Brake pedal slowly goes to floor on start up
 

i have a 2011 HHR and at start up this morning in my garage i noticed my brake pedal going slowly to floor with no clearance under the pedal, a bit nerve racking to say the least. my question is this i know that vacumn assists the brake app. as it has power brakes,so do i have a vacumn leak? when leaving my property the vehicle brakes worked normally,but i am not pleased with all the pedal clearance. this is our 3 rd HHR &never had this situation before. HAS ANYONE ELSE had a similar problem,if so what did you find.i am going to take it to the dealer&i can imagine that they might thing i am strange,but i have lost a power booster brake some yrs back on a ford and it was similar in nature. any input or ideas would be most appreciated.
regards&later KEWATIN

The test for the vacuum booster is: engine off, pump brakes up, put pressure on pedal, start engine: If pedal goes all the way down everything is good. Pumping the brakes while the engine is off "releases" the vacuum, then starting the engine with your foot on the pedal the new vacuum sucks the pedal down.

My personal opinion from 2000 miles away, is Normal Operation.

if it went "all" the way to the floor..then u have a problem. Even with a bled down booster the brakes will still engage and petal will stop.

X 2 ^

Is the master cylinder full of fluid?

If it's low, look for leaks, like the inside of each wheel, below the master cylinder & etc.

X 3, going all the way to the floor indicates a problem.

I am thinking a bad master cylinder or some how air in the line. I agree no vaccum will make for a hard pedal but the pedal will still not hit the floor.

Could even be in the ABS too but that is along shot.

kewatin,

I suggest taking your vehicle to the dealer to get this checked out, especially if you're under warranty. Let us know what you find out, thank you!

Evan, Chevrolet Customer Service

That's not the problem. In the sister vehicles such as the Cobalt ss and the Solstice, they had a vacuum pump inline with the the master/booster. The booster will loose vacuum as it sits for long period of time, such as over night. There is a service bulletin on this and GM should put it in under that. The info is on this forum. I had to argue with my local dealer on it, but I have a friend that bought a used HHR SS like I did and he got his done with no problem.

If the brake pedal goes all the way to the floor, and does not engage the brakes, the problem is most likely a master Cylinder problem, not a vacuum booster issue. The vacuum booster is just that, a booster, and with no vacuum in the system the brakes will still work. Pedal will require a lot of pressure, but brakes will work.

Sorry but I have an 08 Auto SS and know the issue well since I had the same issue too before the pump was added.

You have a hard pedal but it will still not hit the floor. It may feel like it but as long as you have hydralic pressure and no air in the lines vaccum or not it will never hit the floor.

For a pedal to hit the floor you need the lack of fluid, broken line, air in the lines or a failed mater cylinder.

Now if the issue involves the loss of fluid it will keep going to the floor till it is repaired. Now if it is air or a master cylinder that is letting fluid past the piston the pedal can pump back up.

THere are also some cases if the ABS has an issue it can let the pedal drop some too but it is not common.

Trust me if the pedal hit the floor you will really know it. Been there and done that many times bringing customers cars in.