Still more brake woes!!!!

P

Paulio91184

Registered User
Ok, Im getting really pissed here.....I have a brand new relay and accumulator, and i mean brand new as bought and installed yesterday. It got rid of my hard pedal for about 20 minutes and then it got hard again for a few and now it's back to normal. What is going on?? Will low fluid cause a hard pedal because it's a tad low but i don't think it will make a difference. Any help please.......and no "Just swap it for conventional brakes" suggestions please, i have no time to do that mod....thanks guys!!
 
Did you check your ignition switch like I mentioned? Hmmm??? Next time it cuts out on you, try turning the key back + forth by just a little and see if it comes back to life.
 
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Sounds like a failing ABS pump motor.....:mad:

Can you verify that your pump motor is operating.....

When the front motor seal fails, it will let brake fluid into the inside of the pump motor, causing corrosion and erratic operation....

Have you had a chance to bleed the entire brake system....
 
Paulio91184 said:
Ok, Im getting really pissed here.....I have a brand new relay and accumulator, and i mean brand new as bought and installed yesterday. It got rid of my hard pedal for about 20 minutes and then it got hard again for a few and now it's back to normal. What is going on?? Will low fluid cause a hard pedal because it's a tad low but i don't think it will make a difference. Any help please.......and no "Just swap it for conventional brakes" suggestions please, i have no time to do that mod....thanks guys!!
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You need to do some basic testing. Check for 12v at the wire lead going to the pump motor. See if is there at key on, and see if it is there after pumping the brakes. If you have 12v there but the pump doesn't run (you'll feel it when it's running, the accumulator ball will vibrate) then there is a problem with the pump motor.

If you're not getting 12v there then you need to track down if the relay is being energized. There is a pressure switch that can fail and when it does the pump won't be told to come on.

These are all things that can be tracked down by doing some diagnosis. Have you reviewed this page?:http://www.35thatr.org/Tips/ABS.htm
 
TbirdSCFan said:
Did you check your ignition switch like I mentioned? Hmmm??? Next time it cuts out on you, try turning the key back + forth by just a little and see if it comes back to life.
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I would have, but I'm not sure what to look for lol!! :DWhat do I do to check because it does work again after I jimmy the key a little bit.
 
Before I change the switch I'm going to comletely going to troubleshoot this first..........I've run some tests,

I depressurized the system and turned the key and the pump motor only ran 1 out of about 10 times I did it. Is that a symptom of a bad ignition switch? Since the relay and accumulator are brand new I'm assuming that power is going to the motor which leaves the pressure switch and the motor itself. Am I right?
 
Paulio91184 said:
I depressurized the system and turned the key and the pump motor only ran 1 out of about 10 times I did it. Is that a symptom of a bad ignition switch?
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On the times that it doesn't work, if you turn the key slightly and it comes to life, you should have your answer. You can also take the switch out and wrap it with a zip tie to restore the tension. What happens is the switch body starts to separate. If you reinforce it, it might work well again. I've had the problem on 2 of my 3 cars.
 
had the ignition switch give me trouble on my red 90 with the brakes, changed the switch out and haven't had an issue until now (bout a year ago)

my pump is bad and im leaking fluid but thats something different than you problem... good luck with you issue
 
My 92 is doing that right now.....:mad:

No flames, just smoke coming up from between the DS fender and hood.....

But it is an intermittent problem....:confused:

Pisses the wife off every time she rides in her....:p
 
the-big-e said:
No flames, just smoke coming up from between the DS fender and hood.....

But it is an intermittent problem....:confused:
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This happened to me last week. White car blew its fluid out for reasons I can't explain leaving smoke and a puddle under the car. It freaked my girlfriend out. Freaked me out as well.

I swapped cars with her and drove it around for days... no problems and no leakage at all. I went ahead and removed the accumulator and inspected the O ring on the accumulator, then added a second wider O ring at the base for added sealing. I recall seeing 2 orings on one of the prior accums although I though that was just an oversight when it was shipped. Its possible that the single Oring that was on there was too small in diameter.

And just for good measure... I tossed a fire extinguisher in the back.

And here's a SC tip for you all. If you remove the Dside cowling and wiper assembly, its a lot easier to get a strap wrench on the accumulator for removal and tightening. :cool:
 
I'm going to change it tomorrow, i drove the car all day saturday and it worked great, then i tried it the next day and did the same old thing. I put 12v directly from the battery and the motor works so I know thats ok, the relay and accumulator ball are brand new so thats not the probem either...hope the switch fixes it!
 
When I replaced mine, I used just the torx bit and a ¼" wrench to loosen the inner bolt....:D

All you have to remove is the plastic shroud and the plastic clam shell cover on the steering column.....

If I remember correctly, but the key in the ignition switch and turn it to run before removing the old switch.....
 
the-big-e said:
When I replaced mine, I used just the torx bit and a ¼" wrench to loosen the inner bolt....:D
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I don't recall if it was a tamperproof bolt. If so, I think I dremmel'd the inner part off and used a normal torx bit and an adjustable wrench for leverage.

I've also just tightened them up by hammering the part of the metal that has loosened up back into place until there is no gap between the plastic part and the metal part. Then after reinstalling everything I use a zip tie for extra support and cable strain relief. However, for the life of me, I CANNOT figure out how that metal clip goes back on :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
I just got done doing it....It was a tamper proof bit, so $15 for the switch +$22 for the tamper proof torx set and still nothing.....I'm glad the job only took me 20 minutes to do because at least it minimized the time wasted, only thing left to check is the pressure switch that I can't reach, I think I'm gonna bit the bullet and just swap to conventional brakes......When I do, I'll have a brand new relay and accumulator with about 15 miles on them for sale if anyone is interested....thanks again guys
 
I was under the impression that the problem would go away when you moved the key which is why the switch would have been the likely problem.

If you haven't done so, you should check+clean all related wiring connections. Especially the ground wire at the front of the ABS unit. Clean all of your ground wires, including the straps going to the mounts and the frame. Reseat the relay and the pressure switch connections.
Although I/we don't hear about this very often, it is possible that the motor has a wiring problem internally. The way you can check this is to tap on the motor with a hammer when it cuts out and the 2 lights come on. If it starts to work, then the motor, is the problem. Hopefully you can get that to happen in your driveway.
 
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