Brakes

GovernsSC

Registered User
No one around this little hole I call home knows anything about the SC. So hopefully you guys can help me out.

When I hit my brakes my brake light comes on (the one for the emergency brake) and also the anti lock brake light comes on. Does anyone know what the problem is and how to fix it. I dont want to pay the dealership $500 to look at it and it turns out to be something simple.

Thx
 
Funny. I have a similar problem. When I press my pedal down hard enough, even from a stop, my Firm Ride comes on... Wierd..
 
firm ride

Is triggered by acceleration,deceleration,cornering G's ,high speed and brake pedal pressure which is deceleration.It's normal.
 
The firm light coming on is normal as you mention, however the brake light and ABS light coming on is not normal.
Dosen't this suggest his accumulator is going bad?
 
If you have a '89 to '92 SC, and the Brake and ABS warning indicators flash when you apply the brakes, this indicates a failed Accumulator. This is a common problem with SC's over 8 or 9-yrs old. It is highly recommended that the Accumulator be replaced asap. The Accumulator maintains system operating pressure between cycles of the hydraulic pump motor. If it fails, the pump will cycle with every application of the brakes and the pump will eventually fail. This is an easy (if there is such a thing on our cars) fix. Contact Prior Remanufacturing at 1-800 444 4821 or on the net at www.priorreman.com and order an Accumulator for the Teves Mark II ABS (thats the unit installed in our cars) ask for Rick Fletcher, he'll know what to send you. It should cost around $100.00 (US).

To install, first you must de-pressurize the system, with the KEY-OFF, pump the brake pedal until it is rock hard (around 25 to 30 times). The operating pressure is around 2300psi, so you don't want to unscrew the accumulator without performing this step.
Next, remove the black plastic windshield cowling to gain better access. The Accumulator is a black metal ball behind and under the reservoir. It has a hex-nut on the top to aid in removal. Once removed, you might want to put it in a bucket to drain. The new units from Prior do not have the hex-nut, but that doesn't matter because you only need to get it "hand-tight" like you would an oil filter (I think the torque spec is around 12ft/lbs). Be sure to use the new O-ring that comes with the unit, and lubricate the threads with some clean brake fluid. Once replaced, you should check the fluid level in the reservoir, because you will have lost some in the old Accumulator. There is no need to bleed the brakes after replacement.

Let me know if you need additional info.......
 
Just an FYI on the Automatic Ride Control (ARC). Brake pressure over 400lbs (I think it is) tells the ARC computer to switch over to firm. This happens even sitting still.. try it for yourselves for fun.
 
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