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So there I was just west of Barrie. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining, a good sign considering that on my way down the 400 I'd encountered blowing snow and was worried the day trip would be all for nothing.
A few days earlier my ABS light came on, I figured perhaps a sensor needed replacing.
Then it happened... I went to hit the brakes and the pedal went all the way down to the floor. No fucking brakes. I could stop if I needed to by letting the car slow down and then pressing the brakes in the final moments and I'd gradually come to a stop as the pads made minimal but weak contact with the rotors.
Not wanting to turn back, and not a hope in hell of finding a garage open on a Sunday, I continued on my way. I found the destination... proceeded to drive by it and scope out the neighbours. Turned around and drove up to the entrance and went to turn in. I came in a little too fast, tried the brakes and of course they failed to work. The car was heading toward the ditch just beside the entrance and at the last moment the car skidded to a halt, surely alerting everyone around.
I spent a few hours exploring the best location of the year so far... and made my way home, cancelling all other stops for obvious reasons.
The trick was how to get home on no brakes... do I stay the night or do I try the stupid approach? Naturally I took the stupid approach. I took the backroads home, using the GPS to navigate.
The first route took me down a cow path to where a steep incline was. No fucking way was I going down that, and turned around to go back the main road I'd come in on. By slowing down ahead of time I could make stop signs but of course the world already knew I had no brakes. People crossing the road with dogs, pulling out in front of me, unexpected stops were all part of the joy as I worried about crashing and wondering why I was doing this.
At one stop I came in a little too fast, and the car skidded through the gravel and right into the quiet country town intersection on a red light. As I continued on my way since I'd already blown the light, I decided to pull over for the car behind me as I wanted to be nowhere near other motorists. Again as I slowed down, signalled, and pressed the brakes down they caught on the gravel and I screeched to a halt. Surely I must have looked like a drunk driver and was sure that I'd be called in.
After navigating many back roads and hitting highway 9 I found myself back on the 400 and from there is was just a matter of driving the speed limit until I got home. I did stop at a gas station and despite what looked like an almost full brake fluid reservoir, added a full bottle of brake fluid. My brakes came back although they were somewhat spongy and still weak, nor did I trust them at all.
Took it to the garage the next day and found that the two rear brake lines needed replacing. One was in poor shape while the other was leaking (hence the brake fluid I'd seen on the under carriage).
Just thought I'd share that with you. Another time I drove home on an earlier model car of the same make with a wheel hub that had gone. The sounds of metal grinding and shuddering fron the driver's side wheel was stressful. I thought the wheel would fall off, and apparently it could have. That trip was also on a Sunday.
Best to avoid Sunday drives I think.
[last edit 4/26/2013 8:31 PM by Intrinsic - edited 1 times]
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Whatcha driving?
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Pontiac Grand Am
The wheel hub went on the '97, the brake lines on the 2000. Overall a good car though aside from a fuel pump going on the later and the transmission on the former.
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i drove a 79 Audi diesel around for two weeks with no master cylinder... I just kept downshifting and pulling the ebrake up gradually... sounded like a jake brake coming down the hill.
Having no brakes blows.
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I've had lots of experience driving with no brakes... It's no fun. Like you said, when you know you can't stop, that's when everyone walks out in front of you.
Won't you help me, Mr. Jesus, Won't you tell me, if you can
When you see this world we live in, Do you still believe in man? | |
Posted by Intrinsic
Pontiac Grand Am
The wheel hub went on the '97, the brake lines on the 2000. Overall a good car though aside from a fuel pump going on the later and the transmission on the former.
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i feel for you, my sunfire had a fitting pop off the soft line at the right front wheel 2 weeks after i drove it off the lot... brand new. I was able to e-brake it back to the dealer. My grand prix i had a hard line rot out and burst that car had to be towed, no e braking it since the e brake is a pedal with a push to release... and it doesnt work well. After you have had a pedal hit the floor you are always worried once bitten twice shy
Montreal Expos 1969-2004 Forever Proud Lets Keep The Dream Alive | |
I've driven a lot of my past cars with no brakes... but my best story would be my '85 Laser. When I was an apprentice, I brought my car into our shop because I only had half of my brakes. Hank, the 64 year old tech looked at my car, and said "You need every brake line your car has. Sorry. Be careful, it's pretty close to having NO brakes." So I backed it out of the shop carefully, drove out to my parking space, casually lost all braking ability, jumped over the parking stone, drove across the boulevard and ended up in the middle of the road, with everyone watching.
I also left 98% of my exhaust system on the parking stone. Oh yeah, and both fuel tank straps.
This is three days after FINALLY getting a girlfriend, and I couldn't afford a muffler after this... so, well, her parents knew when I was dropping her off.
hi i like cars | |
When my old Honda Passport lost its rear brakes due to a caliper blowing up, I managed to get home using only my e-brake on my 25 mile commute I was doing at the time.
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