Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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*) Cable not adjusted properly (Depending on car, this may be a simple adjustment right at the base of the lever)
*)Rear brakes not adjusted properly (are they "disk" or "drum"?)
*)If you have not used the EMO brake much, BE CAREFUL, it may stick partually enguaged and then your rear brakes will be in real trouble.
BTW, it is usually not possible to "lock" the rear brakes with the lever. It is desigend to keep a parked car from rolling on a hill.
If you are attempting to slide the rear end (aka "drifting"), that usually takes a special setup to be able to "lock" the rear end. (like a longer lever with more leverage and setting the cable on the 'tight' side.)
If you have read about such a system - it is ONLY for "off road use only" and may not pass scrutiny of Federal safety laws. We are not really allowed to discuss "illegal" things here in the edmunds forums.
You should at minimum have the drums pulled off and the rear brakes inspected. While in there, the automatic-adjusters should be tweaked properly. Also adjust the e-brake cable so you cannot get any more that about 3 clicks out of it when you pull it up.
Once that is done, you will have just about the best your factory e-brake system can do.
imma bounce tho dude,,,, thx for ur advice,,, and have a happy thanxgiving,,, i probably wony be back on to reply till friday.
I the proceeded to the rear diff. On top is a sensor bolted on with wires that lead to a plug over the pass side rear tire up on the frame. The sensors are very hard to remove without breaking them. I started by removing one at a wreckers and was successful without breaking it. I started by unpluging the one in my truck and plugging in the used one. The light went out as it should. With that amo I started removing mine. Broke it off!! Now if that happens just use a sharp srew drive or a hook to pull out the old one. I got lots of copper wire before the case of it come out. Be carfull ont to drive it in or drop material from it into the diff housing. My abs is now working fine. as a note My truck is a 1990 and has no wheel sensors at all!
Hope this helps you out... took me a lot of reading to come up with the fix.
Alcan? Bpeebles? Chipo? Host? Anyone? I would appreciate any thoughts on that?
1) Corrosion of the internal Master Cylinder and internal Wheel Cylinder surfaces. Said corrosion will eventually lead to a slow but persistent degradation of braking performance and if left unchecked will culminate in complete brake system failure.
2) Contaminated brake fluid has a MUCH lower boiling point than new/clean brake fluid. When brake fluid boils (such as when driving in heavy traffic or repetitive braking while in the mountains), braking performance is all but non-existent. Prior to reaching the boiling threshold of the brake fluid, the car will not exhibit any noticeable degradation in stopping distances or pedal feel, however, the instant the fluid boils, your brakes are effectively gone. Scary.
Any number of vehicle manufacturers recommend a semi-annual brake system flush, regardless of the number of miles driven, and many of those also recommend a Dot-4 brake fluid which has a higher boiling point.
FWIW, regardless of whether my cars recommend the service and the better fluid (our Dodge Caravans don't, our BMWs do), adhere to the two year/Dot-4 service schedule.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Pretty much what I was expecting, based on the info in the thread. And since it got me in a thinking mode about it, I remembered that at 96K (4 years) due to a leaky wheel cylinder both were replaced. My guess is that such repair wouldn't be possible without some loss of fluid, so some of it might have been replaced. Looked up the invoice and it lists a quart of brake fluid. Will look up my Repair Manual to see what the capacity of the system is and if that repair requires drain/flush too. If not, will go and get it done immediately.
Thank You!
http://www.troublecodes.net/articles/brkfld.shtml
Best Regards,
Shipo
One addition that could be made to the article might be the explanation as to why most manufacturers DO NOT specify DOT5 (silicone) brakefluid. At first blush, it seems that DOT5 brakefluid would be the best choice for every situation... NOT TRUE! It is because DOT5 fluid IS NOT hydroscopic (cannot absorb water).
DOT3 and DOT4 brakefluids have the ability to absorb water. (hygroscopic -or- hydroscopic) This helps PROTECT the internal hydrolic components by keeping the water in suspension.... as long as the brakefluid is changed before it gets saturated with water.
The DOT5 fluid has no such ability thus allows even the smallest amount of water to migrate to the lowest point of the hydrolic system. These free water droplets corrode the internal components quickly.
And when it heats up, the air comes out of solution, you have a compressible air pocket in the line, and the brakes are gone. Just like having a compressible pocket of steam from absorbed water when it heats up.
As I mentioned before, I had some work done a year ago and about a quart of fluid was listed as added/replaced. The Manual does not give me the capacity of the system though, and I didn't trust that shop anyway. So, since I take no chances (and no expense spared) on tires and brakes, I had the brake system flushed this morning.
