I have an old '96 Pontiac Sunfire and I've had it a couple of years. For the time I've had it, my brakes always locked up and a loud grinding noise would scream at me every time I braked a little too fast on dirt roads. Well, that was fine cause 90% of the time no one is around and I trained myself to handle it without sliding into something.But now my car has started doing this on pavement in traffic.It seriously scares me. I mean, I'm about to get new tires and have my oil changed, and I was gonna have my anti lock brakes looked at too, but I'm worried of the cost. I hate anti lock brakes because every time I tell my dad that my car locks up he doesn't understand what I'm talking about and my boyfriend is a decent do it yourself mechanic man (not literally, but he knows a little bit about cars) and he doesn't know what to do and my car NEVER locks up when I'm with them so I can't SHOW them what I mean.Help?
OK, With most all anti-lock braking systems, there are speed sensors on the wheels that tell the computer whether or not to engage the anti-lock bypass in the master cylinder. Three things generally happen to them; They get dirty enough to send false signals and just need cleaning. They become misaligned and need to be readjusted. They just go bad and need to be replaced. These are the main culprits. There are others but they happen rarely if at all. The next thing it could be is that you would have to replace the master cylinder. If the repairs prove to be too expensive for you to deal with right away, there is a simple quick fix that will tide you over for a while. Simply locate the ABS fuse using the diagram in the owner's book in the glove box, and remove it. This will disable the anti-lock option and you'll be running on a standard braking system. It will turn on the idiot light on the dash but if you can put up with that you'll be just fine until it's time to get the repair done at the shop. Good luck hon.
to disable the antilock system just pull the fuse that wont fix your problem as i bet you will find a problem with your rear shoes or pads or a caliper that is why you are also having a problem with your parking brake as well i hope they get it fixed up for you
