Hi there gang! I have searched the forum on this and found many hits about the BAS ESP idiot light being lit but I have not found a situation just like mine. My 2004 Crossfire has a little over 16K miles and I hardly ever drive it. It sits in the garage year round on a battery tender and I start it and move it in and out of the garage occasionally. My daily driver Blazer had to go into the hop for transmission repair so I pulled the Crossfire out for some daily use.

The first day of driving and pretty much immediately I noticed the brakes felt soft and I have to push down extra far on the brake pedal to slow and stop the car. When I depress the brake pedal to the max it engages that BAS ESP idiot light every time. The light goes away when I shut off the car and restart it but will immediately return when depressing the brake pedal to the max. It has been doing this or two days now.

I don't know if this has a correlation but I will throw this out there. Last winter I kept hearing an occasional screech coming from my garage. It was intermittent but super loud like a bad auto alarm. But, at first I thought it was my water softener acting up because it makes weird calibration noises. I stayed out in the garage and narrowed it down to something inside the black fuse box next to the battery under the hood of my Crossfire. I took the battery off of the tender, started the car and let it run for about 30 minutes. I placed it back on the tender and it screeched I think one little screech and has not done it sense. Again, I have no clue as to whether that plays into the BAS ESP and the soft brakes.

Before I drove it this week I topped off the air pressure in all four tires. My brake reservoir is full with clear and clean fluid. My steering column is tight. I haven't noticed any blown fuses and I made sure they are all seated properly. One comment in the forum said to check your "50 amp" fuse and see if it is blown. I don't even have a 50 amp fuse in my Crossfire. Some guys also commented on replacing a "brake switch"? Where is the brake switch located and does anybody have exact part # so I can Google and also look on Amazon Prime for it? I have also tried the old turn the steering wheel completely left, right and dead center. That may turn the idiot light off but it still comes back when I restart and drive.

Thanks in advance friends! I need to drive this ride more. I am doing it a disservice. Dana in Washington State

 

Change the brake fluid and bleed the lines. The brake fluid has probably got old and dirty in the brake cylinders. Then get back to us.

 

Hi there 180 - I will have the brake fluid changed and bled. I know that brake fluid is old as it has not been changed in years. A decade possibly? It could be original. I bought the car in 2005 with 3,400 miles on it. Thank you for taking the time to reply. Dana

 

Remember it is DOT4 you need! Good luck!

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If you know the shop well, ask them to do you a favor.

Have them bleed the rear brakes only first, then have them check the pedal before moving to the front. I am curious because my soft pedal always came from air in the rear system.

Of course before they are finished you will want the entire system flushed with new fluid.

Does the ESP light come one once the pedal is to the floor, or when you push it just enough to activate the brake switch?

James

 

Hi James, the idiot light only comes on when I push the brake pedal all the way to the floor. I.E. when it bottoms out. Hope that helps. Dana

 

Hopefully you mean the pedal bottoms out half way to the floor.
If the pedal goes all the way to the floor you have found your problem.

 

If after the flush and bleeding, problem still persists, I would suggest a new master cylinder.

Good luck, James