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I am concerned !! (BRAKES)


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I have owned our 89 Reatta for two years. I have never had the brake or ABS light come on. Never felt that my brakes were defective. My wife is the primary driver of the car. It appears from all the material that I have read on this web-site that the brakes could fail without warnning.Is this true? I also read about getting sensors and switches checked. Can this be done with the on board diagnostics, and if so is it a reliable test? If not can a dealership even test it properly? My wife loves her car, but with all this talk about failing brakes, I am concered. Thanks for your time.

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I have been having similar concerns about the brake system, obviously.<P>I also plan on keeping my car as long as I possibly can (219,000 miles to date). While I think the types of failure that have been reported are serious, I also feel that getting rid of your car is not the answer. <P>In the past few months there has been some real progress in dealing with this issue. <P>-There have been a few great posts on what to look for (i.e. checking the relays and the accumulator, cleaning the wheel speed sensors) as well as the great list of diagnostic checks that Wally888 suggested this past week (note to Wally- I'm gonna do mine ASAP and post the results)<P>-We have located a good source for rebuilt ABS units for $750 as opposed to the $3000 that many were paying, often making them choose to sell thier car rather than repair it.<P><BR>-Bob Scopatz currently has an open dialog with GM concerning this issue and they are apparently looking into it.<P>-I just started a site to petition NHTSA (www.reatta.org) to check the problem out. The Allante owners association used this tactic sucessfully to get the NHTSA to investigate the Bosch system they use (thier investigation is ongoing).<P>Each of these developments has potential to solve this problem. <P>My advice: if you are really concerned, take your car to a competent dealer/mechanic and have them check it out. If you notice anything unusual in your braking, have it checked out as soon as possible. This problem highlights the importance of having a good mechanic.<P>While I do think that any problem with a braking system is serious, I also have faith that if we continue to work on finding a solid diagnostic regimen for the ABS and continue to work with GM and NHTSA to investigate and correct any defects we will be able to ride with confidence.<P>Even now I feel pretty confident in my car's braking ability, but I am mindful just in case.<p>[This message has been edited by wheresjim (edited 08-16-2000).]

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Guest wally888

Take 5 minutes and run the tests listed as "Brake Problems" on this board. Give us your results at "Results of brake test" on the board. We already see from limited results some pumps are slow,worn or accumulators are starting to weaken.Maybe when enought have replied w/ test results we can warn and predict

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As with any older vehicle (face it, these are now 9-12 years old and car years are like dog years), the idea is to keep the vehicle safe to drive if you intend to use it. Brakes are an important safety component of any vehicle. These are slightly peculiar in that they were early (ish) adopters of ABS technology and the system is layered with complex electronics. But, still, the same principle applies as in any other vehicle component.<P>My case was admitedly a fluke in that I got NO WARNING. My problem was that a sensor failed which then made it impossible for all those fancy electronics to tell me when things were dying all around the ABS.<P>Sadly, others have experienced the same lack of warning. We are asking Teves and GM to come up with a method for testing and ensuring that these things are working. The brake test & results posted here is GREAT, and I'd like to see the manufacturers come up with something to deal with the whole system and us in an official capacity.<P>Teves, so far, has been uncooperative and just plain dismissive. GM and NHTSA have both been unresponsive until recently (Since my first letter in May until basically this week). Anyway, we're seeing some response now and hopefully we can convince them that this is serious.<P>In the meantime, realize that the problem is in 1% of Reattas, give or take. If your system is functioning, great! Get it looked at periodically and do those brake tests to see if your accumulator is failing. If you do get bad results or you see the dash lights, take the car in and have it checked over thoroughly. Small problems will only escalate in this system, apparently. And the worse it gets, the more costly the repair will be.<P>

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