Chevrolet Impala Brakes

blokie

A quick question, is the ABS on a 04 Implala just on the front wheels or both the front and back.

Thanks in advance

Chris

ryster

The ABS is on both the front and the rear wheels.

prattgirl

BY CHANCE... Anyone out there know off hand, what type of bolt head might be on the through-bolt that holds the front brake calpiers together on a late 90's Subaru Impreza or a 2005 Chevy Impala? Would it be "off base" to call the dealer service center and ask?

cnw

Took my car in today for oil change and decided to have them adjust the emergency brake while it was there. Was told that there is NO adjustment on the emeregency brake. Have any of you heard this? I can't understand how the system compensates for wear. Thoughts? Thanks in advance. Clark

nosirrahg

Check out this link: http://impalahq.naioa.com/

Click on the "how to" button on the left of the screen, and the first thing listed there is how to adjust the parking brake. Granted, this is for the previous generation Impala, but it might still be applicable to the '06.

whitecloud2004

Just got new Bendix Rear pads & rotors on my 04 Impala and the next day there was an annoying humming noise from one of the wheels but I can't tell which wheel, it happens loudest at 20 mph and goes away when I accelerate. When slowing down it comes back, but seems to be low humming constantly today.
Is there a problem with the new pads and rotors? Also, it rained the night I got them installed and the next day they were full of rust!

0patience

May want to reconsider where you take your vehicle for servicing.

Here is the procedure from the GM Manual.

Park Brake Adjustment
Tools Required
J 21177-A Drum-to-Brake Shoe Clearance Gage
1. Apply and fully release the parking brake six times.
2. Verify that the parking brake pedal releases completely.
-Turn ON the ignition. Verify that the BRAKE indicator lamp is off.
-If the BRAKE indicator lamp is on, ensure that: the parking brake pedal is in release mode and fully returned to stop. Remove the slack in the front parking brake cable by pulling downward on the cable.
3. Raise and suitably support the vehicle. Refer to Vehicle Lifting.
4. Remove the rear tire and wheel assemblies.
5. Remove both rear caliper brackets.
6. Relieve tension on the park brake system at the park brake equalizer.
7. Remove both rear brake rotors.
8. Set the J 21177-A inside of the park brake drum at the widest point.
-Place the contacts on the tool to the widest point of the drum.
-Tighten the set screw on the tool to ensure the proper measurement when removing the tool from the drum.
9. Position the J 21177-A over the park brake shoe at the widest point.
10. brake shoe just contacts the J 21177-A.
11. Repeat steps 8-10 for the opposite side.
12. Install both rear brake rotors.
13. Install both rear caliper brackets.
14. Install the rear tire and wheel assemblies.
15. Adjust the parking brake by turning the nut at the equalizer while spinning both rear wheels. When either rear wheel starts to drag, back off the nut one full turn.
16. Lower the vehicle to curb height.
17. Apply the parking brake, then inspect for rotation of the rear wheels. If the rear wheels rotate during this inspection, then readjust the parking brake shoes.
18. Release the parking brake. Verify that the wheels rotate freely.
19.Lower the vehicle.

cnw

Thanks for the info. Both places I checked with were GM-Chevrolet dealers. Thought I could trust them to know the correct procedures. Appreciate your sharing. Clark

linw

I just got 2001 Impala LS 3.8L 144K,2 weeks ago. When I took the test drive, I felt a noise when I push the brake all the way down. However, when I double checked the noise was gone, so I just thought I felt something that did not exsit. Three days before, when I drove in the snow, the noise came up again when I push brake quickly with a very slight trembling. It seems that I can feel the break pad touch the disc. Is there anyone have the same problem? and how do you fix it. Thank you!

nosirrahg

Can you also feel this through the steering wheel? If you feel this when you're turning the wheel and applying the brakes, it could be the intermediate steering shaft (which is a common problem with this vehicle).

linw

Thank you, Nosirrahg,for your reply. So far I cannot feel this when steering wheel. Probably it will come up later. Anyway, in case the steering shaft is the problem, how much does it cost to fix, and it DIY possible? Thank you.

Mr_Shiftright

Sounds like your ABS is just working normally, especially if you were on snow. What you feel is the computer very rapidly applying and disengaging your brakes.

quietpro

That is my call too...ABS. I recommend to anyone who is unfamiliar with the feeling of ABS to find a safe area and try it out (empty parking lots are good). Make sure you have no loose items on the seats (or in the trunk) and make a few "panic" stops (of course while there's no need to panic). The feeling and sound of ABS engaging can be distracting at a minimum and, in the worst cases, prompt someone to release the brake. Any place with limited traction will do such as snow (if you have it), wet pavement, and less desireably, gravel or sand. You can do this on dry pavement as well but you will REALLY have to press the brakes and some folks aren't comfortable with that. Nothing will be damaged on a properly operating vehicle and if something is going to break, better to find out in a safe place than on the highway doing 60 mph.

My sister just had an accident where she failed to negotiate a turn. She told me that the whole time she was approaching the guard rail that she inevitably hit, the only thought going through her mind was, "don't hit the brakes, don't hit the brakes!" She was taught this over 30 yrs ago and just wasn't fully aware of the capabilities of modern cars. Most likely, if she HAD used her brakes, there would've been no accident at all.

