YACT: brake failure!

[Iron Woode]

Talk about one of the scariest things that can happen while driving!

My brakes went out last nite on the way to work. I managed not to get into an accident, although the tranny didn't like being shoved into park. It was either that or hit the guy in front of me.

I limped the car to work and then had it towed (good thing I have CAA) to my mechanic. It won't be looked at til Tuesday, due to the holiday on Monday.

The pedal goes straight to the floor. I checked it out with my crappy flashlite and discovered a brake fluid leak. More checking showed what appears to be a blown flex line on the driver's side front caliper.

What a crappy long weekend I am having.

 

[MikeMike]

holiday on monday? huh? oh wait, your in canada.

but ne ways, that sucks, to bad you didnt have enough time to drop it to first, then throw it into park.

 

[McCarthy]

Handbrake
parking brake
emergency brake
whatever you want to call it
It's your friend

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: McCarthy
Handbrake
parking brake
emergency brake
whatever you want to call it
It's your friend

I have a 1987 Crown Vic. The e brake did diddly. You try stopping 4200 lbs of car with the back brakes.

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: McCarthy
Handbrake
parking brake
emergency brake
whatever you want to call it
It's your friend

Definitely! But I'm happy to hear he had the sense enough to actually stop the car (some people would freak out and not know what to do)

 

[Pepsi90919]

you're very lucky you didn't destroy the parking pawl in the transmission, or other expensive bits.

 

[MikeMike]

comon, do you really think of the parking brake when your going and cant stop? in that situation, i know most ppl's reactions wouldnt be for the parking brake, but for the gear lever, and either drop down gears, or throw it right into park

 

[McCarthy]

Uh, ok.

Throw it in park, stops the rear tires. When the lock engages, which on most transmissions isn't until you're stopped. Hit the mechanical brake, stops the rear tires. Same result. Unless your brakes are out of adjustment as well as leaky.

But nevermind me, next person to lose their brakes can go with your method.

 

[Marshallj]

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

Originally posted by: McCarthy
Handbrake
parking brake
emergency brake
whatever you want to call it
It's your friend

I have a 1987 Crown Vic. The e brake did diddly. You try stopping 4200 lbs of car with the back brakes.

Then how come putting it in park stopped it? You have a RWD car and are doing the same thing in that case- braking the back wheels only. Regardless of whether you use the E-brake or the transmission, the most you can do is lock up the back wheels.

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: McCarthy
Uh, ok.

Throw it in park, stops the rear tires. When the lock engages, which on most transmissions isn't until you're stopped. Hit the mechanical brake, stops the rear tires. Same result. Unless your brakes are out of adjustment as well as leaky.

But nevermind me, next person to lose their brakes can go with your method.

No offense was meant but I needed to stop the car quickly. I didn't have 60ft or more to stop in.
I started using a combination of neutral/e brake but it wasn't stopping me fast enough. I would rather lose the tranny than hit and injure another driver.

 

[Lucky]

I had my brakes worked on about four years ago at a firestone in ohio. After about 5-6 miles of driving I braked for a light and the brake pedal went straight to the floor. No pressure/braking at all. :Q I maganged to drive it back by using the parking brake and careful engine braking. Their response? Didn't even say they were sorry. :|

 

[Spac3d]

Brakes went out on my car once. A maintence alarm was going off when I started the car, but the dealership told me nothing was wrong and to drive it in so they could reset the computer. When I was driving there the brakes went out:| There was multiple leaks, they replaced some hoses... then brakes went out 2 months later when my mom was driving:|

They replaced the whole brake system the last time... so far so good.

 

[DanFungus]

what i'd try to do (if there was enough time)

pump brakes (told this in drivers training...sometimes there's still pressure)
E-brake
downshift
shift to park/aim for something soft/bail out vice city style

 

[Quixfire]

Originally posted by: Iron Woode
Talk about one of the scariest things that can happen while driving!

My brakes went out last nite on the way to work. I managed not to get into an accident, although the tranny didn't like being shoved into park. It was either that or hit the guy in front of me.

I limped the car to work and then had it towed (good thing I have CAA) to my mechanic. It won't be looked at til Tuesday, due to the holiday on Monday.

The pedal goes straight to the floor. I checked it out with my crappy flashlite and discovered a brake fluid leak. More checking showed what appears to be a blown flex line on the driver's side front caliper.

What a crappy long weekend I am having.

What was wrong with your brakes?

 

[Argo]

I had my breaks go out while driving on a steep downhill. The car was only 2 weeks old at the time (bought it used from Toyota dealer). Took the car to the dealer next day and their response? They accused me of driving the car too hard and damaging the breaks. How you can wear out new break pads in 2 weeks is beyond me. More likely they simply forgot to replace them before they sold the car to me. Either way, I won't be buying from that dealership again.