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1999 Chevy Cavalier seems to lock up the front brakes very easily, especially in rain since there is less friction with the road. It feels like the calipers are almost full grap with about 15% of the pedal travel OR it may be that the rear brakes aren't grabbing enough and full load in the front? No scan codes. Could there be a problem with the power brake ? Where should I be looking?  I have the ABS light on and that has been the case since I owned the car. I do have the brake dash light on but that happened after I put in the new engine. I was thinking I may have a bad connection at the front rotors when I had to take off that whole assembly when installing the new engine/trans. It's a serious lok up problem I need to solve. At just under 30mph, I can just press the brake about 10 to 15% of travel and full lock up. Feel the front end tweak when I do apply the brake. Where should I start? I am going to change pads anyway just because I should. I am far from wear out but since I will be looking at the brake system, I might as well.  

if the ABS light is on...

the ABS system has seen a problem somewhere in the system..

i takes a slightly different scan tool to read ABS codes...    some will ... some won't..

try to find somebody to read the codes from the ABS System...   please write the whole number down..   post it.. google it..

you might want to get back in where you removed the subframe and disconnect the connector you had done.. check it for bent pins..  they are usually gold plated and well sealed..   so dirt and corrosion should not be a problem.. then examine the wiring.. got any cuts or SPLICES...

splices... are a NO NO!!!

let me describe..   there are tone wheels..   wheel speed sensors..  a steering input sensor on the column .. a brake fluid level sensor..

as the wheels rotate.. the tone wheels move past the speed sensors..  creating voltage.. the faster the wheel .. the higher the voltage..    each of the wheels speed sensor voltage should MATCH..  this is how the antilock computer knows when to lock up and when to unlock the brakes..   if a wheel speed sensor voltage drops below the others that wheel must be skidding.. so it isolates that hydraulic line and releases some of the pressure to try to match the voltage with the other wheels..

after inspection of the wiring and devices you removed for the transmission installation..  but the problem existed before that..    can you remove the lid on the master or is the side clear enough to really see the level..    

when somebody applies the brakes..  the ports that allow the master cylinder piston bore to fill shoot a stream of fluid upwards until the seal on the piston moves past..    if you have somebody depress the brake pedal slowly..   so the fluid does NOT spray on the underside of the hood..   keep some water ready to wash it off..   do not get water in the master..

if they depress slowly enough .. you will get a lump on the surface of the fluid..  for the initial part of the stroke..   if one of the lumps lasts until the brake pedal has reached full stroke...  you might have a bad master cylinder... ..... MIGHT...


at that point.. its have somebody jack up the wheels and see if when pedal is applied.. do they actually lock...


the last thing .. pull the ABS fuse..   take it for a short test drive..  with the abs disabled..  the system reverts to mostly a conventional brake system..  if there is a problem with the master.. or the control block assembly..




WARNING...  when you go to replace the brake pads...     be sure to use EXTREME care in the following ..  you will want to use either a brake pad retractor tool or a C Clamp..  loosen the bleeder screw then retract the piston fully.. then tighten the bleeder screw then release the retract pressure..    

this allows the fluid from the caliper to be discharged instead of sent backwards through the system.. contaminating the system with the BOILED and dirty fluid from the calipers..   i actually have a tiny pair of vice grip pliers i pinch just enough on the brake hose to block any fluid when i am retracting the pistons with the bleeder screw open.. but you have to TIGHTEN THE bleeder screw before you release pressure on the retracting tool..  or you will pull a little air into the system and RUIN your day..

you might want to purchase a NEW turkey baster at the 99 cent store..  pull as much of the dirty brake fluid from the master as you can get out..    refill the master part way with fresh fluid.. pump the brakes a few times...  then change it again.. .. pump the brake again.. change it on last time..  that should get a lot of contamination from the master..
this master fluid exchange should be done while the rest of the brakes are assembled..  not with the calipers off..

az does cover some of the abs on their repair info site..  

Thanks Wayne. I was hoping you would reply.
I did have the abs light prior to the new engine/trans install. But I have more lights on now. One is the Air bag light which I am sure I didn't reattach at the front. I think my seatbelt light is still on too. I have to go get the car to be sure. It's not here right now. I am thinking some common wire harness. I was told that these cars have always had trouble with the abs. I've seen several posts in other forums. But before , I never had such problem with locking up the brakes so easily.

