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Brake Failure!!!

Can someone post what the exact TSB is for the emergency brake is and what the fix is, please ????
 
I'd have to question the tech working on your truck, 10-7.

Two days to do the repair??

Worn out shoes wearing right through the drums and siezing the wheel up?? I don't know about that.

The issue with uneven pad wear - please tell me they greased the pins the calipers slide on. The only reason the brakes should be wearing unevenly, is if these are frozen.

One question about your first post - could you elaborate on the grinding noise you heard?

I had a NASTY, HORRIBLE noise coming out of my passenger rear a month or two back. I thought I got some weird road salt or grime on the rotor. I dumped handfulls of puddle water and slush on the rotor, and it cleared up the noise. Never came back.

My E-brake's lever nears the floor, but still works adequately. It's been like this since new. Now at 25K miles on the clock.
 
Well Seagull at-least you got one thing correct. You do know your 10 codes, for a Taxi. Ten-seven is, as you stated the code for "out of service". Though my Av was out of commission for some time last week due to this problem, that is NOT the intended meaning of the code in my case. Sorry, I do not own a Taxi, and I drive an Avalanche. Well at-least you got one thing right.


Seagull said:
Fwwwwwwtttt... ?Foul, 15 yard penalty.
Chris

So what sport exactly are you trying for hear cause I think you missed either way. I mean really is it basketball or football? Well it doesn't matter. After discussing the "TSB" vs. "silent recall" with numerous area mechanics, two seperate dealer GM's, and one dealership owner, the ruling comes down on the side of both being one in the same. However I have to make note of the fact that the two GM's and owner all said they'll deny any knowledge of this conversation if questioned. So corporate responses aside then the results are the same. Buh-bye now thanx for playing.
 
02-05-26-002; Scraping Noise From Rear of Vehicle (Replace Parking Brake Shoe Kit and Clean Drum in Hat Rotor); 2002-03 Cadillac Escalade, EXT and Chevrolet Avalanche, 1999-2003 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 Series, 2000-03 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon 1500 Series

Mmmm... clearly says to replace the parts, so I'm guessing the new parts are slightly different. ???
 
Well marc_w it was actually three full days that the mechanic was working on the emergency brake alone. According to him, this was the first one he'd done and he wanted to make sure he was following the bulletin absolutely correctly. He felt, so he said, that it was to serious a safety concern to rush right through. Hey I was driving their car so I wasn't sweating it as long as I wasn't paying. As far as possible ramifications of ignoring or not discovering the problem in time, I got similiar or same scenarios from other knowledgeable persons. I think I will let those experienced in this area make that call. However I can state that I have seen something akin to the siezing situation when a less than scholarly person failed to investigate what the grinding noise was coming from his front brakes. Seems this person couldn't hear the noise over his booming stereo that was rattling his car. The pad wore completely to the point it slipped and lodged somehow causing the wheel to lock up. He made an abrupt left turn into the median wall and couldn't understand why, once he stopped spinning that is.

The grinding noise I referred to in the first post was due to the calipers in the rear not functioning properly causing the rear inboard pads to wear prematurely. However I did hear a very slight scraping noise that I did not take too much notice of prior to that. That noise it turned out was the emergency brake issue. It was really faint and hard to hear all the time due to the brake shoes being inside the drum and in the rear. As for your suggestion of dumping puddle water or slush on the rotor, sorry no can do. I avoid any of the like with my Av. The baby goes every week for a wash and monthly for a detailing. While my Z71 may have off road potential, that's the last place you'll find mine. I like it in the showroom condition it was when I first brought it home.
 
Hmmm Skidd sounds like there is a problem with the emergency brakes after all. Thanx again.
 
iamten7 said:
Hmmm Skidd sounds like there is a problem with the emergency brakes after all. Thanx again.
Funny how you folks call them "emergency brakes" and we just call the "park (or hand) brakes"..

I gather we are all talking about the same things. ???
 
Emergency brake/hand brake all the same thing mate ;)
 
iamten7 said:
As for your suggestion of dumping puddle water or slush on the rotor, sorry no can do. I avoid any of the like with my Av. The baby goes every week for a wash and monthly for a detailing. While my Z71 may have off road potential, that's the last place you'll find mine. I like it in the showroom condition it was when I first brought it home.
If I recall it wasn't a suggestion, it was a story about how a similar "scraping noise" turned out to be road-salt crud that had gotten lodged into the brake which he washed out solving the problem. This has nothing to do with the thread, stay on topic please.

At the beginning of this post where it had intended to be an informative head's up about a TSB was very useful and appreciated, but I have begun to dread looking at this topic at all due to all the insults and arguments flying back and forth. I guess it's my own fault for not turning off the "Notify of Replies" feature.

