i have a 98 z24 cavalier, which i just put new brembo rotors and hawk pads on the front.
this problem happened before i put that upgrade on, so this did not cause it.

when the car is cold and i start it up and start driving, the first few pushes of the brake pedal seems to make the brakes slip and jolt to a stop.

high speed braking is simply awesome, its just at slow speeds. for example if im going 50mph this is what happens when i push on the brake firmly:

(great stopping up high) 50 > 40 > 30 > 20 > jolt, jolt, jolt, > stopped.
(right about 10 mph is where it jolts and jumps to a stop)

could it be the fluid? i cant tell if this slipping is comming from front or back or if it is infact normal for our cars.

thank you so much for help!




- Cameron (CaliforniaCavalier)
- www.csc-motorsports.com (my new NOR-CAL car club site!)

does it feel like its in the back of the car? or is it all four wheels?

if its the rear of the car i have the same problem where the wheels lock up for a half of a second. and then ill be driving and theyll be fine. its wierd. i looked into it a while ago and heard it might be the speed sensors. but i never really looked into it past that point. if thats your problem i think its relatively common on our cars.

good luck tho

sometimes i can kinda tell its comming a little more or completely from the back.....but its hard to tell....


- Cameron (CaliforniaCavalier)
- www.csc-motorsports.com (my new NOR-CAL car club site!)

Sounds like the ABS wheel sensors are giving you a hard time. Seems odd that they would both start going around the same time, but it may just be that as they get older they are affected by the cooler weather? Nothing I've run into myself, but it definitely sounds like the ABS is kicking in on you. If you want to confirm this yourself, pull the fuse for the ABS and try driving on it (just don't forget to put it back in after you try it)

well its a 98 that only has like 80k miles on it....it was a daily driver for the guy i bought it from.... would it really go out that early?
and ive been having trouble for a while, not just lately. it happened over summer too.



- Cameron (CaliforniaCavalier)
- www.csc-motorsports.com (my new NOR-CAL car club site!)

I had to replace a rear bearing assembly on mine at about 85,000 miles, so it's possible. It would seem very strange that they would both go, so it is unlikely that they are the problem. It definitely sounds like an ABS issue, though.