003 Monte Carlo SS

So my brakes work, but when stopping (expecially down a hill) my pedal vibrates up and down motion although they don't move much. My steering wheel vibrates a little also. I've noticed some noise when pulling into parking spots. Sometimes randomly my brake light will come on also my battery in the message center so just a couple seconds then go away. I've changed my brake pads and my rotors SEEM fine but I'm no expert. Brake fluid is good and my emergency brake is not on . Just seeing what I should do next without dumping awhole bunch of money into this. Could it be a ABS sesor? Let me know if you had this problem thanks!

 

Brake vibration is usually in my opinion warped rotors. When you say they seem fine, looks are deceiving. How many miles are on the car and do they appear to be the original rotors. My daughters 02 Malibu and my Monte brakes vibrated pretty bad on a down hill stop by my home. I swapped out the rotors and now all is well. You can get them for a song and a dance. Depending on how much you like your car and expect to keep it, you should consider drilled and slotted rotors as they will not warp again from hard braking.

See eBay link:

Front Kit Performance Drilled and Slotted Brake Rotors Ceramic Pads M040514 | eBay

 

My experience is the same as Zippy's. If your brake peddle and steering wheel vibrates when braking you've got at least one warped rotor. Usually you can't tell by looking at it. A lot of brake and auto shops will do a free brake inspection. OEM rotors can cost from $20 to $50. Drilled and Slotted rotors are better But cost more.
I recommend replacing rotors not cutting them. In my experience, once a rotor has warped it is susceptible to doing it again after being cut. And in a much shorter amount of time.

 

Yeah I think I'm just going to try and replace the front 2 rotors, I just put new brake pads on a couple months ago but the guy at Autozone says I can exchange them for new ones since their lifetime warranty

The monte just hit 160,000 and the rotors do look like the originals. If the front doesn't do the trick I'm guess i'll do the rear as well. thanks

 

Bet the front rotor replacements will do the trick for you. Seems as though the rear never really warp on us. The fronts tend to do most of the stopping thereby getting significantly hotter than the rears. I'll go through 3 sets on my front before I replace the rear pads.

 

There's a lot of misinformation floating around the 'net about rotors. It is very rare that a rotor will actually warp. What happens is material is displaced from the pad to the surface of the rotor creating high spots. This is usually caused by improper break in of new brakes and/or improper application of the brakes (riding the brake down hills, pumping pedal, etc). When this happens a pulsing can sometimes be felt in the pedal - not a vibration. Vibration is usually caused by worn components or something out of balance. I'd be checking the strut bearing, wheel hub and suspension/steering components for wear.

 

Well it wasn't the front rotors I feel the shaking a little in the seat too which leads me to believe it could be the rear now. Since it's not exspensive I'll replace the rear and go from there if the problem remains. I'm getting all new pads when I put the rotors on but those are free since I have lifetime warrenty. Thanks for all the info I'm hopeing I don't have to start messing with wheel hubs and bearings

 

Summon the new rotors!!

 

03SSLE,
See with all the Experience I have, I still learn something new all The Time. I'm assuming you have more resent experience than I. Question; Is it the new materials used in Brake pads that brakes down? Manny Manny Moons ago, you could see with a magnifying glass, the minute cracks in the rotor when it was warped. So are you saying that cutting a rotor makes more sense now? Curious Minds want to know!!!

 

The displacement of pad/shoe material is nothing new. It happens when a new brake job isn't properly broken in (initial coating of material transferred to rotor and allowed to cure) or an incomplete job is done (like putting pads on unprepared rotor). Even if the brakes are properly broken in the problem can arise due to driver habits. If someone rides their brake down a hill then has to stop for a light at the bottom all that heat is trapped between the pad and rotor. As it begins to cool the pad material fuses or 'clings' to the rotor. This is also when the heat cracks develop on the surface of the rotor because of the extreme heat. When they release the brake and accelerate some of that material breaks away from the pad and remains on the rotor. Over time high spots of material develop on the rotor. When those high spots become noticeable in the pedal (pulsation) people tend to think that the rotor is warped. This belief is also influenced by mechanics. It is a lot easier to tell your customer that the rotor is warped rather then try to explain to them that their driving habits caused the problem. In most cases, the rotor can be resurfaced and used again, but in extreme case (for example grooving) or if resurfacing will not allow for minimum thickness then the rotor is replaced. Resurfacing will remove the displaced material, glazing and heat cracks and prepare the surface for the new pads. It should be done any time you change your pads. If not, the material/glazing on the rotor will transfer to the new pads and impact their performance and service life.