Jacqueline Michael

My 2010 HHR LT brake pedal goes to floor when braking on a bumpy road and sometimes the ABS light goes on. Has happened 4 or 5 times now. I have to pump the brakes quickly and/or use the ebrake.Afraid if a car is in front of me on a bumpy road otherwise the brakes work fine. Sometimes after this particular failure when pressing on the brake pedal I can hear air sounds or have a mushy brake pedal. Is this expensive to fix. Are the sensors doing this or what??

donbrew

Sounds like the ABS is working as designed. The ABS activates when the computer senses a wheel turning at a different rate from another; on bumpy roads the wheels tend spin at different speeds. When the ABS activates the pedal will feel like it is pulsing, the ABS light comes on and the brakes seem to have a mind of their own.

If it concerns you go to a good brake shop for an inspection.

Since I have no idea if or what the problem is I don't know what it would cost.

whopper

If the petal goes to the floor like you say on braking - since you have not made mention of having checked the brake fluid - it's probably best to take it to a brake shop for an inspection as Donbrew says.

Don also gives a good description of the ABS system and how it works.

However, continuing to drive around with known braking issues without getting them checked out is foolhardy at best.

geg

Airy sound? You yourself answered your question - you have air in the brake system. Or another reason - the brake fluid boils because it is already old and filled with water. You have to pump the brakes and it doesn't have to be expensive. Do it in a car service, by a professional mechanic. Tell him - let him check the brake system for leaks after pumping the brakes. Be sure to replace the brake fluid - this is also not expensive.
I don’t know if this is decent for the USA, but in Russia I would bring brake fluid with me. so I can choose a quality product and pay the lowest price for it.
As for the ABS. Guys are telling the truth, ABS is doing its job.
As additional information, I want to say that the ABS system has a lot of advantages, but one offensive drawback is that it works lousy on a bumpy road (what is commonly called a “washboard”). The ABS system is designed to prevent the wheels from locking up. When you ride the “washboard”, your wheels hang longer in the air above the lair due to vibration. Naturally, when you press the brake, they are quickly blocked, because there is no friction on the ground. The ABS system senses this and loosens the brake. The stopping distance becomes longer than the stopping distance without ABS intervention. This is a special case, not often we have a "washboard" under the wheels. But ... forewarned, then armed.

Greybeard999

Why is this thread in the recall section?

donbrew

Because I got new glasses that accentuate my cataracts. Done now.

Oldblue

Airy sound on pressing the brake pedal could be the brake booster or the hose to the intake manifold, they are known to have snapped off

donbrew

OR the ABS doing it's thing and that's just the way she hears it. I hear it as a metal on metal screech.

Jacqueline Michael

There is no metal on metal screech sound. It ust be lije you had said the ABS is trying to do its job but to me its faulty b ecause if I didn't pump the brakes I would have hit the car in front of me and I should not have to pump the brakes to stop the car.

donbrew

You had to pump the brakes because the ABS was pumping the brakes. I see you are in California you likely have never experienced ABS on ice; the instructions are DON'T pump the brakes. The ABS is trying to avoid a 4 wheel lockup and you are trying to produce a 4 wheel lockup.
The noise the pump makes is open to interpretation, it is loud and scary the first time.

But, like I said: if that doesn't satisfy go to a professional brake shop.