Immobile - advice please!
Discussion
Last drove my GTO3 on wednesday to running club, pub and home (about 20 miles). Parked up, without handbrake on, under cover. I came to reverse out of the garage today, engine fired up OK but when I tried to engage reverse, it was as if the brakes were seized. Can't drive forward because of a brick wall. What is the logical order to try and determine where the problem lies. I've limited mechanical expertise but would like to rule out any blatantly obvious causes before calling for expert advice.
If it was raining, then your brakes have "siezed". If they are wet the pads stick to the discs.
Stick it in reverse, and give it some throttle and a sharp lift up on the clutch and it will come free. It does no real damage, just make sure you've used the brakes a few times in a safe manner when you drive it.
J
Stick it in reverse, and give it some throttle and a sharp lift up on the clutch and it will come free. It does no real damage, just make sure you've used the brakes a few times in a safe manner when you drive it.
J
You do have to be quite "brutal" with it to get them unstuck. One owner had to force the car to drag 20 yards or so down the road before the wheel came unstuck!
It's a case of TADTS. If it's been raining then I generally hold the pads lightly against the discs with my left foot whilst driving for a couple of hundred of yards before putting it away to get things dried out. They still stick, but it seems to improve things.
J
It's a case of TADTS. If it's been raining then I generally hold the pads lightly against the discs with my left foot whilst driving for a couple of hundred of yards before putting it away to get things dried out. They still stick, but it seems to improve things.
J
Had the same problem today, had not used the car for about a week (I know should I be ashamed) went to move it today so a new aerial could be put on the house, found the brakes were stuck pretty hard. If I had not read this post yesterday which was very fortuitous I would have been a very concerned, it freed up without too much problem. I have no garage so the car will be sat out in all weathers through the winter. If I leave the car in gear with the handbrake off whilst the car is on the drive should this stop the problem?
medusa said:
If I leave the car in gear with the handbrake off whilst the car is on the drive should this stop the problem?
Not entirely! It's the brake pad material expanding with the damp. My only advice is yes, always leave the handbrake off and ALWAYS drive the car around the block after washing. The Noble suffers the worst from this of all the cars I've owned!
Thanks for the reply AMG
I am surprised that this happens, I have had lots of different cars from bangers to good ones, they have always lived outside and even when it has been cold enough to freeze the door seals making it difficult to open doors I have never had this problem with any of them. Are the pads on these more porus than most?
>> Edited by medusa on Tuesday 6th December 10:11
I am surprised that this happens, I have had lots of different cars from bangers to good ones, they have always lived outside and even when it has been cold enough to freeze the door seals making it difficult to open doors I have never had this problem with any of them. Are the pads on these more porus than most?
>> Edited by medusa on Tuesday 6th December 10:11
And I thought it was just me! Couldn't free the 3 out of 4 pads that had seized by slamming into reverse. It just scoured the garage floor and then started mining into the gravel drive. On the advice of my local one man band garage who does the rest of the cars and vans, I 'tapped' the discs with a mallet and piece of soft wood. That freed 2 of the 3; the last (which must have been almost free by then) released when I rocked the wheel. My gut feeling is that as long as the discs are warm / hot from normal use when putting to bed, then any moisture will evaporate before causing this problem. I never put the handbrake on when leaving overnight and was chuffed when it was nothing more serious. Drove it yesterday, checked this AM and everything is OK.
Gassing Station | Noble | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff