Still dealing with brake pedal feel and abs...Need someone to try something for me.

[MBurke]

I am still dealing with my abs light and what I feel is a spongy brake pedal. The truck stops fine, but when sitting still with the engine running, if I really stand on the pedal, I can hear a hissing type noise and the pedal slowly starts to work it's way to the floor. (Not all the way to the floor. ) (Feels wierd). My Dodge dealer told me that this was normal for the Hydro system and he said it felt normal to him. I DON"T BELEIVE HIM. He seemed like a real baffoon!

Please, someone press HARD on their brake pedal for me with the truck running, and tell me what you experience. Try it a few times in a row and keep pressing. I need some decent advice and comparison.

I think I have the abs light thing worked out. the light is still on after repacing the rear sensor, but there is another wire, I understand, that I need to pull and put back to reset.

I really need to get a handle on this brake pedal feel thing. All the comparison I can get would help a bunch. The truck stops like usual. I just noticed the brake pedal feel when pressing hard when I started trying to troubleshoot the abs light. I had never just sat at a stop and stood on the pedal before! Maybe it is normal.

 

[RonaldLarson]

Try this

Check the brake lights. Don't mean to insult you, but most of the abs light symptoms are from either blown brake fuses or brake light switch malfunction. Hope this helps. I think the sinking brake pedal thing is normal.

Ron

 

[ata]

On my 97 2500 the Brake Pedal does not sink when holding pressure on it. I think what you have is a bad Master Cylinder. The fluid is leaking between the front and rear systems. Atleast thats what it was on a Chevy I had.

 

[Extreme1]

Sounds like the master cylinder to me too. Have you changed fluid in the system? You might do that, sometimes if the fluid has a bunch of junk in it (the master seems to be the place to collect it) a piece of crud will cause the same problem.



Remove the fluid from the reservoir and refill it with clean, fresh fluid. Start by bleeding the master by cracking the lines loose where they come out. Keep going until you get clean fluid.



Then start at the farthest point (right rear) and bleed until the fluid is clean. Work you way closer (left rear, right front, left front). Make sure to keep the master topped off or you'll have to start over.



I have had this "fix" about 1/3 of the leaking master cylinders I've worked on. It may take a day or two of driving to work after changing the fluid.

 

[MBurke]

brake lights ok....

I tested all my brake lights. They are fine, as well as the fuses. I may just disconnect the abs as many others have done.

My main concern lies with the (what I feel is a) soggy brake pedal.

If a few more could try standing hard on thier brakes with the truck idleing and tell me what happens. Do it a few times in a row, and really stand on them and keep pressing.

Thanks, I really could use some more input.

I will be changing the brake fluid as suggested, but before I swap a master cylinder out, I would like some more comparison. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone else with a CTD.

 

[HomerDog]

I'm not a mechanic but this may help. Have you checked your rear shoes? My brake pedal was spongy feeling and felt like the front brakes were doing all the work. I also had to push the pedal way down to begin braking. My bro in law just replaced my rear brakes and adjusted them (and they were very worn). The pedal travels 1/2 as far now when I brake, everything feels right, and no more spongy pedal. Anyways, just another suggestion--hope it helps...



Dave

 

[MBurke]

rear brakes are fine.... I need some more people to do the test I described

The rear brakes are in vgc... . I really need some more people to do the test I described above... . The pedal feels FINE when stopping, and the truck stops FINE. The wierd feel and travel on the pedal are only when idleing and pressing HARD for a period of time. Also, both the ABS and brake light are still on.

 

[Extreme1]

Pressing HARD should not allow pedal to drop over time(mine doesn't, I've done it). It MAY feel "spongy". Mine did, replaced the fluid, works fine but still feels what could be considered "spongy". When you are pushing that hard, you start to get into things like brake line stretch (hard and soft lines) and the compressability of the square seals in the calipers as well as flexing the drums and the actuating parts in the rear brakes. This isn't unique to the CTD, it affects all vehicles to some extent.



The pedal should NOT drop over time though. It they do, try the method I described above. If a seal is worn or you can't get the foriegn object disloged, it will get worse over time to the point that you notice it at a stop light.

