My brakes stopped working today ***UPDATED***

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ThePresence

ThePresence

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
27,727
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2000 Maxima SE. Scared the hell out of me. It still works if you jam it really hard, but it vibrates and grinds to a stop slowly. I hope it's not the master cylinder or anything like that, hope I just need new pads or rotors. It sucks, because I had to rent a car to get into work today. :(

***UPDATE***
Guy at the shop says I need rear pads and rotors. Total $325.
I guess that's better than a master cylinder job.
 
T

tnitsuj

Diamond Member
May 22, 2003
5,446
0
76
Originally posted by: ThePresence
2000 Maxima SE. Scared the hell out of me. It still works if you jam it really hard, but it vibrates and grinds to a stop slowly. I hope it's not the master cylinder or anything like that, hope I just need new pads or rotors. It sucks, because I had to rent a car to get into work today. :(
Click to expand...

No, you probably have a leaky master cylinder or a line somewhere. Pads and rotors wouldn't do that.
 
ThePresence

ThePresence

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
27,727
16
81
Originally posted by: tnitsuj
Originally posted by: ThePresence
2000 Maxima SE. Scared the hell out of me. It still works if you jam it really hard, but it vibrates and grinds to a stop slowly. I hope it's not the master cylinder or anything like that, hope I just need new pads or rotors. It sucks, because I had to rent a car to get into work today. :(
Click to expand...

No, you probably have a leaky master cylinder or a line somewhere. Pads and rotors wouldn't do that.
Click to expand...
What specific thing makes you think master cylinder over pads/rotors?
 
KK

KK

Lifer
Jan 2, 2001
15,903
4
81
Why would it go out all at once like that. If it were just the pads or rotors I would think it would be a gradual thing.

KK
 
ThePresence

ThePresence

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
27,727
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81
Originally posted by: KK
Why would it go out all at once like that. If it were just the pads or rotors I would think it would be a gradual thing.

KK
Click to expand...
Well, it WAS squeaking before, but I guess you're probably right. I just hope not. :(
 
V

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
Do you have Disk or Drum in the rear?

Its posiable that a wheel cyl. went out, brake line, etc....

Do you see fluid on any of the inside of the wheels/tires or under the car? Also do you have ABS?
 
V

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
^


SOUNDS like it may be a bad ABS pump/system.

The gridning is the pump either goiong bad or trying to make up for a bad seal in the system. That would also explain the lack of fluid ont he ground and no peddle feal.
 
ThePresence

ThePresence

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
27,727
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Originally posted by: Marlin1975
^


SOUNDS like it may be a bad ABS pump/system.

The gridning is the pump either goiong bad or trying to make up for a bad seal in the system. That would also explain the lack of fluid ont he ground and no peddle feal.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't bad rotors or low pads make a grinding noise and a vibrating too?
 
G

GalvanizedYankee

Diamond Member
Oct 27, 2003
6,986
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Grinding would have to come from the rotors.

This is just a guess, a pad could be breaking up or more likely a pad MAY have slipped out of place because a retaining pin came out. It could ever be a loose calliper mount. Have it looked at ASAP.
 
T

Thegonagle

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2000
9,773
0
71
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Do you have Disk or Drum in the rear?

Its posiable that a wheel cyl. went out, brake line, etc....

Do you see fluid on any of the inside of the wheels/tires or under the car? Also do you have ABS?
Click to expand...

All 2000 Maximas have 4 wheel discs and ABS. :)

I'd say it's front pad and rotor time.

The squeeking is usually caused by a little metal reed attached to the pad's backing plates. When the pads wear thin, that reed makes contact with the disc, causing the most horrible screeching sound ever. They make this noise as horrible as possible so that people will bring their cars in ASAP. Many ignore it anyway and get stuck replacing an extra $75-150 worth of disc, when all they should have needed was $40-60 worth of pad replaced.

Don't go to Midas or any other chain. They love to double charge for labor that's common to replacing both parts. Hit up an honest neighborhood mechanic.
 
V

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
Originally posted by: ThePresence
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
^


SOUNDS like it may be a bad ABS pump/system.

The gridning is the pump either goiong bad or trying to make up for a bad seal in the system. That would also explain the lack of fluid ont he ground and no peddle feal.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't bad rotors or low pads make a grinding noise and a vibrating too?
Click to expand...


It can but it USUALLY does not just go out. So if it has been showing little brakeing problems or somwthing else to lead up to this then yes it could be a defect pad that came apart and is causing the grinding.
BUT if there were 100% no signs and it just happened out of the blue with no noise, etc... then I would elan toward a bad ABS system.

But until you take the wheels off and look at all the rotors you will not know. Might be a simple front brake job is needed, could be a ABS pump, etc....

 
StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
^


SOUNDS like it may be a bad ABS pump/system.

The gridning is the pump either goiong bad or trying to make up for a bad seal in the system. That would also explain the lack of fluid ont he ground and no peddle feal.
Click to expand...
Shouldn't a bad ABS system basically turn itself off automatically, leaving you with non-ABS?

 
V

virtueixi

Platinum Member
Jun 28, 2003
2,781
0
0
You better hope it's not the master cylinder. They cannot be repaired and cost like $1000. But IMO it sounds like you should of changed your brake pads a while ago. How many miles do you have on these pads/rotors?
 
ThePresence

ThePresence

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
27,727
16
81
Originally posted by: Thegonagle
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Do you have Disk or Drum in the rear?

Its posiable that a wheel cyl. went out, brake line, etc....

Do you see fluid on any of the inside of the wheels/tires or under the car? Also do you have ABS?
Click to expand...

All 2000 Maximas have 4 wheel discs and ABS. :)

I'd say it's front pad and rotor time.

The squeeking is usually caused by a little metal reed attached to the pad's backing plates. When the pads wear thin, that reed makes contact with the disc, causing the most horrible screeching sound ever. They make this noise as horrible as possible so that people will bring their cars in ASAP. Many ignore it anyway and get stuck replacing an extra $75-150 worth of disc, when all they should have needed was $40-60 worth of pad replaced.

Don't go to Midas or any other chain. They love to double charge for labor that's common to replacing both parts. Hit up an honest neighborhood mechanic.
Click to expand...
Hope you're right. My father recommended a local guy, he probably knows what he's talking about. We shall see. :)
 
ThePresence

ThePresence

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
27,727
16
81
Originally posted by: virtueixi
You better hope it's not the master cylinder. They cannot be repaired and cost like $1000. But IMO it sounds like you should of changed your brake pads a while ago. How many miles do you have on these pads/rotors?
Click to expand...
Plenty. How often are you supposed to change pads?
 
ThePresence

ThePresence

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
27,727
16
81
Originally posted by: virtueixi
You better hope it's not the master cylinder. They cannot be repaired and cost like $1000. But IMO it sounds like you should of changed your brake pads a while ago. How many miles do you have on these pads/rotors?
Click to expand...
$1000?
 
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