2011 GMC Sierra pulsating abs and brake pedal

[Jake Dethlefsen]

So i bought a 2011 gmc Sierra from a certified chevy dealer with just over 80k miles on it. Test drove it nothing wrong but after rolling off the lot about 10 miles down the road i start getting a pulse in the brake pedal and a clicking noise from the front tires at all speeds and stronger when applying the brake to the point where it would sometimes completely lock up my brakes until it would throw codes for the abs, traction  control, and stabilitrak and then it would stop doing it until it resest the codes down the road or upon restarting but it always seems to act up after about 10 miles of driving.  So i take it back to the dealers shop and they hook up the computer and the wheel speed sensors are throwing  codes so they clean the mount area and replace the sensors same problem happens so then they replace the rotors same problem happens so then they rewire my entire abs and wheel speed sensor control wiring still nothing so then they check my EBCM(electronic braking control module) fix the conector prongs that were short or loose and replace the module still nothing and so now they're out of ideas and speaking with the gm factory.  What could be happening? Please help.

[Jsdirt]

I sincerely hope they're not charging you a penny for ANY of this! If they are, get the hell out of that place, and get it to a COMPETENT, PRIVATE garage.

 

Trying to get corporate to cover this is going to try your patience ... but stay on them and DO NOT back down!

 

 

Same exact problem with my truck when it had 41 miles on the clock back in '07. Dealer replaced the pads, rotors, and rear drums 5x under warranty - would fix the problem for about 1k miles, only to have it return. The problem became more tolerable after I did my own brake job after the bumper-to-bumper warranty expired. After replacing the failing front hub bearings at 50k miles, it was fixed.

 

Yours sounds much more severe than mine. Mine was just an annoyance, not a safety hazard. Without seeing the truck or testing anything, I can only guess that either the EBCM is malfunctioning, or you've got a set of junk calipers that are dragging to the point of locking up with heat (or the brake hose has collapsed internally, acting like a check valve, keeping the brakes lightly applied).

 

 

[Doug_Scott]

Sounds like the dealer is handling this.  Pretty sure when you purchase a vehicle under that certified program it actually works for the customer.  

Chances are you just found out why the previous owner traded it in.  Try to get the previous owners name and number and contact him to see if this issue was why he dealt it.  You are lucky in the sense this is being covered.  Do yourself a favour and stay out of the repairs.  Let GM deal with it.  You may find yourself in a different vehicle soon, just keep your cool, and wait until you have to get annoyed before you do.  Don't jump to any conclusions. 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Doug_Scott

[Jake Dethlefsen]

They havent charged me anything for the work and pretty much all the parts they've replaced so i know they're doing right by me but i did pay for a new EBCM because i requested a new one just in case the old one was shot which they gave me for $400.  They replaced my calipers so i know its not that and the pads and rotors are brand new thats what fustrates me, practically everything to do with the brakes and abs system is all replaced but hasnt changed a thing except they said that it hasnt locked up like before but still grabs hard and pulsates the abs.  Im good friends with the head mechanic and we're both scratching our heads on this one just thought I'd see if anyone else has had the same problem and figured out what it was because right now its just a waiting game with gm.

[Jsdirt]

I'd be checking the runout of both the hub bearings and rear axle flanges.

 

Also what I mentioned earlier - brake hoses that internally collapse, acting as a check valve, causing the brakes to hang up and drag, and overheat.

Edited August 1, 2019 by Jsdirt

[Doug_Scott]

The first rule of diagnosis, new parts have a warranty for a reason.  Just because a part is new does not mean it can't be the problem.

[Paul Coeman]

I have the same trouble, but mine begins at start up, ABS/Stabilitrack faults once I break 40 mph. My front tires are now completely worn. strangely this only seems to happen on humid days.

[Ngcgoodfella]

On 7/31/2019 at 9:33 PM, Jake Dethlefsen said:

They havent charged me anything for the work and pretty much all the parts they've replaced so i know they're doing right by me but i did pay for a new EBCM because i requested a new one just in case the old one was shot which they gave me for $400.  They replaced my calipers so i know its not that and the pads and rotors are brand new thats what fustrates me, practically everything to do with the brakes and abs system is all replaced but hasnt changed a thing except they said that it hasnt locked up like before but still grabs hard and pulsates the abs.  Im good friends with the head mechanic and we're both scratching our heads on this one just thought I'd see if anyone else has had the same problem and figured out what it was because right now its just a waiting game with gm.

Sorry I  know this is a super old thread but I'm hoping you may remember what the fix was. I  have a 2011 sierra doing the same exact thing.