whats up all,

my girlfriend drives an 06 xA (auto) she has told me the brakes feel weird sometimes. she couldn’t really describe the feeling. so Saturday night i took it for a ride. here is what happens...

it seems to only happen when going down hill. hit the brakes...and it feels like they grab...then let go for a second...then grab again. its almost like the ABS is kicking in but the car isn’t sliding. it doesn’t vibrate like an ABS stop either...its a very smooth on - off - on feeling. The car almost feels like its accelerating during the OFF stage. im going to take it into the dealer this week but i wanted to know if anyone else had a similar problem. my xB doesn’t do this but mine is also a stick. i thought maybe the tranny has something to do with it. it doesn’t happen every time either which should be fun when we get to the dealer....

any input would be awesome…I just read the thread about the xA that randomly locks the brakes up and I don’t want this to happen to her especially when her 2 ½ year old is in the car.

 

Well, if you are going down hill, and the brakes let off, then naturally you are going to accelerate.

My tC does this sometimes. But it's generally when I go around a corner or start going down hill while the back tires are still flat (like a drive way). I am pretty sure it's the ABS which act similar to traction control.

But getting it looked at wouldn't hurt.

 

i have had plenty of cars with ABS and never did that happen. And seems very unsafe. Why doesn’t my xB do it?

 

Brake problems can be scary. I also saw the other thread about xA brakes locking up. You gotta get to the dealer right away.

Have you check the brake fluid? Also, have you inspected the rotors themselves? I'd take off the wheels and get up under there to have a look.

Good luck. Let us know what you or the dealer finds.

-THE DON

 

the car only has 5k miles on it which is whats scarey!

 

Is it a quick almost grab and then it lets off?

Mine does that at times, it feels like you stabbed the brakes then let off slightly but you have kept a constant pressure on them.

I just figured it was the ABS, it never feels like it's trying to take control or anything. Let us know if there is a problem.

 

yea! thats a pretty good explanation. ill let you guys now when we take it in

 

one of those babies right through the windshield should do the trick. I'm about ready to perform that upgrade on mine....

For real though, I've never experienced that in the box but I have felt the pedal do a weird thing when stopped. If I have it pressed down for a few minutes it just goes down a little further on its own, kind of like it's exhausting air or something.

 

im freaking out now after reading the thread about the xA randomly locking its brakes up...

 

well, if it is so new, sounds like a job for the dealership!

 

yea for sure!

 

Yeah, you should take it to the dealership, but you don't need to get so freaked out about it.

Like I said, that does happen in my tC, and with oldmanatee's description, I would say that you are feeling the same thing that I am feeling. I did go to the dealership about it, and they told me that it was the ABS. They even took it for a test drive to see what I was talking about.

The ABS is the tC (and possibly the xA) is a bit different from any other ABS that I have had before. It does act like a traction control and doesn't feel quite the same as a quick ABS vibration that you would feel in another car. So, it can be alarming.

But, you could have a totally different issue. There is no harm in taking it to the dealer.

 

what makes me curious is my xB doesnt do that. and i have abs.

 

rotors rnt warpped. it only doe sit down hill and not everytime. no rthmic vibrations eithers

 

Er, this is the SECOND thread on this - lemme see if I can find the other thread - somebody else appears to be experiencing something very similar.

Here it is: https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=172181

If nothing else Scion Corporate NEEDS to know about this ASAP: (866) 707-2466

Tom

 

i saw that thread earlier this morning...im wondering if this is the early stages of that? im going to stop by tonight or tomorrow. thanks guys!

 

If it is a slow on - off - on then I would suspect a vacuum problem maybe a leaking hose or a check valve that is stuck open. If the vacuum boost for the brakes is low when you first apply the brakes then a second later the engine makes more vacuum since you just took your foot off the gas then the brakes work even better. The ABS usually pulse the brakes quickly and you would feel it in the pedal - totally different feeling. You should also check your tire pressure in all four tires to make sure they are correct and equal left and right sides the same. Last you should auto adjust the rear brake shoes by backing up 3-5 mph and pump the brakes firmly several times without locking up the front wheels (that's too hard) and see if the brake pedal starts to grab higher up when you go forward again. Could be the rear shoes wearing out a little and they need tightening up which happens when you apply brake going backwards.

 

^^^ that method is only used when you have rear drum brakes... not disc brakes... disc brakes should automatically adjust themselves..

 

and the xA has rear drums

ill try that method and see waht happens.

 

oh... hahaha...I have a tc so I thought all scions have rear disc.. my fault