'08 Brakes - Non Recall Notice

[Small Dealer]

Originally Posted by msinawsk is there any way to find out if my solstice has already had this done or not. i talked to my srv manager yesterday and he said it doesnt need it. I bought the car new, but it sat on the lot for 10 months, and am wondering if it was already taken care of while it sat there.

At the time that the service bulletin above came out, GM/Pontiac started a Service Update Program for specific vehicles in dealership inventory. These cars were to receive the same reprograming.

In theory your car should have been on lot during the time this program was in place, April 30, 2008 to October 31, 2008. It could have been done.

Any dealership can take your VIN and using the GM Vehicle Inquiry System (GM VIS) to see if any warranty claim was submitted for reprograming.

Or if you would like, post it here, or PM me with it and I will check.

If the reprograming has not been done, and you are seeing the symptoms as described in the TSB, you can have your dealership perfrom the repairs under it's guidelines.

[Small Dealer]

Originally Posted by beecee Real easy, when your car is cold, and I mean cold sitting all night cold, start pumping the brakes once you start it. You will feel the "pedal" grinding and so on, you cannot miss it. If you don't feel it you're OK. Oh and you will not be able to stop your car if you start driving right away on a cold start.

Not all owners observed the symptoms.

[beecee]

Originally Posted by Small Dealer Not all owners observed the symptoms.

They say if you don't feel it you don't need it. At least that's what I was told.

Why would you need to fix something that isn't a problem?

[msinawsk]

well, to me it does not feel like solid breaking. the brakes on my t/a grab now... granted two different cars, perhaps i am asking too much... i pm my vin to small dealer...guess i will find out

[Mac]

I have a Very steep drive as well, if on a cold start you pull out forward or reverse, you have brakes but there is not enough vacum. GM adds a bit of cold idle rpm, but if you jump in the car start it and just drop it into a gear and go then need brakes it still is not FULL of vacum.

Mine after the update only

idles faster at start, if you put it in gear before idle down it drops idle when you shift this might be to save the drive train, you would get a clunk.

I let it idle a bit maybe 10+ sec.(let the oil get around) Rever up to 2k this grabs air intake and letting off the gas makes the needed vacum. This also kicks off the high rich starting setting they seem to use. Almost feels old school, you know the days when warming up a car was minutes, No vacum system in a HPcamed cars, manual brakes, or Soggy power brakes at best even if it ran for a week

my 2cents and the only real way to do this right is a vacum pump and tank that turns on at start or even a bit before if the pump takes longer than a few seconds as some in a HURRY

[dmaxtech1]

ok guys just got on the forum and cannot believe there are still people with this problem. quick background i am a certified gm technician who also is engaged to the owner of a solstice gxp. first time i felt the brakes on a cold start i damn near drowned in disbelief after some well placed calls and a few days i had what gm is calling the brake retrofit package. it seems that the early 08 models would run out of vacuum for the brakes on cold start due to cam timing. the later 08 models have a vacuum pump to assist brakes when vacuum is low but the early ones did not the reprogram just adjusts the valve timing at cold start in a marginal attempt to make this preoblem better. for those who want it fixed the awnser is to call the gm hotline explain that it has been in several times for the concern and that you are unsatisfied with the safety of the brakes and that you are aware of a brake retrofit to correct this concern and would like it done to your car. youllbe glad you did. it does work. sorry if this info is elsewhere on the site.