supreme Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 On friday, i just had my car in for a routine oil change and also asked him to replace my old brake switch with a new one i purchased. Because i was having problems with it. Anyway, i got my car back and drove home, i noticed the brake pedal was stiff and sensitive. but thought nothing of it at the time. But now, when the car is running for awhile (warm) it seems like the brake is on more and more. So much now, that i feel like im driving with the brake on; One time i rev'd it upto 2000 RPM in drive and i couldnt move. The parking brake is off. Seems to move when its car is cold. Just called my mechanic, and he doesnt see how that problem is due to a brake switch. But he is super busy so i may have to wait a couple days to take it back in. Any ideas what the problem is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 frozen caliper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supreme Posted November 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 i think its the front brakes that seized. If thats the case whats roughly the parts & labour on that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 caliper should be ~$75 plus core charge (refundable with old caliper trade in), and you should be able to replace it in under an hour, provided that is the problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intlcutlass Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 Did you have the mechanic do your brakes too or just the brake switch. It seems weird that right after he replaced the brake "switch"( the switch under the brake pedal ... right? ) , that you would have issues with the brakes themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supreme Posted November 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 Your right it is weird. No he did not touch the brakes at all, just the switch (stoplight switch) was replaced Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intlcutlass Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 I don't know how it would effect the brakes themselves, but if it's the switch I'm thinking of, it has to be adjusted. I don't even know if this is possible, but I could see it happening. If the switch is adjusted too high, I could see the switch not letting the pedal go all the way up. Is the switch you had him replace under the brake pedal arm (up by where the colum goes through the firewall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supreme Posted November 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 Hmm im not exactly sure the where abouts, i know its somewhere around there. i know the brake switch has a screw end part, maybe it wasnt screwed in all the way before being plugged in; leaving a big gap not letting the pedal go down? not sure about that and if its the brakes that seized, would they not be seized all the time, when running cold and hot? cause the car moves when its cold, (pedal is always stiff) but it moves; when warm, it doesnt move at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intlcutlass Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 I wish I had an awnswe for ya on that part. I would just have the guy check that switch. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 On most vehicles brake pedal, there is a rod between the master cylinder and brake pedal. When you push the brake pedal this rod then in turn pushes in the master cylinder. This rod is sometimes adjusted by turning the rod to prime the master cylinder and probably to loosen the brake pedal while trying to fix the brake switch. The rod is sometimes not adjusted properly and the rod end up turned in and the end result is that the master cylinder is primed too much. When the master cylinder is primed too much, the brake pads are pushed in (as if you are pushing the brake pedal) and the end result is that the car would barely move at all. Solution: Look underneath your brake pedal and you will see this horizontal rod held with a nut. Just unscrew that nut with a wrench and then you can turn the rod to ease up the brake pedal up a little bit and then tighten it up with a nut. Note: Adjust the rod at a few increments at a time otherwise you might have to pump the brake a couple of times to engage the brake when driving it. Make sure your emergency brake works just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intlcutlass Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 On most vehicles brake pedal, there is a rod between the master cylinder and brake pedal. When you push the brake pedal this rod then in turn pushes in the master cylinder. This rod is sometimes adjusted by turning the rod to prime the master cylinder and probably to loosen the brake pedal while trying to fix the brake switch. The rod is sometimes not adjusted properly and the rod end up turned in and the end result is that the master cylinder is primed too much. When the master cylinder is primed too much, the brake pads are pushed in (as if you are pushing the brake pedal) and the end result is that the car would barely move at all. Solution: Look underneath your brake pedal and you will see this horizontal rod held with a nut. Just unscrew that nut with a wrench and then you can turn the rod to ease up the brake pedal up a little bit and then tighten it up with a nut. Note: Adjust the rod at a few increments at a time otherwise you might have to pump the brake a couple of times to engage the brake when driving it. Make sure your emergency brake works just in case. That is really usefull info! Good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 update?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supreme Posted December 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2003 update! still not working; although i didnt read that last comment by slade till now. But my mechanic has changed the following: calipers, flex hoses and the whole master cylingder including the abs module. still not fixed Everytime i come up with an idea of the brake switch being a problem, he dismisses it right away. It seems more intermitted now. He said he drove it 40k and it felt fine. I took it home and i got stuck in my driveway. Again, the brake pedal is hard again. If i am really stuck, i let a little brake fluid out from the side of the abs module and that will loosen it up again. This is really frustrating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted December 2, 2003 Report Share Posted December 2, 2003 find a new mechanic.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted December 2, 2003 Report Share Posted December 2, 2003 find a new mechanic.... you got that right... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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