Jump to content

90 cutlass Vert NO BRAKES!! HELP!


vancutlass

Recommended Posts

I have a 1990 cutlass supreme vert, 3.1L V6 (with ABS). When I press the brake pedal it just feels like im pushin against cement and theres no brakes at all to stop the car. I have changed the relay, changed the fuses in the ABS electrical, and I don't know what else to do. Anyone have any ideas how i can fix this?? I was considering a conversion from ABS to a regular brake system. Also does anyone know the name of the brake system for this car; is it a PM3 (power master 3)? I have taken it to various shops and mechanics, they are all baffled as in what to doo!! HELP ! I wanna ride drop top in the summer, but can't with no brakes!! :(

 

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PMIII time to refer to the help the guys with TGPs can offer.

is TPS garage still around? is that PMIII info still availible?

 

 

 

p.s. would you submit your VIN and info about your car to be added to our database?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, you have a PMIII brake system.

 

First of all, we need to find out whether the PMIII is actually functioning or not... Get in the car and turn the ignition on, but DON'T start the engine. Press the brake pedal- can you hear a pump running? You may have to press the brake pedal several times for the pump to run, as it is normal for the pump to cycle every 3-5 presses. So, find out if you can hear the pump running and we'll go from there. Good luck.

Nick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes when i turn the motor on the pump is running, i switched the 30A fuses around in the ABS electrical and they now seem to work but this is only temporary as i have done this before and the brakes seized on me in the middle of the highway! I am going to take it to the dealer see what they say (probably not much), I'm looking to convert to a non-ABS system, does anyone know what type of brake system this non-ABS one is and what cars I can get it from then i'll go hunt some junkyards. Thanks!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes when i turn the motor on the pump is running, i switched the 30A fuses around in the ABS electrical and they now seem to work but this is only temporary as i have done this before and the brakes seized on me in the middle of the highway! I am going to take it to the dealer see what they say (probably not much), I'm looking to convert to a non-ABS system, does anyone know what type of brake system this non-ABS one is and what cars I can get it from then i'll go hunt some junkyards. Thanks!!

 

You don't have to convert to non-ABS, you want to switch to a regular vacuum system if anything. The PMIII you have in there is more powerful, but much more troublesome. Do some searches on the conversion, it's been talked about alot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing to try before you go to the dealer- make sure your aux. battery post is tight! If the PMIII isn't getting strong, consistent power, it will do all kinds of crazy things.... I had the same thing happen to me with my gp- I was driving on the highway doing 80MPH and tried to slow down going up an exit ramp and the PMIII had decided to quit working.... so I was like :eek: and pumped the brakes and downshifted manually, hoping the car would stop :willynilly:. Turned out my aux. post was loose and the PMIII shut itself off, due to insufficient power. Fixed now! I'd try tightening the aux post, as well as your battery cables.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing to try before you go to the dealer- make sure your aux. battery post is tight! If the PMIII isn't getting strong, consistent power, it will do all kinds of crazy things.... I had the same thing happen to me with my gp- I was driving on the highway doing 80MPH and tried to slow down going up an exit ramp and the PMIII had decided to quit working.... so I was like :eek: and pumped the brakes and downshifted manually, hoping the car would stop :willynilly:. Turned out my aux. post was loose and the PMIII shut itself off, due to insufficient power. Fixed now! I'd try tightening the aux post, as well as your battery cables.

Werd

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey everyone thanks for all your feedback and input. I finally found a guy that will convert my ABS to a hydraulic brake system for a decent price! So i'm going to do that!

 

Thanks again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey everyone thanks for all your feedback and input. I finally found a guy that will convert my ABS to a hydraulic brake system for a decent price! So i'm going to do that!

 

Thanks again!

 

Um, this may be a dumb question, but once the ABS system loses power, you just have normal brakes, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey everyone thanks for all your feedback and input. I finally found a guy that will convert my ABS to a hydraulic brake system for a decent price! So i'm going to do that!

 

Thanks again!

 

Um, this may be a dumb question, but once the ABS system loses power, you just have normal brakes, right?

One thing to try before you go to the dealer- make sure your aux. battery post is tight! If the PMIII isn't getting strong, consistent power, it will do all kinds of crazy things.... I had the same thing happen to me with my gp- I was driving on the highway doing 80MPH and tried to slow down going up an exit ramp and the PMIII had decided to quit working.... so I was like :eek: and pumped the brakes and downshifted manually, hoping the car would stop :willynilly:. Turned out my aux. post was loose and the PMIII shut itself off, due to insufficient power. Fixed now! I'd try tightening the aux post, as well as your battery cables.

No power to the PMIII= NO brakes!!! :eek: :willynilly:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really stupid, IMO...I would think it would be a safety issue...

 

x2... that alone would make me think twice or more about buying a car so equipped, especially with the electrical gremlins that can occur.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really stupid, IMO...I would think it would be a safety issue...

 

x2... that alone would make me think twice or more about buying a car so equipped, especially with the electrical gremlins that can occur.

I did the swap to vacuum brakes. You can do it too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...