When I push the brakes on my Pontiac Grand Am, my car shakes a lot right before I stop.?

Question

What is wrong with it? It's a 99 with 130,000 miles on it. It does not shake every single time I stop...mostly just when I am on a downhill incline, but some days it will do it on falt ground also.

Answer 1

Chances are that you have a "sticky" caliper or an unevenly worn brake rotor. If you read your owners manual, it should tell you that the brake fluid must be changed every two years. The reason for this is that brake fluid is designed to absorb moisture from the air. After two years, the fluid has done it's job, becomes darker, and begins to turn acidic. The acid in the fluid begins to cause problems with the materials used in your brake calipers and may cause imbalances, especially based on outside temperature. The best thing to do is to have it changed, have your rotors professionally turned on a lathe, and "exercise" your piston calipers, pushing them "in" and "out" several times to make sure they are not binding up in any way. Also, if your car has Anti-lock brakes, make sure that the rear brakes are bled out as well as the front by a competent technician. Also, make sure that your "slide" pins are properly lubricated to prevent friction imbalances. You may have to replace them. Also, if I'm not mistaken, most GM cars have an unusual problem with the rear calipers that eventually cause trouble for the front brakes in time. Somewhere in your owners manual it may tell you that you need to use the parking brake every time you park the car to prevent the rear calipers from locking up and causing balance problems or excessive wear in the front brake system. You should have it looked at professionally.

Answer 2

I agree it is warped rotors. Something you can do to help with the furute cost of buying brakes, go to an auto parts store, like Auto Zone and buy the "LIFETIME" warrenty brake pads. After that initial purchase, you will NEVER have to buy brake pads as long as you own that car. As far as I know no one sells lifetime warrenty rotors so that will be the ONLY thing you will have to buy new every time.

Answer 3

An Anti-Lock brake sensor is going bad but has not completely failed. It thinks a wheel is skidding and pulsing the brake on that wheel.

I have seen this happen on a similar age Buick LeSabre

You need to either replace the bad anti lock brake sensor. If you do not want to spend the money to repair a car this old, you can pull the fuse on the ABS circuit. You will still have brakes, just no anti lock feature. Or, you can just live with the problem.

Answer 4

Sounds like the front rotors are worn from excessive brake wear or the front pads are VERY worn down on at least one side.

Answer 5

Could be warped rotors, I would take it to a reputable repair facility and have the brakes checked.

Answer 6

Your rotors are warped, and could desire to be the two re-machined or replaced. in the event that they warped this quickly after being became, the two you probably did some significant no longer basic braking or the rotors are purely too skinny. some manufacturers look to apply thinner, lighter rotors and that they do no longer upward thrust up the no longer basic use.

Answer 7

Possibilities:
Rotors are warped

Rotors aren't tightened down all the way

If there is a squealing or screeching sound:
Rotors or pads are worn down to nothing and are about ready to weld themselves together.

Answer 8

If there is enough left on them, have the rotors turned, they are warped. If not, replace them with new ones. You can figure about $50 per to replace.

Answer 9

May be the rotors are warped.

Answer 10

I WOULD HAVE TO QUALIFY EVEN PUTTING BRAKES ON A GRAND AMERICAN WITH 130K MILES. ALSO IF YOU SPENT THE MONEY ON LIFETIME BRAKES, IT'S PROBABLY A WASTE OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THAT REASON. BRAKES WOULD DOUBLE THE VALUE OF THE CAR.