I have the scanner from Harbor Freight Item 98614. Saw no codes for ABS.

http://www.harborfreight.com/can-obd-ii-code-reader-eobd-scanner-98614.html  

the 98614 will NOT look up abs or air bag codes...

it is really handy for engine data..

if you only had codes after the engine swap..

perhaps some connector did not get fully seated and locked/latched together..

find some parts store  with an abs loaner tool  

Autozone and Kragen/OReilly don't loan that anymore. Haven't checked Napa yet, but Kragen told me it's illegal for them to loan or do it. THANK YOU California bureaucratic idiots !! Tire stores charge about $90 and to buy another scanner WITH ABS is about $250 at Autozone. I guess I'll check all the connections first then see if any of my auto buddies have one.  

I looked at ebay and found some very cheap ABS scanners. Based in Hong Kong of course. One is U281 OBD 2 Scanner Code Reader AirBag ABS Reset Tool. Sells for around $20.  Seems too cheap but it is Hong Kong. May be all I need for checking it. May be worth the risk but takes some time to get it.  

20 bucks sounds like a great gamble..

don't use your regular credit card..  so you don't loose control of the number..

i saw that model for 27 bucks and about 6 bucks shipping..

most of the vendors of that wanted over 50 bucks...  

before doing all this overseas ordering...

unplug the ABS fuse...   drive the car.. lets see if its a mechanical issue.. or an ABS issue...

if the car works normally with the ABS fuse unplugged.. its an abs issue..  

if it locks up the fronts with the ABS fuse unplugged.. then its a mechanical/hydraulic issue..  that could still be a failed master cylinder or a failed antilock control valve assembly..  

Good suggestion. I'll try it. But if I have the ABS light on, will this still tell something. I also have the brake light on along with the ABS light. So maybe a mechanical issue .  I also discovered that when I put the car in neutral, the hand brake on, the car will roll down the driveway-slowly but definitely not enough to hold the car in place. But when driving, I tested the hand brake by using only the hand brake, I could stop the car. So something may be wrong there.  

do you have drum brakes on the rear.. i would imagine..

this is the adjusting screw...



if you get under the car.. its a pain but sometimes you can adjust this with a tool through the backing plate..

why don't you try to operate the parking brake on and off about 50 or 60 times..   take a bungie cord to hold the release lever up while you  mash the pedal again and again if you have a foot operated pedal.. if you have a pull up center lever.. just push the button and go to town..

you will know that you are getting closer as you will be only able to move it about 1/3 of the travel to the bottom..

you might want to take a look at the rear brake shoes.. see if there is anything left of the friction lining..

you can also do a slip on adjustment test.. see if you can tighten up the adjustment with the drum off.  see when you slide the drum almost all the way on.. how tight it is left and right..

this does NOT work if there is a big ridge around the inside of the drum..  

I'm driving the car a bit. This weekend I need to look at the drum brakes. The ebrake is all the way to the top. When I press the brakes, it is activated near the top of the pedal. It's a hard feel but not an physical hard if that makes sense. It does have power assist. The ebrake concerns me because I read that the brakes are self adjusting but there's nothing to adjust being at the top.  

this is the left side.. the adjuster is at the bottom..




this says its the right side..





looks like this is basicly a conventional brake system.. with the adjuster at the bottom...

check the amount of wear..

these adjust that if you back up and apply the brakes . the rear shoe is pulled away from the anchor at the top and the adjusting lever turns the adjuster star wheel a fraction..   this usually only happens when you apply the brakes in reverse..  i should have looked earlier..

inspect the linings first.. see how much is left above the heads of the rivets..  

Most bizarre result and had to be bad pads. The car wasn't being driven much because of this brake condition.
If the roads were a little wet, the tires locked up so bad that the tire scrubbed off where it locked the tire. Even in dry pavement, I could lock the front tire easily. Seemed like tight pedal but it wasn't hard to press.
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Last weekend, I changed the front pads. I had a flat tire so I inflated it and put it in the garage to work on the brakes. I went ahead and put on new pads since I had them. Changed the front tire to another one. On the test drive to seat the brakes. Wow. It stopped smooth, no grab. No violent shaking in the front end.
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When I removed the old pads, I did not see anything out of the ordinary. Pulled off the calipers, cleaned up the guide pins , lightly greased them and checked they were smooth when moved inside the rubber sleeve. Everything as usual.
The only things I could think of that could have caused the problem is either a bad set of pads, pads came out of their calipers a little, the caliper piston was not gliding right, the pins stuck, and/or a bad front tire or rim? Don't know.  

Now with a few hundred miles on the Chevy since new brakes, getting a little bit of a front end vibration when I hit the brakes.  I do have a bad tire on the passenger side now but did not have a vibration issue. I'm wondering now if I am having suspension problem in the front which is ruining my passenger tire.