Replaced brake pads on the front of a 2001 Chevy Malibu. Brakes work good for a while, then pedal goes to floor.

I would pull the trigger on the master cylinder except it holds good pressure for the first few miles.

Anybody else have similar brake problems with a Malibu?

BTT.

I'm just guessing, Air in the brake lines?  When it does that, can you pump the brake pedal and get the pedal back?

If the pedal goes to the floor, you are loosing hydraulic pressure.  If you cannot find any leaks at the wheel ends or in the brake lines, the master cylinder has gone tits up.

The question...can you pump the pedal back up is a good question.

Did you open the brake lines or try to bleed the brakes when you replaced the pads?

Did you replace it or a shop?
Does it have ABS? If so, did you bleed them out to replace the pads instead of just pressing the piston in?
It is still possible to be the master cylinder even though it holds pressure for a while. The cup seal that supplies pressure could have gotten a crease in it. So it folds over when you hit the pedel so you have no pressure.

Sounds like the Master, unless it's some electrical glitch with the ABS.  Keep us posted, I have one too, with no problems so far.

Does anybody know if Antiskid brakes need a special proceedure for changing? (like bleeding the system)

i anit got time to bleed....

Quoted: Replaced brake pads on the front of a 2001 Chevy Malibu. Brakes work good for a while, then pedal goes to floor. I would pull the trigger on the master cylinder except it holds good pressure for the first few miles. Anybody else have similar brake problems with a Malibu?

Sounds like you you have air in the brake lines.  To fix it you'll need to bleed the brakes.  If you know how to do it yourself, the procedure is the same as non ABS brakes.  I always use an old turkey baster and remove as much from the master cylinder as possible then pour in new brake fluid.  Start with the furthest wheel from the master cyl.  This is the pass. side rear, then the drivers side rear, then the pass. side front, the drivers side front.  You'll have to top off the master cylinder after each wheel is finished.  I always have my wife push and hold the brake pedal as I open up the bleeder screw, then tighten and have her release.  I do this at each wheel until clear fluid is coming out of the bleeder screw.  Takes maybe 30 minutes.  But a shop might charge you about $50 to do it.  The fluid is cheap.  I think I spend about  $6 per vehicle and bleed them once a year.

You need to make sure the rear shoes (if equipped with drum brakes) is adjusted up, as rear adjust controls pedal feel/height. If the shoes have to reach out to apply friction, your pedal is going down with it.

Also verify the pads at front are equal in thickness, and that the calipers are FREE on the slides, this will ruin one's attempt to get a good brake pedal.

If rear wheel disc, verify calipers/slides all move freely.

Next step is to bleed the entire system, and since the car is 3yr old, change the brake fluid...... ALL NEW-CLEAN fluid... DOT 3 will hold moisture over time, it's supposed to, do not want water in the hydraulic system, clean fluid will prevent the chance of ABS pump/valve corrosion over time.

If all the above does not remedy, the master cylider is last part to be condemed.

Yes abs need to be treated differently or you may cause damage. You cannot just push the piston in to change them like the old cars. You must release the pressure through the bleeder screw when you push the piston in.
Thats why I asked how he did it.

Quoted: Yes abs need to be treated differently or you may cause damage. You cannot just push the piston in to change them like the old cars. You must release the pressure through the bleeder screw when you push the piston in. Thats why I asked how he did it.

????

I have had 4 cars w/ABS, 1997 Saturn SC2, 2001 Mustang GT, 2001 Ranger Edge 4x4, 2004 Explorer XLT 4x4.  I still own the 2001 Ranger and 2004 Explorer.  On Fords and Saturns the bleeding them is the exactly the same as non-ABS, and changing pads was the same.  I know the head mechanic at the local Saturn dealer and he told me do it the same as the non-ABS Saturn I owned (96 SL1) and a very close friend of mine is a master mechanic at a local Ford dealership.  He says to bleed them the same as non-ABS cars and he showed me changing the pads is the same (he helped me change the pads on the 2001 Ranger) while he was doing a bunch of other preventative maintenance for me (cooling sys flush, engine flush, trans flush, gear oil changes etc).  You remove the master cylinder cap and remove some of the fluid from the master cylinder so it won't over flow as you push the caliper piston in slowly, then top it off with new fluid when done.  The Ranger didn't need any bleeding, I had just bled them 1 month previous to the pad replacement.

Check again. I think you will find it is Rear abs on your ranger. not fronts.
As for your saturn I don't know.
I too know many master mechanics, and had them print out the Alldata info for my car. A nissan pathfinder. It definatly says not to force fluid backwards through the system.

Quoted: Check again. I think you will find it is Rear abs on your ranger. not fronts. As for your saturn I don't know. I too know many master mechanics, and had them print out the Alldata info for my car. A nissan pathfinder. It definatly says not to force fluid backwards through the system.

2001 was the first year the Rangers were available with 4wheel ABS, and mine has it, says so on the window sticker, 2nd item down under SAFETY/SECURITY 4 WHEEL ANTI-LOCK BRAKES.  My VIN is 1FTZR15EO1TA3**** if you want to run it through FORD or ALLDATA to check, I'm the original owner, bought it in Jan of 2001 under X-Plan.