Hey NAMers,

I've been having an irritating problem that is starting to become a bit dangerous. Back in January when temps started really dropping around here (Fort Collins, CO), I started noticing that my right rear brake would "stick" in the morning. This usually happened when the temps had gotten exceptionally cold overnight, say lower than 20. At first, the problem was not too severe. I'd back down the driveway and there would usually be a clunk and the wheel would break free.

Well, as the temps stayed cold, the problem continued to get worse. The wheel would no longer break free at the bottom of the driveway. It would stay stuck all the way down our street. The tire would be screeching and smoking down the block and then it would finally break free. One day, the roads were totally snow covered. Without the friction of the streets, the wheel never came unlocked. That made for quite an interesting drive, to say the least. At it's worst, this would trigger my ABS light to come on and remain lit along with the "!" light (the one that comes on when you disable DSC).

After this, I decided I better take it in (duh, finally!). At first, the dealership was not able to reproduce the problem. Luckily, temps dropped the second night they had it and they saw the issue the next morning. So, they replaced the right rear caliper and made some sort of adjustment to my parking brake. Replacing the caliper also forced a brake bleed.

I got the car back and the problem seemed fixed. Temps were warmer though. Recently, we've dipped back down into the teens and 20s. I'm starting to see the problem again. It's back at the stage where the wheel breaks free by the time I reach the end of my driveway. Ugh.

Anyone ever run into this? I have an '04 MCS. Any guesses as to what might be the problem?

Derek

 

Are you using the handbrake over night? They can sometimes stick in the cold.

 

If you are using the Handbrake overnight, that might have something to do with it. If its a manual, try putting it in gear or using a wheel chock instead of the brake. Then, see if it still sticks. If it does, then its not the Handbrake and somethink wrong in the "axle" area. If it does not stick, then its a handbrake problem. The cable might be getting cought somewhere, or something like that. Good Luck!

 

Thanks guys, I'll give it a shot. I do always park it with the handbrake on. My driveway is a bit inclined and it's a habit I've gotten into over the years. So, no problem leaving it "leaning" on the gear instead of the brake on an incline? I could park it on a level surface without the brake and see what happens too. Thanks for the suggestions.

Derek

 

Having grown up in upstate NY, I very rarely use my handbrake when parked. It was not unusual to have the emergency brake freeze up in sub-zero weather so even today I still stay away from the handbrake. Just make very sure that you have either first gear or reverse fully engaged. I pretty much only use the handbrake if the grade is fairly steep. Ironically, the only car I ever had roll on me was an automatic that I forgot to stick in park (I left it in drive)!

 

Cool. I guess I'll have to develop a new habit for the winter...

The last couple of days I have parked out in the street (mostly flat) without the parking brake. Temps have been in the teens and 20s overnight. No stuck brake. So apparently, this was indeed the problem. Seems a bit strange to me that this happens, but I guess I can live with it. I may have another chat with the dealer to see what they say now that I have a firmer idea of the root cause.

Thanks for all your help in diagnosis.

Derek