 
I just got my Avalanche back from the dealer today, he refused to even look ath the parking brake unless i allowed him to bill me for it. I have just over 34,000 miles, and the parking brake does nothing. The service manager said the parking brake pads are probably worn out, or rusted away, but he didn't look at them because it's maintanance issue, and not covered under warranty! What a bunch of crap!! As it is now, I have a 9 month old truck, still under wannanty, and the parking brake is worthless. If I want it fixed, and it will have to be for the next state safety inspection, I'll have to pay for it. The best part is that I never use the brake. If it hadn't been for this topic, i would have never even known to check it. I switched from 10 years of Fords, to a Chevy with this Avalanche. As much as I like my Av, I'm starting to remember why I left the GM "family" in the first place!
 
Brett,

First off, your dealer is an a$$. Did you take him the TSB showing that this is a common problem and how it should be handled? I agree that it should be taken care of but "technically" brake pads are not covered in the warranty. I'd tell him to show you that it's ONLY the brake pads that are bad and if so pay for it. If it's anything else wave that TSB and tell him to get to work and/or get a number to notify Chevrolet of the crappy treatment.

Also, since you're withint 2K miles of running out of the factory warranty you might want to consider looking up Warranty Gold. I think their better plan covers absolutely everything and as long as you get a good mechanic to work with you that will take care of it.

Sounds like it's your dealer that's the problem as is the case with so many other people that get upset at GM. Your truck certainly has the problem and GM described it and how to remedy it in the TSB. It's the dealer who's giving you problems.
 
TXAVy, thanks for the support! I agree, the major problem is the dealer. I was in a really foul mood yesterday after I picked up my truck. Now that I've cooled off a little.... I would still buy another Avalanche in a minute. The parking brake was only one of three items I wanted taken care of that they refused to remedy. I also wanted the heater blower motor replaced, because it makes a rattle type noise at times. It is not a leaf or twig, but sounds like a bad bushing. They said "it sounds normal to me". And, the weather stripping sticks up where the front and rear doors meet at the top. It's a cosmetic issue, and they said the warranty doesn't cover cosmetics. So, I took it in for three problems, they kept it all day, and flat out refused to do anything! So much for customer service! I'm trying to decide if I should try another dealership before the warranty expires, or start the GM arbitration process. By the way for anyone in the Pittsburgh area, this is Sun Chevrolet in McMurray PA. I would avoid them.....
 
iamten7 said:
Well Seagull at-least you got one thing correct. You do know your 10 codes, for a Taxi. Ten-seven is, as you stated the code for "out of service". Though my Av was out of commission for some time last week due to this problem, that is NOT the intended meaning of the code in my case. Sorry, I do not own a Taxi, and I drive an Avalanche. Well at-least you got one thing right.

So what sport exactly are you trying for hear cause I think you missed either way. I mean really is it basketball or football? Well it doesn't matter. After discussing the "TSB" vs. "silent recall" with numerous area mechanics, two seperate dealer GM's, and one dealership owner, the ruling comes down on the side of both being one in the same. However I have to make note of the fact that the two GM's and owner all said they'll deny any knowledge of this conversation if questioned. So corporate responses aside then the results are the same. Buh-bye now thanx for playing.

Actually, as you have repeatedly proven, I have gotten several things correct. You are a troll. As such, you can rail against me all you want, but you've shown that your opinion is not worth the paper it's written on. (To help you out, this is an electronic medium and no paper is involved.)

For other things that I've gotten right besides your being a troll, you commited a personal foul, which in football is a 15 yard penalty. And you still haven't apologized for it. (Here's a hint for you: nothing is measured in yards in basketball.)

10-7 means out-of-service for at least the local and state police and fire departments; it probably almost always has that meaning. I'll have to bow to your knowledge of its meaning in taxi service, as I have never driven one.

It may not be your intended meaning, but it applies to you in spades. You are 10-7. You are a twit, and the filter is on. Plonk. You can scream and kick and throw all the tantrum you want. Insult away like the spoiled rotten child you seem to be. You are the Superfund site of common manners. Somebody disagreed with you, Oh My! Your vaccuous mewings will be ignored, carried away by the wind that is soiled with your words. My heart cries for the poor electrons that have been enslaved to carry forth your pathetic rants. Go away, troll. Crawl back under your bridge. You are the one surprising disappointment of the public education system. It was known that opinions could hold a negative worth; you have just proven it can be infinite.

I have wasted more words on you than you are worth. Oh, well; I got on a roll. I know you'll try to heap insults on me. Break my heart; being insulted by you is a compliment, as it puts me in the best company on this board. Goodbye. You no longer exist. Don't bother to write when you find work.

Chris
 
That's my cue to turn off notification for this thread.

BTW, no opinions or commented or implied. I just want to avoid the spam of notification e-mails that I have a feeling may follow.

