Brakes
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 13
Brakes
Okay, so for the past 3 months i been having brake issues on my 2002 monte carlo, it's sort of hard to explain but here goes, when i go to stop, sometimes my brakes work great and they are hard and can stop on a dime with me barely pushing the pedal down at all, how they should be and use to be, but most of the time now i have to push my brakes almost to the floor in order for them to work, when i push to the floor they are hard and work like they should but i have to push them to the floor and i don't like that, i want them to work all the time properly, where i barely have to push the pedal, i replaced the brake pads last week and it sort of helped but not a lot, right now 80% of the time when i stop i have to push them to the floor and also have to start stopping a little sooner than usual and apply more pressure just so i know i will stop on time, also my abs light is on. Any ideas what it might be? Maybe a break line or master cylinder? Possibly rotors or calipers? I have brake fluid in there.. Thanks in advance for any replies.
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 13
Hello, chibiblacksheep, thanks for the reply.
I forgot to mention i did in fact bleed the brakes when i changed the pads last weekend, i had a good friend help me because the shop wanted 40 bucks just to bleed the lines. I brought it to the shop last week but it was a brief lookover, they just wanted my money (go figure) and told me to get new calipers, rotors and brake pads, which would of been 300+ bucks, i came home and changed the pads myself that day and bled the lines, after that my brakes worked like they should but only for like 3 days, changing the pads helped and so did bleeding but it did not solve it, i have fresh brake fluid in there.
They stop quicker since changing the pads which were about shot but i still have to push the pedal to the floor most of the time in order for them to work, what is weird though is sometimes i barely have to push them and they are hard and perfect like they should be but most the time the are loose and i have to push to the floor where they are still rather weak.
I am thinking it is what you said either the master or i might have a hole in my line somewhere, because they work when they want to.
It just got me baffled because they are off and on, they ain't consistently weak, one minute they are fine and i barely push them and they stop like a champ but most the time i have to push to the floor before they work and they are rather weak even then.
Anybody ever have this problem before?
I forgot to mention i did in fact bleed the brakes when i changed the pads last weekend, i had a good friend help me because the shop wanted 40 bucks just to bleed the lines. I brought it to the shop last week but it was a brief lookover, they just wanted my money (go figure) and told me to get new calipers, rotors and brake pads, which would of been 300+ bucks, i came home and changed the pads myself that day and bled the lines, after that my brakes worked like they should but only for like 3 days, changing the pads helped and so did bleeding but it did not solve it, i have fresh brake fluid in there.
They stop quicker since changing the pads which were about shot but i still have to push the pedal to the floor most of the time in order for them to work, what is weird though is sometimes i barely have to push them and they are hard and perfect like they should be but most the time the are loose and i have to push to the floor where they are still rather weak.
I am thinking it is what you said either the master or i might have a hole in my line somewhere, because they work when they want to.
It just got me baffled because they are off and on, they ain't consistently weak, one minute they are fine and i barely push them and they stop like a champ but most the time i have to push to the floor before they work and they are rather weak even then.
Anybody ever have this problem before?
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 13
I am just trying to find out what it is for sure before i spend 100 or 200+ dollars as i already spent about 100 on pads and it did not fix it, it sort of did but it did not fix the fact i have to push them to the floor, money is tight this month and i want to fix it once and for all as this car has been draining my wallet, i bought a 50 dollar relay just a month ago to fix my blinker and it did not work and auto zone would not return it.
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 12,601
From: Mentor, Ohio
My initial thoughts are a possible brake line leak and/or air in the system. Was there a reason you bled the brakes when changing pads? When changing just the pads, you don't need to bleed the brakes. Possibly when bleeding the brakes, perhaps air was introduced.
Also, is your Monte equipped with ABS? If so, any ABS codes/lights? Reason I ask, if it does have ABS and say a couple of brakes are not engaging in time, the system should respond (either ABS triggers or ABS may be disabled if the ABS indicator is currently on). If the Monte is not equipped with ABS, ensure the brakes are not dragging or hanging up (simple test, get the wheels in the air, spin them by hand, listen and feel for drag, next have someone engage the brake and the wheel should stop spinning and you should have trouble spinning the wheel while the brake is engaged).
Also, is your Monte equipped with ABS? If so, any ABS codes/lights? Reason I ask, if it does have ABS and say a couple of brakes are not engaging in time, the system should respond (either ABS triggers or ABS may be disabled if the ABS indicator is currently on). If the Monte is not equipped with ABS, ensure the brakes are not dragging or hanging up (simple test, get the wheels in the air, spin them by hand, listen and feel for drag, next have someone engage the brake and the wheel should stop spinning and you should have trouble spinning the wheel while the brake is engaged).
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 13
I bled the brakes because i heard that helps, that there might of been air in the lines, but since i did that the brakes are still the same so i don't think air got in the line and it actually helped for about 2 days.
My Monte does in fact have ABS, the ABS light is on.
I'm avoiding taking it to a shop because when i did that they tried getting me to buy a all new set up, pads,calipers,rotors etc, i felt they only wanted my money and i couldn't count on there opinion.
I did look under there earlier and it appears the back brake is not even touching the tire, which i did not notice before, but i am not sure if that would cause my problem, i assumed the brakes would still maintain pressure and just be weaker but it's vice versa, my brakes are hard when they want to be, sometimes i have to push the pedal to the floor and sometimes i don't, it got me stumped honestly..
My Monte does in fact have ABS, the ABS light is on.
I'm avoiding taking it to a shop because when i did that they tried getting me to buy a all new set up, pads,calipers,rotors etc, i felt they only wanted my money and i couldn't count on there opinion.
I did look under there earlier and it appears the back brake is not even touching the tire, which i did not notice before, but i am not sure if that would cause my problem, i assumed the brakes would still maintain pressure and just be weaker but it's vice versa, my brakes are hard when they want to be, sometimes i have to push the pedal to the floor and sometimes i don't, it got me stumped honestly..
