I have a soft brake pedal that goes to the floor on my 2001 Chevrolet Silverado. Just changed master cylinder and brake booster and bled through a large bottle of fluid any ideas?
Did you have the soft pedal before you replaced those parts or did this problem start after doing the work you described?
Yes, i am trying to fix the soft brake pedal problem, but it was not nearly as bad.
OK, well then I would say it is probably something you did. You might want to try to bleed the system again using another person to help you. Also, if you did NOT bench bleed the master cylinder you will probably never get the air out of it.
Bench bled and had a helper for brake bleeding i also noticed a lot less fluid from the drums rather than the calipers, less volume in general.
You could have a bad proportioning valve, or it may have tripped the ball inside over to limit flow to the rears. You can try banging on it with a hammer while pumping the brake pedal and sometimes that will reset it.
Oh ya engine on soft pedal and firm when off but still travels slowly down.
Well you have a softer pedal with the engine running because you have the vacuum assist helping you. with the engine off you deplete all the vacuum reserve and the pedal becomes harder. with it still sinking slowly tells me you still have air in the system.
It can take many, many times around the vehicle doing a proper bleeding process to get all the air out.
If the valve is tripped will that affect the bleed process?
It shouldn’t affect bleeding the air from the system, but if it is tripped it can limit volume to the back which you said you are experiencing.
Ya I’m thinking that’s why I’m getting such a slow bleed process. I took that valve off today to check it out the plunger was down the spring hung like halfway out is that open or closed?
Not sure which way is which, I’ve never had one apart…but usually they are not able to checked physically, you either have flow or you don’t.
I’m gonna bleed em like crazy in the a.m. How should I bleed the ABS RWAL and other up front components so i get all of it? Where should i start bleeding from?
Well without a scanner you won’t be able to do an auto bleed on the ABS system, so it will take some time…..you just have to bleed regular until you get all the air out….make sure to keep the master topped off and always start at the furthest wheel from the master. Right rear, then Left, then Right front, then left.
Where do I bleed the ABS RWAL and valve it sure doesn’t say in Haynes manual.
You can’t do it separately without a scanner. Just bleed normally like i said before.
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2 Comments on "2001 Chevy Silverado Brake Pedal Soft And Goes To The Floor"
what if after doing all sorts of brake work on a truck that already had a soft pedal (due to what looked like nearly destroyed front rotors, bad left caliper and nearly gone pads – all changed to new during my work), the front brakes with all the new stuff dont seem to be getting enough fluid pressure. The back brakes are low, but in good condition, not like the fronts at all. When bleeding rear wheels, the pedal will go to the floor when the bleeder is open. The fronts allow pedal travel to about 3/4 of the way to the floor and push fluid, but then the pedal stops hard, wont go to the floor, and the fluid trickles out.
I installed a new brake line to the abs module that the previous guy had bent too tightly into a kinked 90*, new lines at both wheels, a new master (bench bled VERY well), bled every wheel numerous times with two guys and the pedal method, gravity bled all four wheels, etc. Fluid WILL trickle out of the front lines, and the pedal WILL stop me from turning the front rotors with just pushing on it with my foot, but on the road, the pedal is super soft and goes right down to that 3/4 spot. I’ve tried hitting the ABS module with a hammer, no luck so far. Is it poss the valve is preventing the FRONTS from getting the proper portion of fluid pressure?
i dont want to spend ANOTHER $300 on an ABS module if its NOT the final answer, but at this point the only thing left is the vacuum booster, and that seems fine too. Good vacuum level on it. We’re really stumped
Depending on the year of your, i guess, Chevy truck, you are going to have to have a bleed procedure done with the GM scan tool- Tech II. This is a common problem when replacing a line. Air is in the ABS module and will not come out no matter how many bleeding procedures you do, unless you have the module procedure on the Tech II performed.