Those of us who try to stay informed often assume that everyone knows of these (now) extremely common safety features on cars. However, you'd likely be surprised to find out how many have no idea.

cnw

Ron--I hope your sister is OK and the damage to the car is minimal (repairable). I had a similar situation several years ago in eastern New Mexico: Early in the morning--just at sunrise--I had a deer cross in front of us; he came across the highway in a dead run, crossing from out of my field of view. My wife screamed "DEER!!" and I hit the brakes and steered left, ABS shuddering all the while. It worked as the engineers designed--I retained steering control under maximum braking effort and was able to miss the deer by an extremely narrow margin. I have subsequently taught my newly licensed daughters what the ABS feels like when engaged. My oldest had it engage just the other day; her knowledge kept her from getting off the brake--which would have resulted in a collision. I agree with you--anyone who has ABS needs to become familiar with the feel when it engages, and they need to temper their years of conditioning with awareness of modern technological capabilites. Take care, Clark

quietpro

Clark,
Thanks for your concern. Yes, she is fine (and so is her grandaughter). The car had $3K in damage, I believe, but she was fully insured.

The repairs only took a couple days however, they did notice the new bumper had not lined up evenly. The body shop said it isn't possible to get it even but I wholeheartedly disagree. She's not the confrontational type but I think she's going to get her husband involved. I told her to tell her insurance company about it as they would very likely demand it be done right. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Ron

cnw

Ron,

I agree with your assessment. I think the body shop is just attempting to say, "It's too hard to get it right and I don't want to put that amount of effort in it." I think the insurance company should support your sister; the intent is to return it to "as good as new" condition. If they accept less than quality work, where do they draw the line--shabby paint (orange peel, over-spray, thin color coat, etc), uneven filling/sanding, mis-matched colors? Granted, those are extreme examples, but if they accept less than quality in any area, then they're setting themselves up for any or all of the above. Your sister pays insurance premiums based on the understanding that damages will be corrected; my interpretation of correct is "unable to distinguish that a repair has been made." Regards, Clark

quietpro

Thanks for the affirmation...that's exactly how I feel about it as well.

tcs012

First of all, hi!

It's about my 2007 Impala LT.
It didn't happend until couple of months ago.

Whenever I parked my car, my Impala tends to slide a bit. I mean a lot compared to the other cars.
So I took to the services but they told me that it's normal. One guy even told me that it's a 'feature', called something-brake-system. Two different service shop, same opinion; no problems found.

Everyone in my family noticed the sliding. Some says not much, but I feel it almost every time when I park. Over the years, our family owned 8 different cars, 4 of them Chevy, but never had this kind of problem/issue/feature(?).

So I did a little testing. I parked my Impala on a flat surface, then pushed the car car a little. Even with not alot of force, the body slided quite a few inches. I tested with other cars that was parked on our house but no other cars moved as much as my Impala. I told this to the service but they told me that every car is different and there's nothing we can do about it. They adviced to use parking brake, but come on..

Am I being too sensitive? Is it really nothing to worry about?

Thanks for any replies.

quietpro

I've never heard to this referred to as sliding so I had to read to see what you were referring to.

I would agree with your service reps. This is completely normal and different makes/models will "roll" a little more or less than each other. I wouldn't be concerned unless you hear a "ratcheting" sound like the vehicle is slipping out of it's parking gear.

As for the parking brake, anytime you park on an incline, you should be in the habit of using it. Not just for the added safety but for the reduced stress on the transaxle. Although it will hold in almost every case, it's not actually designed for that much stress. It will also be easier for you to get the car into gear when you leave.

lostwrench

Please better describe what you mean by "slide".

lmadani3

Yeah. I've read and been through it that the parking brake should be used anytime you park. Stress is less on the trans. The slide is from the trans going into the parking gear. You can eliminate this by putting the car in Neutral, apply the parking brake, then shift into park.

tcs012

muggelberg

I have a 2003 Impala with a brake problem... the pedal still pulsates when i push on the brakes... I changed the font rotors and pads yesterday.... Is there anything else that I need to address????

Thanks
Big Bill
.

lostwrench

Rear rotors.
Be sure the wheel nuts are tightened to spec and tightened in proper order.

muggelberg

That was my next guess as well... I have been using my torque(sp) wrench to tighten the lugs to spec... I guess it's time to jack it up again!! lol

Thanks
Big Bill

lostwrench

And tighten them in proper order, 1 - 3 - 5 - 2 - 4.
My repair manual states 100 ft-lbs of torque.

muggelberg

I have done everything per the service manual. I starting to think it might be a busted belt in the tire.. I'm going to check into that now.

thanks bill

cob

I had the same problem with an 04 and found the metal on the back rotors was peeling off and the pulsation was due to missing metal on the rotors. Replaced rear pads and rotors and stops smooth. They were the factory rotors that were falling apart.

insolat

Had new brakes put on the car all the way around. After about 500 miles of driving, I started hearing a "clicking" noise when the brakes were applied slowly. This did not happen when quickly applying the brakes. Took the car back to the mechanic, they turned the rotors which did not fix the problem. They replaced all 4 brake pads and the "clicking" stopped until the car was driven about 500 miles again. Also, as I stop slowly, there seems to be a squeaking noise.

rusty40

I have a 2007 Impala and I thought the same thing. I thought it was just me. It moves to the extent if I were to park too close to a car in front of me, I would hit it if I took my foot off the brake. I could see someone or something getting squished if it were between the two vehicles.