Why did my brakes stopped working?
Posted by Adventurous_bike_@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 27 comments
Heyy hello! A woman here. I have been a driver since 1 month. I have a new car (new for me but it’s pretty old - citroen c3 2005). Today i was driving for 4 hours and i stopped for a bit. I had 2-3 km left until i get home. It was dark and started driving but the car was moving really bad and it was constantly turning off. It started smelling and when i got hime i saw that the manual brake was standing up. I have forgotten to pit it down. I fixed it and i tried parking but my brakes wouldn’t work and also my wheel was moving super easy. I barely parked and i don’t know what to do now.. can you suggest? Did i broke my car ;(
Jacktheforkie@reddit
Sounds like you burned the brakes out, get a mechanic to replace the brakes and inspect the rest of the vehicle for any other issues that may have arose
Adventurous_bike_@reddit (OP)
Thank you! If that’s the case could i have broken anything else or if i fix the brakes and the brake fluid everything else will be fine?
mihalyn90@reddit
brake calipers, pads, rotors, brake cable... if it smelled and really heated up, maybe hub bearing!
Adventurous_bike_@reddit (OP)
So on the next day everything was fine.. should i still get it checked by a mechanic?
mihalyn90@reddit
Yes, it is ok :) as not a "car guy"/"car girl", if the bearings are heated and close to end of life it has a sound, and I am not sure you can recognize it, also if the brakes were not fully engaged but just applied and the wheels were turning, there is also the possibility to have warped rotors or overused brake pads :) Please go take a look at them. There I two main components of the car: the engine which puts you to speed, and the brakes that stops you. And it is important to be able to stop ☺️
Adventurous_bike_@reddit (OP)
Thank you!
mihalyn90@reddit
Let us know how does it go
Jacktheforkie@reddit
Hard to say, but it’s possible that the brake cable is stretched and very likely that the brake fluid is in need of flushing
mihalyn90@reddit
I don't understand how nobody points out to also check the hub bearing. that could be shot too due to high temperature... other then that: pads, rotors, brake pistons, brake fluid, brake cable should be checked
Holiday-Poet-406@reddit
Probably boiled the brake fluid due to the friction heat.
Tree_Tea@reddit
You’ll need new rear brake pads and fluid likely. Maybe some more incidentals
Adventurous_bike_@reddit (OP)
And what about the wheel? It was moving super easy, like a toy
djltoronto@reddit
Can you describe this in more detail? Did you Jack the car up and the one wheel would spin freely?
Adventurous_bike_@reddit (OP)
Well the car was turning left and right but it was super strange like i didn’t have total control over it and the wheel itself didn’t have any resistance while i was moving it.
djltoronto@reddit
Did you want there to be resistance while it was moving?
How did you check that there was or was not any resistance on one singular wheel?
Adventurous_bike_@reddit (OP)
I mean.. i don’t want there to be resistance but it has to be harder than that. It was just moving like i toy wheel, like nothing was holding it. I am sorry that i cannot explain it better, i literally don’t understand anything about cars and driving is new to me
djltoronto@reddit
I am so confused at what you are talking about.
Did you put the car on a lift, a hoist, and then spin each wheel independently, and you found that one rotated easier than the others?
Tree_Tea@reddit
I think they mean the steering wheel - which seems entirely unrelated. Maybe a snapped tie rod at the same time?
djltoronto@reddit
OMFG... I think you are right...
These descriptions are getting more and more difficult to follow!
I can't imagine how the steering would have become overpowered, if the parking brake was left on, and there was a burning smell.
None of this is making any sense
Bulldog78@reddit
You may have just worn down or glazed the parking brake pad (if you’re lucky). Stretched cable, busted return springs, or a stripped self-adjuster. Your car isn’t broken, but you should have your brakes inspected/repaired by a qualified mechanic before you drive it again. Brakes are the only thing keeping you from a bad accident, so don’t ignore this; it won’t resolve itself. Fluid should be drained and refilled as it may have boiled.
This doesn’t explain the car stalling unless it’s a manual and the wheels slowed enough to stop the engine before you could push in the clutch.
Jacktheforkie@reddit
Brakes are I’d argue they ne of the most important parts of the car,
Bulldog78@reddit
Brakes and tires. Don’t cheap out on or ignore either.
Jacktheforkie@reddit
Yes
Adventurous_bike_@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much!
HotmailsInYourArea@reddit
Sounds like you cooked the rear brakes by leaving the parking brake on. Check your brake fluid level, if it got incredibly hot it could have melted a brake hose, or blown a caliper piston boot, and lost all your fluid.
Would be surprised if it got that hot but stranger things have happened.
Insofar as the wheel being easy to turn, that could be because if the brakes aren't working, when you're at a stop and turn the wheels it's not fighting that additional friction of the wheels being locked by the brakes.
But yeah you should probably get it towed to a shop or bring over a mechanic friend.
Adventurous_bike_@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much! Should someone pull me to the mechanist? Because i can’t go by myself with those brakes
HotmailsInYourArea@reddit
Pull, like with a rope? Illegal in a lot of places, and due to your aforementioned brake issue, a good way to damage both cars.
But tow? Yes