For 1990-2009 cars

Symptom | Cause
--- | ---
Excessive brake pedal travel |

• | Air in brake system

• | Leaking brake line or connection

• | Leaking piston seal

• | Leaking master cylinder

• | Uneven brake lining wear

• | Incorrect lining material

• | Excessive lateral runout

• | Faulty automatic adjuste

• | Missing or loose brake assembly attachments

• | Incorrect wheel bearing runout

• | Operator riding brake pedal

• | Improper booster pushrod length

• | Caliper not sliding freely

Brake pedal travel gradually increases |

• | Leaking brake line or connection

• | Leaking piston seal

• | Leaking master cylinder

• | Restricted brake fluid passage or sticking wheel cylinder piston

• | Incorrect stoplamp switch adjustment

• | Operator riding brake pedal

Excessive brake pedal effort |

• | Surface finish in rotors

• | Leaking vacuum system

• | Restricted air passage in power head

• | Damaged brake booster

• | Improperly assembled brake booster valving

• | Worn out brake lining

• | Incorrect lining material

• | Linings damaged by abusive

• | Restricted brake fluid passage

• | Brake pedal linkage interference or binding

• | Operator riding brake pedal

• | Sticking wheel cylinder or caliper pistons

• | Faulty proportioning valve

Improperly machined brake rotors.

Excessive braking action |

• | Contaminated brake lining

• | Linings damaged by abusive use

• | Leaking piston seal

• | Damaged brake booster

• | Improperly assembled brake booster valving

• | Incorrect lining material

• | Heat spotted or scored brake rotors

• | Weak or incorrect brake shoe retention springs

• | Incorrect stoplamp switch adjustment

• | Operator riding brake pedal

• | Improper booster pushrod length

• | Caliper not sliding freely

• | Faulty proportioning valve

• | Improperly machined brake rotors

Brakes slow to respond |

• | Restricted air passage in power head

• | Contaminated or improper brake fluid

• | Leaking vacuum system

• | Improperly assembled brake booster valving

• | Brake pedal linkage interference or binding

• | Brake linkage interference or binding

• | Faulty proportioning valve

• | Damaged brake booster

Brakes slow to release |

• | Brake pedal linkage interference or binding

• | Contaminated or improper brake fluid

• | Restricted air passage in power head

• | Damaged brake booster

• | Improperly assembled brake booster valving

• | Insufficient brake shoe guide lubricant

• | Restricted brake fluid passage or sticking wheel cylinder piston

• | Parking cable seized

• | Improper booster pushrod length

• | Sticking wheel cylinder or caliper pistons

• | Faulty proportioning valve

Brakes drag |

• | Improperly assembled brake booster valving

• | Incorrect stoplamp switch adjustment

• | Brake pedal linkage interference or binding

• | Improper booster pushrod length

• | Faulty proportioning valve

• | Caliper not sliding freely

• | Sticking caliper pistons

• | Operator riding brake pedal

• | Parking brake cable seized

• | Improperly adjusted parking brake

• | Restricted brake fluid passage

• | Missing or loose brake assembly attachments

• | Faulty automatic adjusters

• | Damaged brake booster

• | Contaminated or improper brake fluid

Uneven braking action (side to side) |

• | Contaminated brake lining

• | Incorrect front end alignment

• | Leaking brake line or connection

• | Leaking piston seal

• | Air to brake system

• | Worn out brake lining

• | Uneven brake lining wear

• | Incorrect lining material

• | Linings damaged by abusive use

• | Heat spotted or scored rotors

• | Faulty automatic adjusters

• | Missing or loose brake assembly attachments

• | Insufficient brake shoe guide lubricant

• | Restricted brake fluid passage

• | Loose front suspension attachments

• | Sticking caliper pistons

• | Faulty proportioning valve

Uneven braking action (front to back) |

• | Worn out brake lining

• | Uneven brake lining wear

• | Incorrect lining material

• | Contaminated brake lining

• | Linings damaged by abusive use

• | Heat spotted rotors

• | Faulty automatic adjusters

• | Missing or loose brake assembly attachment

• | Restricted brake fluid passage or sticking wheel cylinder pisto

• | Parking brake cable seized

• | Operator riding brake pedal

• | Sticking caliper pistons

• | Faulty proportioner valve

• | Incorrect stoplamp switch adjustment

Scraping noise from brakes |

• | Loose front suspension attachments

• | Caliper not sliding freely

• | Incorrect wheel bearing runout

• | Loose or missing brake assembly attachments

• | Linings damaged by abusive use

• | Contaminated brake lining

• | Uneven brake lining wear

• | Worn out brake lining

Brakes squeak during application |

• | Insufficient brake shoe guide lubricant

• | Excessive lateral runout

• | Heat spotted or scored brake drum or rotors

• | Linings damaged by abusive use

• | Contaminated brake lining

• | Uneven brake lining wear

• | Operator riding brake pedal

• | Loose or missing brake assembly attachments

• | Linings damaged by abusive use

• | Incorrect lining material

Brakes pulsate (roughness) |

• | Caliper not sliding freel

• | Improper rotor thickness variation

• | Incorrect lining material

• | Heat spotted rotors

• | Out-of-round brake drums

• | Excessive lateral runout

• | Missing or loose brake assembly attachments

Brakes groan at end of stop |

• | Worn out brake lining

• | Uneven brake lining wear

• | Incorrect lining material

• | Contaminated brake lining

• | Linings damaged by abusive use

• | Heat spotted rotors

• | Missing or loose brake assembly attachments

• | Loose front suspension attachments

• | Operator riding brake pedal

BRAKE warning lamp glows |

• | Leaking brake line or connection

• | Leaking piston seal

• | Leaking master cylinder

• | Contaminated or improper brake fluid

• | Improperly adjusted parking brake

• | Parking brake cable seized

• | Short to ground 1134