Trocilan wrote:
> On Jan 6, 5:29 pm, Trocilan <jbv...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> Car has the following symptoms:
>>
>> After I drive the car about 12 miles, the brakes slowly sieze up. The
>> longer I drive, the tighter they get and the harder the pedal
>> becomes. After the car cools off overnight, the pressure gets
>> relieved and the brakes loosen again. The front brakes are more
>> severely affected than the rear ones (you can tell by trying to spin
>> the wheels).
>>
>> I replaced the front calipers to no avail. The brake hoses were ruled
>> out as the cause of the problem. The Chrysler dealer's mechanics
>> didn't feel that the master cylinder or the vacuum booster were
>> involved because the problem wouldn't come and go as it does.
>>
>> The problem is closely connected with temperature because, one very
>> cold day, the brakes froze open. Could only apply them the next day
>> when it was warmer.
>>
>> Could the ABS (anti-lock braking system) or TRAC (traction control
>> system) be the cause of the problem? How can they (or the master
>> cylinder or booster, for that matter) be tested?
>>
>> Coincidentally, the car started losing engine oil at about the same
>> time the brake problem started. Probably no connection.
>>
>> If anyone has any idea what is going on, please help! This could get
>> expensive....
>>
>> JB
>
> Thanks very much for the replies. I will show them to the mechanic in
> a couple
> of days.
>
> I presume the calipers were new...I was *charged* for new parts...
>
> If you (Mr. Beasley) mean the cap on the brake fluid reservoir, I
> looked there
> and its seals were not swollen. If you mean something else, the
> mechanic
> will know what you are talking about.
>
> NEW SYMPTOM:
> On a whim, I started the car, checked to see that the brakes were
> *not* siezed
> up, then let the car warm up without pressing the pedal. Sure enough,
> half-hour
> later, the brakes were seized up even though I had never touched the
> brake
> pedal. The outside temperature was well above freezing, maybe 40-50
> F.
>
> Thanks again for your help. I will give all replies to the mechanic
> when I
> take the car back.
I'm realizing now that you had two opposite situations (I only caught
the "no brakes" situation when I replied the first time): One in which
the brakes were seized up - I now take that to mean that at least one
wheel was hard to turn (brakes applied), and the other situation in
which the brakes would not apply. There may or may not be two root
causes, but it is possible that the booster could have caused one or
both (due to internal valving problem(s)). If you get the "brakes
seized up" problem again, see if you can turn that problem off by
disconnecting and plugging the vacuum hose to the booster - if you turn
the problem on and off by connecting and disconnecting the vacuum hose,
then it definitely is the booster. BE AWARE THAT YOU WILL ESSENTIALLY
HAVE NO BRAKES WHEN THE VACUUM HOSE IS DISCONNECTED - I.E., DO NOT DRIVE
THE CAR WITH THE VACUUM HOSE DISCONNECTED.
Also, maybe it is possible there is water in the brake lines themselves
(expanding at times, blocking pressure at other times). That's a WAG
for a possibility. But I've got to think either that or booster problem.
Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')
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