Blue Beast (aka Boydie)

Every once in a while the brakes (4 wheel disks) feel spongy and the "watch for ice" or "traction control" light comes on.

Otherwise the brakes have good pedal and stopping power.

It is an '09 SS with only 11,500 miles and sat for at least 3 years. I am thinking I should have them bled.

Any suggestions?

Boydie

donbrew

I'm thinking you should inspect them and the bearings. The warning would be generated by one of the wheels turning faster than the others, or the computer thinking that. I believe that the rear disc brakes need adjusting, normal use of the E-brake should keep them adjusted.

Lucky

Rear disc brakes adjustable???

Lucky

You may have a wheel speed sensor starting to fail or has a big air gap between the tone wheel and the sensor. If one of the sensors is reading lower than others the traction control will think the wheel is slipping. The traction control uses the abs system to direct power to the non shipping wheel which would explain the intermittent brake pedal drop. In the 90s gm wheel speed sensors would get a larger air gap because of rust build up between the sensor and the mounting and it would raise the sensor just enough to increase the air gap then the sensor would read 0 at low speeds. It would not set a code because the sensor worked as speed increased. I' have not had that problem with the hhr but it was common on all gm full size trucks with the speed sensor mounted on the wheel bearing.

donbrew

All the books seem to say that you must use the E-brake in order to keep the rear disc brakes adjusted, I read that as: yes, they are adjustable. I only know what I read regarding rear disc brakes, never had 'em.

I just did a real quick check of Mitchell onDemand, it says that the park brake is integral to the caliper and there are integral non-replaceable seal in the caliper. On the front calipers the internal "square cut" seals are also the piston return springs, so I am making a leap that the rear has a different return mechanism involving the E-brake.

I am too tired at the moment to dig up Owner Manuals and in depth service manuals. Plus since I don't have 'em .........

firemangeorge

Ok. I may be wrong but I thought the "watch for ice" or "ice possible" was only triggered by the outside temperature reading. The few times I've seen mine come on was when the temperature was at or below 32 degrees. And we only get a handful of those cold days down South here where I live.

843de

Yup, you'll get the "Ice Possible" warning on the DIC when the ambient temp sensor reads 32 degrees or lower, us Southerners are not used to seeing it often.

This week we will, tonight's low in Charlotte is forecast to hit 24-26, tomorrow night we're supposed to hit 18-20 degrees......Brrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Blue Beast (aka Boydie)

It was below 32 and perhaps a coincidence with the ice reading thing. I never use the ebrake but I am going to start.

Thanks everyone.

Boydie.

sleeper

I wouldn't leave the E-Brake on overnight parked outside.. If it gets wet it could freeze pads to rotors..

843de

Good point sleeper!

Been there done that, and it sucks waiting for them to thaw or having to thaw them out with a heat gun/propane torch.