I have pasted below some details
* DOT3: Brake Fluid Grade - Minimum dry boiling point = 205degC / 401degF. Minimum wet boiling point = 140degC / 284degF. Aliphatic polyether-based, can be mixed with DOT4, characteristics will be (linearly) in between DOT3 / DOT4 parameters. Cheap, most widely used, eats paint, absorbs water easily, eats natural rubber seals.
* DOT4: Brake Fluid Grade - Minimum dry boiling poin t=230degC / 446 degF. Minimum wet boiling point = 155degC / 311degF. Borate ester based, can be mixed with DOT3, characteristics will be (linearly) in between DOT3/DOT4 parameters. 50% more expensive than DOT3, eats paint, significantly increased resistance to moisture absorption compared to DOT3 (but still absorbs water), does not eat natural rubber seals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nix3L6hLKas
Also, you did not mention how many miles you have on the current brakes. Does your state have annual manditory inspections? If not, then you may not have a clue what to expect when it is looked at.
There is an outside chance this is actually wheel-bearings or ConstantVelocity joint (and not brakes). The reason I say this is because you said that the sound changes when you turn and go up ramps (and DO NOT touch the brakes)
"It's not the brakes?" You ask in surprise.
Nope, most likely not.
Other likely suspects are the CV joints, the tires, the transmission, and way, WAY down the list would be severely worn brake pads. My suggestion is for you to take your car to a competent mechanic. I'll bet he/she can diagnose the problem in about five minutes.
Best Regards,
Shipo
I can't really tell from the video...
If it is kind of a clicking noise when you turn then it is proabably CV joints.
Ask some buddies or possibly better ask your buddy's parents to get a refferal to a good independent mechanic.
They should be able to tell you exactly what it is.
It is often suggested to consider replacing the automobile because this is not the last of the problems due to corrosion.
With that said, I replaced a rusted brake line on a much-loved, irreplacable, Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup truck. It cost me about $10 for 3 feet of brake line and took me about an hour to install and bleed the brakes. It lasted the 2 years I owned the vehicle (but a lot of other things needed to be replaced in that timeframe.)
the rims and wheels on the front are hot and
there is a smell like something burning. I just
started noticing it but I am scare to drive the
car. Odd things is I just had the pads replaced
and the rotors turned 6 weeks ago. I called the
dealership that did the work and they act like this lady doesn't know what she is talking about.
It happened about 4 years ago I took it into a
shop and the brakes were worn bad.. he fixed them
and the problem stopped....Could the emergency brake
be stuck on? I am just real curious because
axles, rims and tires are hot enough to burn your hand. Help ! ...caddyj
That's about all I can think of....oh, a stuck emergency brake...unusual but sure, why not? Of course that would only affect two wheels.
I think if you called the service manager and politely used words like "danger", "safety" and "fire", you'll get a response...NOT that this would happen to you, but it gets their attention...and really, overheated brakes ARE dangerous in that they can eventually "fade" from heat---the symptom of brake fade would be a hard pedal but no matter how hard you push, the car doesn't stop very well...
I have had this happen many times to me after replacing front pads. The problem is the CALIPERS are sticking.
This happens because when the calipers are pressed in when the new pads are installed, there is some corrosion on the sides of the pistons which now tend to bind up inside the cylinders.
The only lasting fix for this problem is to replace the calipers.
Even the master-cylinder is not capable of making all 4 wheels do this. (the hydrolic system is seperated into 2 systems - each feeding 2 wheels)
The main thing that could cause ALL 4 WHEELS to drag is the vacuum-booster. It is curious that your "mechanic" does not know this.
If you vehicle has ABS, then it should also be checked.
What could be wrong with the ABS? Just asking. I dont know a lot about ABS.
Thank you, bpeebles for your input.
You should be able to VERY easilly tell which brakes are dragging. When you think the problem is happenging, Gently feel for heat in the lugnuts on each wheel. The wheels with the dragging brakes will have VERY hot lugnuts. (beware - dont burn yourself)
2)am hearing a squealing noise under the hood, seems like coming from the pulley or the belts. any idea what the real propblem is.
3) Is it possible for me to replace the a/c belt, alternator belt, fan belt by myself. is it too risky or easy??
Thanks in advance.
3) C
any idea if i can change my belts myself...
Let me place my forehead on my monitor screen..
OK.
I can read your mind. It's pretty easy because it's late at night and you are asleep. But because of your excessive snoring, I can't determine your mechanical abilities.
I can see your car. I can look under the hood. Oh, wait! It's dark. I can't really see those belts.
So, you are out of luck on me deciding if you can change those belts.
A non-comic (sarcastic?) comment about belts. I remember a belt that required loosing 3 nuts/bolts. Each of these was a different size. One was metric and 2 were english sized. A belt can be simple to rather nasty.
but any idea why i hear the squeal under the hood??