Intermittent service brakes soon

[77mercury77]

I have been randomly getting 'service brakes soon' message on DIC for a 2010 escalade esv while normal driving/not towing. Message only comes up every few days so far.

Brake fluid looks good and level is steady. No noticable exterior dot3 leaks around master cylinder. I pulled, cleaned, and re attached the ground wire under the driver side door. Ohmed it out so ground is good.

No recent work done on system and brakes work well. No cel or stored errors. What do i check next?

 

[OR VietVet]

Brakes are by far the most important system on your vehicle. Brakes may work well but may still need service. Need to remove all 4 wheels and inspect pad thickness, rotor condition, check wires attached to sensors, check hardware and inspect for any uneven wear and for any leaks/seepage.

 

[wjburken]

I have been randomly getting 'service brakes soon' message on DIC for a 2010 escalade esv while normal driving/not towing. Message only comes up every few days so far.

Brake fluid looks good and level is steady. No noticable exterior dot3 leaks around master cylinder. I pulled, cleaned, and re attached the ground wire under the driver side door. Ohmed it out so ground is good.

No recent work done on system and brakes work well. No cel or stored errors. What do i check next?

A good scan tool should be able to read the codes and help narrow it down.

I’d check the vacuum line going to the booster. Had a similar issue with our 2013 Yukon XL and they first thought it was the check valve on the vacuum line. Turned out they needed to replace the whole booster.

 

[Fless]

When the message comes on the DIC, leave the truck running and read the code so you get some direction.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

As stated above, knowing the code and its meaning from a bi-directional scanner readout will most likely narrow down the location or source of the issue.

 

[77mercury77]

I have been waiting on the message to re-occur. Oddly it has not happened since posting here.

 

[Doubeleive]

I have been waiting on the message to re-occur. Oddly it has not happened since posting here.

this one can be tricky, especially with no abs code associated with it. Could be something as simple as a brake fluid sensor, stuck prop valve or the whole booster as already noted.
and the kicker is there really is no code for "service brakes soon" it's going to take a bit more digging
one thing you can try is when the message comes up unplug the brake fluid sensor and see if it goes away (before you shut it off or do anything, if message is on leave it running)
if the message comes and goes with unplugging and plugging the fluid sensor it could just be a faulty sensor. and those are like $25 and easy to replace

 

[77mercury77]

Would the message go away immediately after unplugging or would it take 5-10 min? I tried last time and it stayed on but i didnt wait long before plugging it back in. I scanned the owners manual and it has this nugget of wisdom:

SERVICE BRAKES SOON
This message displays if there is a problem with the brake system. If this message appears, stop as soon as possible and turn off the vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed or appears again when you begin driving, the brake system needs service. See your dealer/retailer.

Everytime the message came up i restarted and the message went away for days. Also had the truck checked out a few weeks before the message with no issues found on rotors, pads, etc. Still waiting for the message to pop up to run a scan. This truck has been fun.