HELLO GUYS.

I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER.
WHENEVER I STEP ON THE BRAKE IT PULSATES AND VIBRATES AND THE BRAKE PUSHES MY FOOT BACK. I KNOW CARS WITH ABS DO THIS BUT MINE IS JUST TOO FREQUENT. I ALSO NOTICED THIS HAPPENS WHENEVER THE SPEEDOMETER DROPS TO 20 MPH.I TOOK IT TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS BUT NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ONE SAID IT IS CALIPER PROBLEM. ANOTHER SAID IT IS THE BRAKE DISCS THAT NEEDS GRINDING OR CHANGING.YET ANOTHER SAID THE WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS REPLACEMENT !!!!

DOES ANYBODY HAVE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE? PLS KINDLY ASSIST AS I AM CONFUSED AND DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

You need to RE-surface the disc (or regrind) as the mechanic told you. And install brand new brake pads.

Disc resurfacing was supposed to be done everytime you change your brake.

And don't cut corners in buying good pads either.

Good luck.

Kunle-A:

You need to RE-surface the disc (or regrind) as the mechanic told you. And install brand new brake pads.

Disc resurfacing was supposed to be done everytime you change your brake.

And don't cut corners in buying good pads either.

Good luck.

Kunle-A.
Thank u very, very much. I have resurfaced/reground the discs sir!! I have also changed the brake pads on the four wheels yet the problem persists.

Also what exactly do u mean by""disc surfacing was supposed to be done everytime you change your brake"". Are u saying i have to change my brake? Thanks again Kunle-A

capsogiga:

Kunle-A.
Thank u very, very much. I have resurfaced/reground the discs sir!! I have also changed the brake pads on the four wheels yet the problem persists.

Also what exactly do u mean by""disc surfacing was supposed to be done everytime you change your brake"". Are u saying i have to change my brake? Thanks again Kunle-A

What i am trying to say is that everytime a brake job is done, the resurface must be done. EVERYTIME. Until the rotor gets to the point that it cannot be resurfaced again.

At this point, i will suggest that you change the rotors itself on both sides. They are not very expensive. I am guessing that they are warped. And no amount of resurfacing can rectify that if they are terribly warped.

Good luck.

Kunle-A:

You need to RE-surface the disc (or regrind) as the mechanic told you. And install brand new brake pads.

Disc resurfacing was supposed to be done everytime you change your brake.

And don't cut corners in buying good pads either.

Good luck.

"Disc resurfacing was supposed to be done everytime you change your brake" Hmm!
Thats very strange to hear.

Capsogiga, before you do anything, is your rear brake system disc or drum?

Ikenna.

Hub bearing and Drum brakes are the likely culprits in this type of problem.

Ikenna351:

"Disc resurfacing was supposed to be done everytime you change your brake" Hmm!
Thats very strange to hear.

Capsogiga, before you do anything, is your rear brake system disc or drum?

Ikenna.

@ikenna351
my rear brake system is DISC sir.

Kunle-A:


What i am trying to say is that everytime a brake job is done, the resurface must be done. EVERYTIME. Until the rotor gets to the point that it cannot be resurfaced again.

At this point, i will suggest that you change the rotors itself on both sides. They are not very expensive. I am guessing that they are warped. And no amount of resurfacing can rectify that if they are terribly warped.

Good luck.

@Kunle-A
How do i know the rotors are warped?
How do i know the rotors have gotten to a point that they cant be resurfaced again?
I actually resurfaced the two front discs a few weeks ago but not the back ones.
I have also noticed one of the back disc is rough and scarred.But I have been told to leave it like that because the new brake pad will smoothen and polish it with time. Thanks all. Any suggestions?

capsogiga:

@ikenna351
my rear brake system is DISC sir.

@Kunle-A
How do i know the rotors are warped?
How do i know the rotors have gotten to a point that they cant be resurfaced again?
I actually resurfaced the two front discs a few weeks ago but not the back ones.
I have also noticed one of the back disc is rough and scarred.But I have been told to leave it like that because the new brake pad will smoothen and polish it with time. Thanks all. Any suggestions?

