Originally Posted by Jim Holian

onehundred80 - Don't know if you saw my post on "soft brake" or not, but I'm soliciting you input. I have a 2005 Limited Coupe that has about 74K miles on it. Two months ago I had new brake pads and rotors put on. The pedal seemed just as low as it did when it needed brakes and very soft pedal. I brought it home from the shop and it has been garaged since then. I got it out a couple of days ago and the ABS light was on in the dash and the brake pedal went almost to the floor. I switched the ABS switch several times, the light went out and the brake pedal came back to about half pedal. If I pump the brake 2 or 3 times it comes up good and is nice and firm, as I think it should be. I took it back to the shop and they re-bled the brakes and checked for adjustment, so they told me. There is no change in the pedal feel or how far up the pedal comes. I don't think a brake pedal should feel soft and "mushy". It stops but I have no confidence in the brake system because of the way it feels. Every car I've driven has firm brake pedal and little travel after applying the brake. Shouldn't the Crossfire be the same?

I'm wondering if I have a master cylinder problem or perhaps a caliper problem. There is NO sign of brake fluid anywhere. Can't be a leak or I and the shop, would see fluid. I talked to the Chrysler dealer and they said they would replace the master cylinder for $460 plus labor. They don't know if that is the problem or not. That's an expensive guess, I think.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them. I almost afraid to drive the car with the way the brakes feel. It's driveable, but, I worry about stopping in an emergency.

Thanks for your help and your expertise. If anyone else reading this has had a similar experience, I'd love to hear your opinion and what you did to isolate the problem and fix it.

Jim Holian
jpmlholian@aol.com