I have a 2001 Olds Bravada. Lately I have been having a problem with the brakes. There are NO leaks and it is full of fluid. The problem is that sometimes when I brake, and I mean easily, not slamming on them, there is a popping noise and the brake pedal pushes back into my foot and the vehicle doesn’t want to stop. I have to really press hard to get the brakes to work when this happens at all. It does have an ABS system but the light doesn’t come on when this happens. At other times the ABS light does come on but when it is on there is no problem.
I have had one person tell me this has to do with the vacuum hose to the gas tank being the problem. Another says this only happens with the brakes if I drive through water or hit ice, even though I have told them that no, there have been times that there has been no puddles or ice. Someone else said that it is the gears shifting, since it is all wheel drive, yet I have never known brakes to fail when gears shift. Another person said this was common in the Bravada, which sounds like bunk to me since it is obviously a safety issue.
Can someone PLEASE give me some insight into this and what might be going on? Thanks in advance.
OK, Here’s the skinny. We will start by explaining what is happening. Anytime the ABS light is illuminated, the ABS system is deactivated and will not function. Now with that said. Your ABS system when working properly uses wheel speed sensors to determine when and when not to activate. When the ABS system is activated, it will push the brake pedal up in a pulsating manner.
So, your ABS system is most likely getting false readings from the speed sensors intermittently. So here’s what you can do.
For the time being. Remove the ABS fuse or Relay, and it doesn’t matter which. You can find there location in your owners manual under”fuse and relays”. This will allow you the ability to drive the vehicle without anymore issues like you are having now. But, the ABS system will no longer work until you have it repaired. You can drive it this way just as safe as when cars didn’t have ABS.
Now you can have the vehicle scanned for ABS codes and the correct repairs made. Most likely having both front Hub bearing assemblies replaced will do the trick.(the speed sensors are internal in the hub bearings)
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