2007 Chevy Equinox Brake Pedal goes to the Floor
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Joined: Mar 2018
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2007 Chevy Equinox Brake Pedal goes to the Floor
Hey Everyone,
Yesterday I started having problems with my brakes. I was going downhill on a steep hill and had to come to a complete stop at a light. It was raining pretty bad here in Oahu at the time and the roads were pretty wet. I wasn't going fast or stopping suddenly, but I think what happened was that as I stopped, the wetness of the road caused the car to slide about an inch. When this happened the brake pedal sort of vibrated under my foot and the car slowly moved forward a few inches. (I thought this might have been the antilock brake system kicking in but I don't really know).
Afterward, the brakes felt wrong. If I press on the brake pedal, the car starts to slow, but then the resistance on the pedal goes away and I have to press the pedal to the floor in order to brake.
I don't have a lot of experience as a mechanic. I've replaced my own brakes. Water pumps, alternators, etc. I think my biggest job was replacing the struts on my old Lexus. Can anyone here give me an idea of what's going on and if I might be able to fix it myself? (Money is pretty tight, I don't think I can afford a mechanic unless it's a pretty cheap fix).
From my own research, my guess is that the Brake master cylinder might be going out? Am I in the right ballpark?
I tried taking off the brake fluid cap and pumping the brakes but saw no movement in the fluid at all while I and a friend did this.
Thanks in advance for any advice you have for me!
Yesterday I started having problems with my brakes. I was going downhill on a steep hill and had to come to a complete stop at a light. It was raining pretty bad here in Oahu at the time and the roads were pretty wet. I wasn't going fast or stopping suddenly, but I think what happened was that as I stopped, the wetness of the road caused the car to slide about an inch. When this happened the brake pedal sort of vibrated under my foot and the car slowly moved forward a few inches. (I thought this might have been the antilock brake system kicking in but I don't really know).
Afterward, the brakes felt wrong. If I press on the brake pedal, the car starts to slow, but then the resistance on the pedal goes away and I have to press the pedal to the floor in order to brake.
I don't have a lot of experience as a mechanic. I've replaced my own brakes. Water pumps, alternators, etc. I think my biggest job was replacing the struts on my old Lexus. Can anyone here give me an idea of what's going on and if I might be able to fix it myself? (Money is pretty tight, I don't think I can afford a mechanic unless it's a pretty cheap fix).
From my own research, my guess is that the Brake master cylinder might be going out? Am I in the right ballpark?
I tried taking off the brake fluid cap and pumping the brakes but saw no movement in the fluid at all while I and a friend did this.
Thanks in advance for any advice you have for me!
Super Moderator
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 9,175
Likes: 521
confirm your not losing any brake fluid.
does the pedal get hard or not get deep/come up when the pedal is pumped? If no change when pumping the pedal and no abs codes are set...i would start with a master cylinder.
bench bleed the new mc before installation.
does the pedal get hard or not get deep/come up when the pedal is pumped? If no change when pumping the pedal and no abs codes are set...i would start with a master cylinder.
bench bleed the new mc before installation.
Super Moderator
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 9,175
Likes: 521
yes, try to bleed first.
the best method is to perform a manual bleed followed by a abs system bleed which requires a scan tool.
without a scan tool a manual bleed is all you can do
-have someone pump up the pedal 3x and hold( not fast pumps or it can create air...let the mc fill/return for 0.5 second between pumps
-open the right rear bleeder..repeat
-check fluid level
-then do the left front
-then left rear
then right front.
the best method is to perform a manual bleed followed by a abs system bleed which requires a scan tool.
without a scan tool a manual bleed is all you can do
-have someone pump up the pedal 3x and hold( not fast pumps or it can create air...let the mc fill/return for 0.5 second between pumps
-open the right rear bleeder..repeat
-check fluid level
-then do the left front
-then left rear
then right front.
