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For some reason i cannot drive more than 20 miles before i get a stiff feeling in the brake pedal and a dragging feeling in the brakes. it feels like my calipers are locking up. Weird thing is is that if i let the car sit for a while, more than a few hours or so, the car seems to be normal until i drive it again and i get the same problems.
To trace the problem, id drive around the neighborhood or wherever til it starts doing the problem. Then I'd start by jacking up the car. On all four wheels at the same time if you can. And put the car in neutral and parking brake off and spin all the wheels by hand.
On disc or drum a light scraping sound is normal, disc pads ALWAYs touch the rotor just a little. You are looking for the wheel(s) that are dragging.
If ONE wheel is dragging, it is very likely the caliper piston on this wheel is sticky and the caliper needs changing.
If ALL wheels are dragging, its probably the master cylinder that needs changing.
If it is still hard to narrow down or you need more clues, examine the pads on all the wheels. If only one is dragging, the pads will of course be worn more on the dragging wheel. And this is probably the caliper you would be changing.
marc780 has given you a good way to check if it is one brake that is causing the problem or if it is all the brakes. Do what he says to begin tracking down the problem. If it is one brake, it can be a sticking caliper or a corroded or stuck slide pin. If it is all the brakes, my guess would be a defective power brake booster.
I did have a problem on my 94 (4 cylinder with ABS/4wheel discs) when it was still relatively new and under warranty, where I would get a brake pulsation after about an hour of driving. Two dealers service departments could never find the problem. I found the culprit myself. When I noticed the pulsation, I did just what marc suggested and hurried home and jacked up the front end. I tried to rotate my front tires by hand. I found one of my front calipers was sticking. It would overheat the rotor to the point where it was beginning to warp and hense the pulsation. The dealer confirmed this and ordered me a new caliper, along with a new rotor. The tech said it wasn't sticking when I brought it in last, and never could explain why it would only stick after an hour of driving. After replacement of the sticking caliper, the problem never returned.
k, i found the problem...i checked the car after the problem occurred again. none of the wheels would spin. we thought it might be the check valve. it wasnt cuz it started again soon after i changed that. i disconnected the vacuum hose from the booster, sealed it up, and started driving. drove it for a bit and the brakes didnt lock up! POWER BOOSTER!!!
I've never seen the booster cause this kind of problem. If it was sticking, the pedal would be lower and the brake lights would be on. I would still suspect the master cylinder.
When checking for sticking brakes, there is no need to jack it up. The guilty wheel will be very hot, even after a short trip. Just be sure to start at the outer edge of the wheel, so you don't get burnt.
Well...maybe it is just the vacuum from the power assist acting on the master. And this somehow causes it to lock up the brakes?
The booster is a simple thing, provides brake power assist from the engine vacuum. But this boost affects the master cylinder, it is attached to it after all. So maybe removing the hose doesnt tell you the whole story.
But yeah change the booster but there might be an issue if you put the new one on and the problem is still there. Then you will know that it is the master cyl.
I do hope changing the booster does fix the problem for you though~! Just a heads up on this deal.
i changed the booster and all the pads(pads needed to be changed anyway.) all of the calipers have fluid flowing strong. i guess the next and hopefully last thing to check is the mater cylinder. will know tomorrow!
If there is an excessive amount of moisture in the brake fluid, heat (from the calipers/rotors) can cause this moisture to boil and increase the pressure in the brake lines.
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Brakes Lock up!!! NEED HELP ASAP!!!
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