ok so when i turn my car on in the morning and got to stop at a stop sign my back left tire will skid and make a bad sound and my car will feel like it is sinking to the ground for a second. after i drive for a few miles the brakes then work fine. then today my brake pedal felt ver firm when i pushed it down, but my brakes didnt really work that good. i have a 95 chevy beretta and the ABS light is on all the time, the dealer said it was fine if it was on u just need a new sensor. he said sensors are expensive and u dont really need one. what should i do. o and today when the pedal was firm both the ABS and the regualr brake lights were on, according to the manuel this means my entire braking system is in danger. and finally today when the pedal was firm, i stopped at a gas station and turned my car off when i started it again the regualr brake light went off and only the ABS light was on, and the pedal was no longer firm, however the problem with the back tire began again help!!
they are,nt hard to change.the hardest part is getting the nut off. they just snap out and snap back in. i change the 1 in my neighbor,s truck last year and it,s the same as yours.
I hate to tell you this but you have a mechanical problem with the rear brakes. A bad sensor alone would not give you this problem. if you have drum brakes in the rear either a spring has come off or one of the hold down pins is broke. the good news is brakes are cheep if you can do the work yourself or have a friend that can help. you should be able to do all 4 brakes totally new (everything) for less than 200.00. that's if everything was shot. unfortunately if you take it to the shop or dealer you will probably pay 800.00. the dealer needs to make a payment on his boat hahah. just don't forget brakes are a critical safety feature. having them work half *** is never acceptable. good luck.
Ok I have been doing brake repair foe a very long time. From what you are describing it sounds like you might have a wheel cylinder leaking fluid. This fluid leak will NOT be the reason the ABS light is on, but will cause the other symptoms you have listed. If in fact you find this is the case The shop will or should give you an estimate that will include the following parts. Wheel cylinders, they will want to replace them in pairs, one for each wheel. the brake shoes as they are soaked with fluid, this in combination with a probable warped brake drum will cause the lock up problem. They should measure the drums to make sure they can be machined. If the diameter of the drum is too large they really should be replaced. they will also want to replace the brake hardware, these are the springs that hold the brake shoes in place. The full REAR brake repair should cost around 400.00 maybe a little less. this would be for 2 drums 1 shoes 1 hardware 2 wheel cylinders and bleeding the brakes. The ABS problem is an electrical problem. wheel speed sensor is most likely but there are many things that can cause the light for the ABS to come on. when the ABS light comes on the ABS system only shuts off, At that point your braking system operates just like a car that does not have ABS and will NOT affect normal braking operation. I hope this helps. The leak your friiend has found is the majority of your problem. I wouls also have the front brakes checked to make sure everything is good up there. You will still have the ABS problem but at least your brakes will function. If your problem is a wheel speed sensor they cost about 100.00 in most cases.
I think you have two problems, and both need immediate attention. 1) The ABS light will come on if the onboard computer fails to get a sensor signal from any wheel sensor or a variety of other reasons. See the link to the article that I provided below. 2) Assuming that this car has power assisted brakes, the firm pedal with poor braking performance is most likely due to a loss of vacuum assist to the booster. Look for a loose or broken vacuum hose to the brake booster unit. You are probably getting the same feel as if you turned off the engine then tried to use the brakes - it takes a LOT of pedal pressure. 3) Also I think the Brake System warning light means a possible loss of hydraulic pressure in the system. If I recall the master cylinder has two reservoirs and has loops that are connected left front/right rear and right front/left rear so that if you suffer a failure in the brake lines that drains the fluid in one loop you still have an operating set of brake surfaces on both the front and rear in the other loop. The bottom line here is that you have a *serious* problem here that if left un-repaired can get you seriously injured or even killed and may cost other their lives as well. Get your car to the shop and promptly. And oh yeah, don't take it to the idiot dealer you took it to the first time - they are clueless. Good luck, be safe and be smart and get your brakes fixed.!
