"Brake" dash light comes on ever time I press the brake pedal.

[CombatComProg]

The "Brake" dash light comes on for a second and then goes away each time I press the gas pedal. What causes this, and how do I fix it? Anyone else experience this problem?

 

[rodman99999]

Probably the accumulator bowl(big black bulb on the side of the Powermaster unit), or your pressure switch is going south. I'll bet someone on this site will have one to offer you at a reasonable price. Don't bother with a used one(of either). Or you can contact Kirban Performance (215-766-1611). They've usually got both in stock.

 

[rodman99999]

Here's the item number for one(accumulator) on eBay (8020044905). When I looked it was at $35.00. OOPS- I just went back there and noticed: he used it for a couple weeks. There's another on there that the seller started at $199.00. That's WAY over-priced!! Look in the "parts for sale" threads in here too.

 

[CombatComProg]

Well, my car does experience a sort of brake delay. When I press down on the pedal, little happens for the first second and then the brakes kick in. Would this coincide with an acummulator bowl or pressure switch going south?

 

[ANDYS87]

If your brake light comes on then goes off.........its the accumulator bowl. I just replaced mine recently and fixed the problem. They are WAY overpriced, because they can't be bought at the dealer anymore. They are going for around $250 on EBAY for a NOS(new old stock) one. Kirban is supposedly getting some in the near future and will be selling for around $130(I think)??? PM me and I'll tell you where I got mine.

 

[Blazer406]

The "Brake" dash light comes on for a second and then goes away each time I press the gas pedal. What causes this, and how do I fix it? Anyone else experience this problem?

From the reading I have done.... I think the actual light is triggered from low pressure in the brake circuit..... Mine comes on for like 1/2 a second when you first press the brake pedal.... then all is good. Also when you first press the pedal... if you push it fast.... like you need to stop quick.... it feels like you have no brakes (very hard pedal feel with very little travel)... for about 1/2 a second.... after that.... there is plenty of braking power..... I assume my accumulator bowl is also going bad.... but not real bad yet.

I heard when they go out for good... that it is very dangerous though....like it happens all of a sudden.... at a busy intersection.... usually....


HTH

 

[Drew L]

yup

what others have said, press the pedal a hundred times (20 or so)to reduce the pressure and it is a remove and replace

 

[CombatComProg]

From the reading I have done.... I think the actual light is triggered from low pressure in the brake circuit..... Mine comes on for like 1/2 a second when you first press the brake pedal.... then all is good. Also when you first press the pedal... if you push it fast.... like you need to stop quick.... it feels like you have no brakes (very hard pedal feel with very little travel)... for about 1/2 a second.... after that.... there is plenty of braking power..... I assume my accumulator bowl is also going bad.... but not real bad yet.

I heard when they go out for good... that it is very dangerous though....like it happens all of a sudden.... at a busy intersection.... usually....


HTH

This is exactly the case with my car. Is there any way to recondition the bowl? What exactly is "going bad" in the bowl? Thanks

 

[Blazer406]

This is exactly the case with my car. Is there any way to recondition the bowl? What exactly is "going bad" in the bowl? Thanks

The bowl (to my understanding) has a kind-of bladder with high pressure nitrogen on one side that stores a small high pressure charge of brake fluid used during braking. As they wear out... the nitrogen seeps/leaks out and there is not enough pressure. Hence the light coming on until the electric pump kicks in.

AS far as reconditioning....from what I have read... few are still available... GM has discontinued them..... and prices have sky-rocketed..... but the good news..... is that there is word that there will be some new/recondidtioned? ones available soon for around $130. I have seen some prices in excess of $250 for one... but the news that some are soon going to be available (Kirban's I think?) ..... has eased people's minds some that have stuck with the powermaster setup.

I will probably replace mine when these become available.

HTH

 

[blueta]

just switch it to a vacuum setup and never worry about them going out like that again. You can buy a whole setup off red regal t for around $145 shipped and it'll last you. Those powermasters are known to fail and fail they do. Just my .02 for what it's worth.

 

[DavzGN]

Several years ago I was getting the brake light every once and a while, like once every two weeks or so. I ordered a new Accumulator and changed the brake fluid with Valvoline DOT3 synthetic while waiting for the Accumulator to arrive. I still have the new Accumulator in a box, NOT FOR SALE, and haven't had the brake light come on since the fluid change. I don't know if another problem was causing the occasional light or if the new fluid reconditioned the old Accumulator but it seems to have worked for me.

David
87GN

 

[Blazer406]

ttt

Well.... I ran across a used Delco accumulator ball here on the board that someone had purchased to replace theirs a year or so ago.... and found out the original one wasn't bad.... so he had an extra...... long story short.... I got my good used ball in today... installed it w/o any other changes...... all I can say is WOW! I couldn't have imagined the brakes working this well on a 145k mile car. My brake light never comes on.....pedal is soft for the first couple of inches..... then wham..... big time brakes.... no more hard pedal..... then some brakes...... I'm happy......

 

[blown okie]

just switch it to a vacuum setup and never worry about them going out like that again. You can buy a whole setup off red regal t for around $145 shipped and it'll last you. Those powermasters are known to fail and fail they do. Just my .02 for what it's worth.

I'll second that.

 

[superjaay]

I have a need to bleed!

I had been having the same problem with the soft pedal and barake light coming on. I recently bled the front driver wheel brake puting quite a bit of fresh fluid in the system. It has helped a bunch.No brake light at all since then. The pedal is still alittle spongy ,but I plan to soon bleed the entire system and get all new fluid in it. I think for a while aleast my problem is solved. I hope this may save you some cash.

 

[GullsGN]

This is why I have one more step than most in my spring cleaning routine. The last step I do is drive it to the nearest empty lot, get it going 30 or so and hit the breaks in a true panic stop. Not a lot of fun when a PM fails, shorts changing time!

 

[tzque]

I was having problems with my brakes and powermaster . I did like everyone else bled the system changed the rear cylinders and thought I was good to go. Well my brakes failed . I decided after that I wasnt messing with the powermaster and switched to Vacuum . After some trails I got the vacuum system was all set up . My front right caliber froze . I bought two new calibers .
I will get to my point . I went thru all of this spent all of this money and the problem was that my hoses to the caliper went bad .Whiched created the problem with the powermaster and calipers.
If you are not driving your car regulary and you have brake problems change the hoses and the cylinders before you change the powermaster .

 

[Dreamcar86]

Try one of these and your problems are over!

This cured my brake problems!

 

[blueta]

If you want to check your calipers just pop them off and see if the piston can be pushed in (with something like a c clamp). If it's stuck (and the line isn't all twisted up from you), loosen the bleeder and try it again. If it's still stuck you have a bad caliper, if it moves after you open the bleeder then it's the line. That can be checked pretty easily. But powermaster still sucks

 

[GullsGN]

Nice!!! I want one. What is it and where do I get one, part #s?

 

[Dreamcar86]

Nice!!! I want one. What is it and where do I get one, part #s?

It is a modern day Hydroboost. Vacuum brakes will typically apply 600 PSI to the calipers this system applies 2000 PSI, needless to say you will hold boost on the line. It is actually run off of the power steering pump. So the more throttle you give it the harder it holds which is perfect when you are building boost at the line.

To order one go to: Power Brake Services.com

Let me know if you have any questions.