 

[illflem]

Tried pushing down as you said on both my 95 and a friends 97, brake pedal stays hard and doesn't creep down. It's your master cylinder.

 

[MBurke]

i will try the master cylinder....

I will give the master cylinder a shot, and swap out brake fluid for synthetic... . Hopefully this will help, and maybe make the abs light go out as well. I will call autozone, Napa, and KOI for prices... I really don't want to pay outragous prices for Mopar unless there is some quality reason that I should. Thanks for all the help so far, I'll keep posted and any additional feedback or suggestions are appreciated.

Mike.

 

[Goddard]

brakes

tried your test on my 01 3500, i know i have disks on the rear but the peddle does not go down when i push and hold. my brake pedal does feel a little spongy lately but stops ok! could be getting about time for pads. ... ... ... ... ... . by the way anyone got suggestions on what brand of pads for my truck???

 

[Joe Mc]

Be careful

Make sure you don't spare a dime when choosing your mcyl - get a good brand name unit - like bendix. Avoid reman units if you can - they should be ok, but this is not as easy as changing pads and probably (hopefully) the last mcyl you will change on this truck - so a bit more now is probably worth the $ and piece of mind going down the road.

 

[Cumminpwr11]

MBurke



My 99 does the same thing. I complained about my brakes to my local dealer for a long time. Its been to 5 different brake shops, even my sisters boyfriend's shop at the usmc base. even they couldnt find anything wrong. i am gonna try the new fluid thing, but i dont have my hopes up. my truck has always eated up brakes. mostly cause the boats that I tow have crappy brake systems on the trailers. ohh well, i have ordered a pair of Brembo cross-drilled rotors, maybe this will help







Has anyone ever had to push hard on the brakes(NOT PANIC STOP) and had the feeling that the truck wasn't slowing then dives into the front brakes?



Chris



i need a e-brake

 

[MikeR]

MBurke,



The only ways of clearing the ABS/BRAKE lights (trouble code) off the dash is either by unlpugging the ABS control unit (under the dash) or disconnecting the batteries. I'm not sure if removing and reinstalling the fuse will do the same.



-Mike

 

[Bud Fox]

I wish someone would say exactly where the ABS unit is under the dash. I looked and looked but i cant find it.

 

[MBurke]

ABS problem found!!! Bad abs computer!!! $750.00!!!

finally gave up on the abs and took it to the dealer. Problem was a faulty computer. $750. 00 for abs computer installed. Worst part is that I have to wait on it from Chicago till mid or late week. A real shame, but I didn't like the lockup without abs. Changing the brake fluid helped the pedal feel quite a bit. The fluid was really bad.

 

[TPCDrafting]

Tried pushing down hard on the pedal at a stop light today. Mine doesn't sink, like most are saying. Just another test in the pot.

 

[Goddard]

tried again and!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tried your test again today and ... . wait a minute..... the first time you hit the brakes they feel solid. after a couple of times i can push the peddle almost to the floor! have to listen very hard to heer the noise. brakes still seem to work ok though and never any warning lights. now i wonder if they are ok or not? empty you would be stopped way before you could get the brakes to the floor but what abou twhen towing??? see sig... ... . thats got me worried. supposed to be going to bristol in a couple of weeks!... ... ... . anybody else going? keep us informed on the outcome of the computer. !?

 

[MBurke]

I am glad I am not alone!

Sonds very similar to my problem with the brake feel. I haven't had a problem when towing, but I don't want one either!!!

Mine has the exact same symtoms.

Hopefully my abs computer will be in late this week. $750. 00 for an inferior system just kills me though.

I wish DC would have put a little more thought behind the design of thier trucks. The truck is fine for the 100,000 mile gassers, but a 1 ton cummins designed to go 500,000 miles+, that is meant to be put to work, really needed a little more strength and engineering. When people ask me how I like my Cummins, I tell them, "I love it! Now if I could just keep the Dodge part togeter!":{

 

[Bud Fox]

MBurke, i need the same part as you and got a price of $300 from the dealer . It is held on by 4 torx and is easy to remove. I just want to make sure we are talking about the same part