Any experience mechanic should be able to look at the rotors after taken it out and tell if its warped or not. Also, a rough rotor cannot be smoothen by brake pads simply because the rotor is harder than the pads and will simply cut the pads in due time.

Every rotors have a specified measurement that can't be exceeded in resurfacing otherwise you need a new one.

At this point, i will advise that you get new sets of rotors for the front. The vibration will be more noticeable in the front more.

A PROPER brake rotor resurfacing takes about 30mins - 1 hr. The rotor is mounted on the lathe and will be spinning like when driving. Another sharp pointed edge will be touching both sides to cut and smoothen the surface until finished.

Buy new rotors for the front and you should be OK. They shouldn't be that expensive.

Kindly get your ABS Unit Diagnosed.

Best Regards

thanks all

car still vibrating when i hit the brake with a lot of brake judder througout car chasis. Dont really know what to do.

Hi you have a faulty ABS unit. It is supposed to perform a self test or diagnosis on the first reach of 20Mph, which might include pulsating pedals. if this is happens every time the car reaches 20Mph then some thing is wrong with your ABS module.

mechanic 1-caliper problem
mechanic 2-brake disc problem
Kunle A-buy new brake disc and pads
EEL-have ABS diagnosed
leuelliot and siena-faulty ABS
professor of MECHANICAL engineering-VSC problem
Toyota ABUJA- NO BRAKE SYSTEM RECALLS FOR 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER !!!
THANKS ALL

NO LIGHT IS SHOWING ON THE DASH BOARD EXCEPT VSC!!! ABS HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO FAULT DETECTED.

brake has been bleeded
wheel speed sensor checked
ABS sensor cable checked for detachment
God help me o

Which machine did you use in Scanning your Car? Kindly try it again with a Launch X431 Master, those OBD II machines could be funny sometimes.

Best regards

I had the same problem not too long ago. I took mine to Toyota and it was diagnosed as brake caliper problem. They put a new caliper and new brake pads. Now the vehicle is good. This was just two weeks ago.

Hi there I also owned a Land Cruiser and it also had brake hardware issues. The scanner my mechanic used said that the rotors had become worn down making braking janky and hard. I think it is a common problem among the SUVs of Toyota especially the older ones.

capsogiga: HELLO GUYS.

I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER.
WHENEVER I STEP ON THE BRAKE IT PULSATES AND VIBRATES AND THE BRAKE PUSHES MY FOOT BACK. I KNOW CARS WITH ABS DO THIS BUT MINE IS JUST TOO FREQUENT. I ALSO NOTICED THIS HAPPENS WHENEVER THE SPEEDOMETER DROPS TO 20 MPH.I TOOK IT TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS BUT NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ONE SAID IT IS CALIPER PROBLEM. ANOTHER SAID IT IS THE BRAKE DISCS THAT NEEDS GRINDING OR CHANGING.YET ANOTHER SAID THE WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS REPLACEMENT !!!!

DOES ANYBODY HAVE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE? PLS KINDLY ASSIST AS I AM CONFUSED AND DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

buy a new break disk and brake pad

You seem to have a disc that has not worn out unevenly therefor when you press he brakes, the brakes put more pressure were the uneven surface is at its deepest point then it puts less pressure were it is less worn out and this is translated into vibration and your pedal is pushed back when brakes pad reaches the spot which is not much worn out, then it goes down again when the brakes pads get to the most worn out place, since it need more pressure to grip that section

Just change both brakes pads and disc, also ask the to check how much thickness is left on the disc am sure you will shocked that there is no much left

capsogiga: HELLO GUYS.