Have fun all. :)

 
Brett said:
TXAVy, thanks for the support! ?I agree, the major problem is the dealer. ?I was in a really foul mood yesterday after I picked up my truck. ?Now that I've cooled off a little.... I would still buy another Avalanche in a minute. ?The parking brake was only one of three items I wanted taken care of that they refused to remedy. ?I also wanted the heater blower motor replaced, because it makes a rattle type noise at times. ?It is not a leaf or twig, but sounds like a bad bushing. ?They said "it sounds normal to me". ?And, the weather stripping sticks up where the front and rear doors meet at the top. ?It's a cosmetic issue, and they said the warranty doesn't cover cosmetics. ?So, I took it in for three problems, they kept it all day, and flat out refused to do anything! ?So much for customer service! ?I'm trying to decide if I should try another dealership before the warranty expires, or start the GM arbitration process. ?By the way for anyone in the Pittsburgh area, this is Sun Chevrolet in McMurray PA. ?I would avoid them.....
I am experiencing the same problem with my heater motor. I have not taken it to the dealership yet but hope that they decide to repair it. Dad is the one who first noticed the noise and so if the dealership does not repair it, I am certain dad will have something to say when he finds out, and shortly thereafter, it should be fixed. ;)
 
Wow Seagull I cannot say that I have ever read a paragraph written that incoherrently. Please let us all know what "public school" you went to so that we may avoid the tragic mistake your parental guardians made. You should seek legal counsel and file suit for the irreperable harm and diservice that your local school district did you. In regards to your "...local and state police and fire departments;..." being out of service, you once again have proven without a doubt your ignorance. Police officers are NEVER "out of service"!!! When a police officer goes 10-7 he is off-duty, but he is never ever "out of service" until they put him/her in the ground. Even then it may be only temporary. Buh-bye now little boy go back and play with your little blocks have fun.
 
Just a general note.

Certain posts on this thread are getting out of hand. Personal attacks are not in keeping with the ToS, as well as just not being nice.

'Nuff said...
 
This really should be a non-issue. I finally got around to taking my Avalanche back to the dealer. I told them that the parking brake was holding, but went all the way to the floor. I also mentioned that there was a TSB. They checked it out, installed the new clips that are specified in the TSB, found that I also had a shock absorber leaking oil that I had not yet noticed and replaced that. No questions, no hassle, and no charge. Total time in the shop, about 2-hours. The emergency brake now works perfectly. It is a shame that the good dealers are few and far between, but it seems most of the problems are caused by dealers that many don't care or don't have mechanics that are skilled enough to diagnose even the simlplest problems. Let's place the blame where it really lies. While no vehicle is perfect, and some are less perfect than others, a good dealer can make all the difference in the world as far as customer satisfaction is concerned. Perhaps GM's biggest downfal is in allowing so many dealers to sell its products that really are not qualified to do so.
 
Is this brake recall for all 02' AVs? Because with mine I have not really had any problems. I am around 24K, I have a couple of times had to hit the brakes pretty hard, but other than that they have held up good.
Thanks,
James R. :cool:
 
It's not a recall, it's a TSB. And it's not your normal brakes, it's your parking break. Test it as mentioned above (set parking brake, should stop with resistance before getting to the floor, put in drive, apply light accelerator, put in reverse, apply light accelerator, vehicle shouldn't move in either case). If the truck moves front or back take it to the dealer with a copy of the TSB and have them check it out.

 
Yesterday, I lost my brakes. When I did an sinspection, I found a big lick of the connector that is above the differential. I can not even talk with anyone about the problem until after Memeorial day. I HAVE NO BRAKES!!!
 
:E: Today is Saturday and it has happened again. I can no do anything until Monday, I guess. Is this trying to tell me that I need a new truck?
 
Hey sorry to hear about your problem, I too felt like :E: two weeks ago and only 12k since the dealer allegedly "fixed" everything, the rears were worn to nothing again. :8: I caught this purely by accident while having my oil changed. I make it a habit to have my tires rotated every oil change and while they were off I asked the mechanic to borrow his flashlight. Imagine my delight when I observed the pads were almost gone in the rear. Still my pads on the front, original pads mind you, at 40k miles look like new. This time I took it to a different dealer. You'll love this, turns out the old dealer mechanic put the WRONG rotors on the rear and they were too thin. This caused the calipers to extend out too far and not retract enough causing the pads to wear prematurely. I insisted that the work be done under the original warranty since this problem started at 28k miles. The new dealer and the old dealer got into a pitched battle over who should cover the costs with me in the middle insisting that the new dealer do the work. GM Customer Service got involved and three days later the old dealer won and finally fixed the problem, so they say. :rolleyes: I don't know if this will help with your problem but it may be something to look into. FYI GM Customer care after hearing my story and agreeing that it was outrageous has offered me a package good for one year at no cost to make amends. I do have to say that they tried to help and seemed very concerned about my satisfaction. That's alot more than I ever got from the F@#d people. Despite this problem I still tell people that my Av is the best thing since the spoon was invented. Maybe instead of a new Av you just need a new mechanic.
 
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