One day i started up my bonnie, and proceeded to place my foot on the brake pedal so that i safely may remove it from park, when i noticed the pedal would only travel about half an inch or so, before running into what feels like the mechanism that the abs uses to "overide" the brakes and pulse and stuff. after holding against that stop for a second, i felt it slowly allowing the pedal to proceed to the floor. i thought it was a fluke. it happend again the next time i tried to use the brakes. each time i hit the brake pedal, the brake light comes on, and then shortly after, the abs light comes on, until i let off of the pedal, where they go out in the same order. i have kinda gotten used to it because i am stupidly poor right now, but after almost frying up the rear end of a rice burner, i decided to look into it. i tried to run the code scan on it <mine does engine and abs>, but was unable to get any codes at all, not even a diagnostic code. the car behavior remained exactly the same also, unlike the engine diagnostics, almost like the codescanner wasnt plugged in. please help. brake fluid fine. pads fine all around. no appearant leaks.

I know exactly what you've got. First of all.. the BRAKE light is comming on because the brake pressure is under 1200kPa or something like that, and the ABS light comes on with it.. just because it feels it wants to protrude its ugly head in there. The ABS light will NOT give you codes for the lack of pressure. Here'* what could be happening. There could be low fluid, a leak [hence the low fluid], or your accumulator is dead or dying. Pop the hood, and turn the ignition on, you will hear the pump priming, how long does it take for the pump to shut off? If less than 60 seconds.. the pump is ok. Now, turn the ignition off, and press the brake pedal 25 times.. untill it is rock hard.. then 5 more times, because 30 is an even number. Now, go check the fluid level in the Master Cylinder Resevoir. Where is it? If low, refill it to the line that says full, with the two arrows, but DON'T overfill it.. just like the pretty little black sticker says .


-justin

yeah, its less then 60 seconds, but every now and then, if i leave the ignition on for a while without starting the car, i can hear it reprime for about a second. i cant pump the brakes because that stop, when the car is off, is right there at the top, and will not let the pedal travel down.

So its full.. the pedal becomes firm When my power brakes go out, I can't get more than 1.5" travel, and that'* with a lot of force. Mine does the same, when I leave the ignition on [for whatever reason] it will come on for 5-20 seconds to re-prime, that is normal.

When the ignition is off.. you can't press the brake pedal whatsoever?


-justin

right. the abs override being at the top stops most all pedal movement. its not the lack of power assist brakes, i know that for a fact.

Never heard of any ABS override.. I guess, I don't know, you've got me on this one.


-justin

you know how the abs picks up the brake pedal if the wheels start locking up? its doing that, but all the time, with no pulse. its like stepping on a rock with no give until it decides to give me some, which is none with the ignition off.

the ABS doesn't do that. The ABS pulses the pedal.. it does kinda push the pedal against you a little when doing this, but nothing major. This is an electronically controlled operation, there is no way this would happen with the ignition off.


-justin

right, but the mechanism that pushes back is whats causing the problem. that is why i am unable to fully utilize my brakes right away.

If you have a rock hard pedal, you have no pressure in the system. The pump and it'* associated parts (relays, fuses, etc) could be blamed. I'm not sure if a faulty accumulator can also cause this but it is a part that needs to be replaced. It has a lifespan of 10 years or so.