I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER.
WHENEVER I STEP ON THE BRAKE IT PULSATES AND VIBRATES AND THE BRAKE PUSHES MY FOOT BACK. I KNOW CARS WITH ABS DO THIS BUT MINE IS JUST TOO FREQUENT. I ALSO NOTICED THIS HAPPENS WHENEVER THE SPEEDOMETER DROPS TO 20 MPH.I TOOK IT TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS BUT NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ONE SAID IT IS CALIPER PROBLEM. ANOTHER SAID IT IS THE BRAKE DISCS THAT NEEDS GRINDING OR CHANGING.YET ANOTHER SAID THE WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS REPLACEMENT !!!!

DOES ANYBODY HAVE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE? PLS KINDLY ASSIST AS I AM CONFUSED AND DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

Everybody on the forum seems to have a solution to your problem but none has worked so far.

The real issue could be your drive shaft ABS ring gear. Its either broken or not in full contact with the ABS sensor. This will typically cause the type of problem you complained about and I'm talking from experience. You could end up changing ABS pump and sensors without results.

Start by checking the ABS ring gears first.

If you are in Abuja, feel free to bring the car into our workshop and I will help you check it up.


Car-Doctor.

@ OP, I happen to drive a highlander 2003 that belongs to a family member from time to time apart from my own car. Anytime I'm slowing down rapidly, having an a hard braking to avoid an obstacle, or down an incline, it gets that pulsation which is felt on the brake pedal. If you check the owners manual of your car, you will see it is normal it doesn't indicate a malfunction. However, if you aren't comfortable with it, why don't you scan the car and pull off any codes (I doubt if any code is thrown unless the ABS light is permantly lit up in the instrument cluster) you can also do a legacy check on the brakepads and rotors.
Don't go about changing parts and wasting your money.

@Capsogigan
I have the same problem with my car, mine is Toyota Highlander 2004 model, 4 cylinder, 4 wheel drive. I have chaned the brakepads, bearing, the calipers etc and the problem still persist. Infact as I speak, ve written "for sale" on it. This is a car I bought in Togo myself in july this year o.

Toyota dey show you guys pepper

car-doctor:



Everybody on the forum seems to have a solution to your problem but none has worked so far.

The real issue could be your drive shaft ABS ring gear. Its either broken or not in full contact with the ABS sensor. This will typically cause the type of problem you complained about and I'm talking from experience. You could end up changing ABS pump and sensors without results.

Start by checking the ABS ring gears first.

If you are in Abuja, feel free to bring the car into our workshop and I will help you check it up.


Car-Doctor.

through experience a broken ABS rings wont cause such problems but an ABS light on the dashboard

capsogiga:

@ikenna351
my rear brake system is DISC sir.



@Kunle-A
How do i know the rotors are warped?
How do i know the rotors have gotten to a point that they cant be resurfaced again?
I actually resurfaced the two front discs a few weeks ago but not the back ones.
I have also noticed one of the back disc is rough and scarred.But I have been told to leave it like that because the new brake pad will smoothen and polish it with time. Thanks all. Any suggestions?

I have had this pulsating problem for a while on my Toyota Prado 2006. Mechanics had no idea on how to solve it even though the car has no ABS.

I later solved my problem myself though it has resurface again and i know how to make it go away.

In the quoted statement, you mentioned a scarred disc. What scarred it? The only thing that scars a disc is the brake pad and only when the pad is not good or exhousted. In my case the pad was exhausted in it scarred the disc.

The heat produced during scarring (metal to metal contact) warps the disc. See in pic attached the cause of pulsating of my brake. The scarring on one side of the disc is wider than the other.

Immediately i changed that disc, pulsating disappeared.

The pulsating returned after the brake pad got exhausted again and scarred the new disc. In my case the main problem is what causes the brake pad of just that wheel to wear out 3 times as fast as the other rear wheel. I always replace pad on this left rear wheel 3 times before the right rear wheel pad needs changed.

My advise to you, change that scarred disc immediately. Apart from the fact that it may be the source of your pulsating problem, it will wear out your brake pad rapidly and unevenly.