[2008Colorado]

Hey everybody!
This is my first post on 355 nation. To give you guys a little background, I have an 08 colorado regular cab with the 3.7 and I love it! I just hit 30,000 miles and it is the best truck ive ever owned! My question is, when I brake hard (on rough pavement) my brake pedal gets soft and spongy (at about the 1/2 way mark) and it feels almost as if I've lost my brakes, but the truck still stops. This began about a month ago when I had to panic stop and I went over a big ass pothole in the pavement. My brake pedal went to the floor, the "fluid" message came on in the DIC and my red brake warning light came on in the instrument cluster. As soon as I stopped and the truck leveled out, the light and message went away and it drove as it always does. I checked the fluid and it is at the normal level. I also checked my front pads, rotors and caliper pistons, which seemed to be ok, but the pads need replacing soon. What baffles me is why it only happens when i braking hard. I don't have air in the system, and my fluid level is fine. Maybe its from the fluid sloshing forward? I don't know. It freaks me out a bit and I would like to fix it if there's a problem! Sorry for the long story, but I wanted to tell the details!

Thanks guys!
-Hayden

 

[Freeballin]

I would flush the brake fluid when you do the brake job and bleed the system because you may have injected air into the hydraulic lines if the fluid level was insufficient.

 

[2008Colorado]

Thank you freeballin for the quick reply! I definitely will do the fluid flush when I do the brakes.

 

[1BADI5]

Here is a thought to ponder.......

Water contamination increases the danger of brake failure because vapor pockets can form if the fluid gets too hot. Vapor displaces fluid and is compressible, so when the brakes are applied the pedal may go all the way to the floor without applying the brakes!

 

[08Canyon]

Really, at 30,000 miles your brakes are almost worn out? They should not even be worn 50% by now.

Did your ABS engage after hitting the hole? I don't remember if the pedal has increased travel during ABS operation. Just wondering if you experienced play in the pedal as a result of ABS engaging, which is quite common on bumps, especially big ones because the rear of the vehicle gets light. Limited weight on the rear makes braking less effective (experienced when hard braking with the weight bias shifting forward, and bouncing over holes).