PMIII Pressure Switch?

[peeeot]

I tried to order a new ABS pressure switch for the PMIII via gmpartsdirect.com, and recieved an email indicating that gm has discontinued production of the part. Where can I get a replacement, if not from GM?

[Jeff M]

PM sent.

 

Jeff M

[SleeperRed90TGp]

PM sent.

 

Jeff M

 

Ah Jeff glad to see you back.

 

Jud

[international91]

Try P & G Chevrolet it will cost about $200.00 not 59.00 as advertised

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=getLocator&siteid=192&chapter=DN1MW0&appSectionid=18&groupid=10002&subgroupid=61359&make=26&model=Cutlass&year=1991&catalogid=1

[peeeot]

Thanks, I've already found a replacement. Forgot to update, sorry!!

[Jeff M]

looks like I should raise my price too but I feel its better to help others keep their repair costs down and their ownership a more pleasant experience . Any car new or used is going to cost money and need attention over time, learning to hate your car like some have here just because its one if not their first new car is unfortunate, after a few years after owning a few new and/or used cars you find this is nothing new or unique to just a w-body. I keep hearing and now have stacks of statements from companies and owners of non-w-body cars that all have their issues (or just wear items ). That orange supra in the last F&F/Drift Movie went through 5 transmission and 7 differentials just to make the few scenes it did in that movie, every car will have something to address, best thing is to keep the car you have so you can learn it and know its areas to address and finishing them up good (for at least another 16 years as is the case with a TGP or TSTE) and get good at knowing your car so anything else that happens you already know how to work on it, nothing worse than not having any idea of what is wrong and what to do, and wondering how bad something is only because of not knowing it well enough/dealing with the unknown which is very frustrating and sometimes costly.

 

To answer peeeot's PM question to me if he does not mind , I just feel it would help others a lot to know this AND since often times people have gone NATO on the ABS III (though many others do not hate it anymore ). Aside from it being 16 years old, lets take away the unknown (and peeeot knows/knew most all of this!) it has a pump motor that I have only heard of maybe only 2 failing and can easily attribute that to moisture laden old brake fluid and a constant cycling condition from running a bad accumulator for too long. Next is the pump motor relay, also given a bad rap from running the aforementioned bad accumulator for too long, not the relay’s fault. Next is the pressure switch, once again after talking to over 1,000 TGP/TSTE owners since 1996 in emails/PMs/Board Postings, I have only heard of maybe 3 that failed, even if it’s a few more that’s is a good reliability rate for anything! Other than the ABS Solenoids which I have never heard of a failed one, that’s it . (yea wheel sensors but little has been talked about these being a common problem so I tossed it out and other such items to keep this post simple'r )

 

As for the mechanical, what wears out any master cylinder is well….years of use, BUT no better way to wear it out sooner than to allow a bad accumulator keeping the pump motor running over and over, that because there is wear in the pump’s gears, and because brake fluid is not some awesome lubricant, those gears can get hot from running too often and not allowed to cool down and will chew into each other more than is the norm! So the gear wear and resulting metal particles are released into the brake fluid, which work their way into the mechanical part of the brake unit and then these particles chew on the shaft seals and o-rings. That all makes sense but to lessen the concern of what your system has endured over the years from this is that we are lucky and have a sort-of oil (brake fluid) filter, it’s the magnet contained in the fluid level sensor disc, its does a great job of collecting the wear particles from the iron pump gears, you just need to clean it from time to time so it can keep doing its job! Peeeot did this, you exercise up and down the float disc that contains the magnet and work lose the build up of metal particles collected there, keep pushing this disc up and down for a time so that you get as much of the metal particles to come off and suspended in the brake fluid in the reservoir, then drain, suck or do whatever to get all that old brake fluid/metal particles out of the reservoir, and then run a q-tip around to catch another particles missed, fill with new fluid and after this little amount of effort, you have basically changed the oil filter on your ABS Unit and helped ensure a very long trouble-free life, which is the only real maintenance it will need other than flushing those brake lines with your new fluid getting out all the moisture and junk that has collected over the years. AND as with any car; by-the-book. brake fluid is supposed to be changed every 2-4 years depending on use, even my wife’s new (2003) car just had its warranty service done that included flushing the brake fluid, you sure won’t hear of GM offering this with their new car warranties .

 

So to recap, keep a good accumulator in their, clean the oil filter/magnet, flush the brake fluid and be done with it! Then spend the rest of your time not wondering/worrying if your brakes are going to pound your wallet to death and spoil the ownership experience of your otherwise great w-body .

 

Jeff M

[Crazy K]

excellent info Jeff! I admit I went NATO on my 91 CS's PMIII upgraded it to GM abs IV If I knew of the resources you offered at the time... who knows.

[Jeff M]

Thanks man , your newer unit will be even better as GM made it a cleaner design, and with it being used on more GM cars, should keep the price of the repair parts down if they are needed . True getting one of the PMIII units rebuilt is costly lately verses when Prior offered a more reasonabley price one , so the best insurance now is to take good care of it so it won't need a rebuild too soon, and lots of owners have been practicing the same items I detailed.

 

Best of luck with your Cutty

 

Jeff M