W-22 brake Soft Pedal

[LamarAt]

On our last trip I experienced soft pefal on braking. The ABS light came on and stayed on. I was able to stop the coach but with very low pedal. Before returning home I checked the fluid - OK; and was very cautious with braking. I did not experience the soft pedal again but the light stayed on.

I took the coach to a nearby Chevy / Workhorse service center. They told me up front that the 'temporary' fix was caliper replacement etc. I picked the coach up five days later and they told me that they replaced the LR ABS sensor. They found no issue with the brake pedal. I now feel uncomfortable driving, constantly thinking about the soft pedal and possible brake failure.

What have others experienced with soft pedal and dealer service to correct?

Thanks

[oemtech]

I would Flush/Bleed the system... There is a write on my web site on How To do it via the Gravity method, 2 Man method or Speed Bleeder method.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LamarAt What have others experienced with soft pedal and dealer service to correct?

LamarAt, How long have you owned this vehicle? What is the 10th digit of your VIN#, 7 or 8?

Regardless you should not be going through this drill unless there could be a defective caliper at this early onset. I would seriously consider following Oemy's recommendation to flush the brake fluid.

I do expect that if your get a follow on ABS lamp that it'll be the LR caliper that fried the ABS sensor again.

[Spoonman]

Sounds like a caliper issue and sc should have recognized that, a fluid flush and a new service center are in order.

[BellaBo]

"What have others experienced with soft pedal and dealer service to correct?"

This happened to me AFTER replacing 3 of the 4 calipers due to failure and the 4th one caused the problem you describe above. I have yet to get it replaced. I was hoping for the recall to occur soon. If your caliper got hot enough to melt your ABS sensor, that caliper has a problem! Guarantee!

If this is your first caliper failure, you can count on the other 3 going too. Usually in stop and go traffic when you need the brakes most. I don't think Workhorse will authorize replacement unless it is very obvious the caliper has failed. I'm not sure what other evidence is needed besides a melted ABS sensor. It's not like they just melt on their own. I would think the caliper should be discolored from the heat too.

If you ended up with a soft pedal then the brake fluid boiled and you should do a drain and flush as recommended "after replacing the defective caliper"
My $.02 Good Luck!

[berdick1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LamarAt On our last trip I experienced soft pefal on braking. The ABS light came on and stayed on. I was able to stop the coach but with very low pedal. Before returning home I checked the fluid - OK; and was very cautious with braking. I did not experience the soft pedal again but the light stayed on. I took the coach to a nearby Chevy / Workhorse service center. They told me up front that the 'temporary' fix was caliper replacement etc. I picked the coach up five days later and they told me that they replaced the LR ABS sensor. They found no issue with the brake pedal. I now feel uncomfortable driving, constantly thinking about the soft pedal and possible brake failure. What have others experienced with soft pedal and dealer service to correct? Thanks

Your soft pedal was probably caused by overheated brakes causing the brake fluid to boil. Heat is also the probable cause for the ABS sensor failure. Workhorse experienced warped calipers on several models for several years. Check with WH for a possible recall on your coach.

[Ron & Dee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LamarAt On our last trip I experienced soft pefal on braking.

LamarAt,

My first brake failure went from a soft pedal to no pedal. Had to be towed to a Workhorse facility. They replaced the bad caliper and ABS sensor under my extended warranty.

That was before the brake recall.

Ron

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by berdick1 Workhorse experienced warped calipers on several models for several years. Check with WH for a possible recall on your coach.

berdick1, I want to welcome you and thank you for your contribution to this discussion. Please come back and visit here often.

I am not aware of warped calipers that span models and model years however if you have something more specific that would be helpful. Thanks.

[DriVer]

Quote:

My first brake failure went from a soft pedal to no pedal. Had to be towed to a Workhorse facility. They replaced the bad caliper and ABS sensor under my extended warranty.

In the event that a soft pedal goes to no pedal and in an emergency situation, rapidly pumping the pedal like an ABS system does, will restore some stopping power. The only caveat here is IF a brake line has ruptured and there is a fluid leak. In great many situations where owners have lost the pedal, we have not heard testimony here that any lines have ruptured.

If the fluid is extremely overheated it may not be possible to regain control but do try.

[berdick1]

My coach is a 2003 Winnebago. Workhorse informed me that it was not on the brake recall list but they did reimburse me for the bulk of the repair expense. The WH rep I talked with said a number of chassis in 02 & 03 were affected by bad calipers received from their supplier. The calipers and rotors on both front wheels required replacement.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by berdick1 My coach is a 2003 Winnebago. Workhorse informed me that it was not on the brake recall list but they did reimburse me for the bulk of the repair expense. The WH rep I talked with said a number of chassis in 02 & 03 were affected by bad calipers received from their supplier. The calipers and rotors on both front wheels required replacement.

berdick1, I just wanted to speak toward the calipers being warped. I don't believe that the rep meant to tell you they were warped. Back during that time, Workhorse recall 50401-C addressed the problem that on ZOPS type calipers, the pins were defective and the resolution was to upgrade the caliper with a kit or replace the caliper with a ZOHT unit.

The rep was correct in that Workhorse was supplied with bad calipers from 2001 to mid-2003. Problem is that they still were and it took a long time for the problem to surface, affect a plurality of the Owens that have these units and to achieve a resolution that will stand the test of time.