[canadmos]

Maybe someone has had this problem with their car before? I'm driving a 2005 Mazda 3, 2.3l.

Tonight I was out for a drive, while approaching a stop sign I started to roll on the brakes and then the ABS kicked in. There is a layer of slush/snow on the road, so when the ABS came on for a second, it wasn't alarming or anything. At the next stop sign, I was going about the same speed, but when I tried to stop, the ABS came on again and the brake pedal went all the way to the floor.

So I then pull into a parking lot and did some slower stops, at a speed where I wouldn't think it would be too slippery for the ABS to kick in. Sure enough, ABS came on, the pedal dropped to the floor and I gradually coasted to a stop.

I did that a bunch more times. Turned it off and back on, same sh!t. Eventually turned the car off and tried to pump the brakes. They got really hard doing this. So then I went and tried to brake again, same exact thing.

I ended up taking out the ABS fuse, which made the brakes somewhat useful so that I could get home (abs was coming on every single time I came to a stop). The pedal pretty much still sinks to the floor, but there is somewhat of a grab at the end of the pedal stroke. Pumping them while in action does not improve them.

What gives? For what it's worth, I had the rear pads and rotors replaced about 2 weeks ago. To my knowledge they didn't touch the brake fluid (which is completely topped up in the reservoir).

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

I recently had a Honda service tech tell me they bleed the brakes when they change the pads.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Take it back to the shop.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Wheel Speed Sensor? Could also be a valve or the computer, but if you just had it worked on recently, I'm leaning sensor. Is the ABS/brake warning light on*?

*edit: or was it on before you pulled the fuse?

 

[canadmos]

ABS light on the dash was off before I took out the fuse. No other engine or brake warning lights were on beforehand.

The brakes felt fine before the ABS came on last night. After that initial time it crapped the bed.

 

[StiHacka]

The ABS light might be just a generic indicator of problems with brakes. This could be a faulty brake booster, my old Volvo would occasionally do this when cold, but a few pedal pumps always solved the problem.

IMHO, you are beyond sensor problems. ABS off != no brakes.

 

[jonKranked]

what kind of condition are your tires in? if they're worn low that may be a contributing factor.

 

[canadmos]

The tires are in pretty good shape. They aren't snow tires, but they are decent enough.

Stihacka, the ABS light wasn't on before I pulled the fuse. I only pulled it so that I could limp the car home. Otherwise the ABS was kicking in way too much and not actually letting the car stop fully. Pumping the pedal didn't help at all sadly. The pedal did get solid pretty quick with the car turned off, though.

 

[Jm_]

If pedal is going to the floor, something wrong with booster/lines IMO. Probably needs a bleed.

 

[blindboxx2334]

pretty much what Jm said..

idk why, but people look at me weird when i say i like to bleed my brakes after i do a pad change.. brakes are the most important system in a car. dont you think its a little good to be thorough and anal?

 

[jdcamb]

Just a question? Why is it frowned upon to top off the fluid level of the reservoir. If the fluid is bad or dirty wouldn't adding new fluid make it less bad or dirty and be topped off?

 

[canadmos]

I think topping it off could potentially hide a problem. As the pads wear, the fluid level will normally go down a bit. And if you keep topping it off, when you get new pads you could be spilling fluid out of the reservoir as you push the pistons back into calipers.

Then again, I'm obviously no mechanic. All of that could poop on a stick haha

My car is sitting in the driveway collecting snow. I guess I'm taking the bus for a while.

 

[Blown240]

It's pretty easy to check for a bad master cylinder. Pump the brakes till the pedal is hard and hold it. If the pedal slowly sinks to the floor the master is bad.

If the master is good, move onto bleeding the brakes. The fluid is supposed to be changed every 2 years, but no one , including myself, does that.

 

[canadmos]

I took the car to shop the other day and just got it back.

Turns out there was a big pocket of air in the system. Perhaps from the ABS system (that hasn't been used in well over a year I guess)? Brake pedal feels normal now. I also took the car to an icy parking lot and activating the ABS didn't reproduce the same results as last week.

I'm hoping that is the actual fix and not just a temporary one....

 

[Blown240]

pockets of air can do strange things. Could have been there for a long time, and finally moved to where it causes a problem. Glad it worked out for you!