Thursday, October 6, 2011

I think my car brakes are locking up.?

I have a 1998 chrysler concorde with 117,000 miles on it. Last month I started having problems like the car would feel like it was decreasing and when I took it to a mechanic he told me the brakes were locking up. So he put calipars and new pads on. It was fine for about a week then I took it back and he did the right side. So a few days later i had to take it back but to another mechanic and he told me it was the master cylinder and he claimed to have bleed the brakes because I had air in them. I had air in the brakes since last year and there was never a problem with the brakes. Now a month and about $800 later it's still having the same problem. I'm going to have the car have a diagnostic test Tuesday because this is crazy spending that much money for mechanics to keep guessing what the problem ' could' be.



When I start it up and drive, it will run like new and probably after 15-30min of driving I guess it will decrease in speed and the steering wheel will begin to shake and then the brakes will become STIFF and are very hard to stop. (like when the car is in the PARK position). When I cut the car off and start it back up it will drive again fine with no issues until driving around the city in stop and go traffic.



The parking brake light isnt on or any brake light. Transmission is full and doesn't slip and brake fluid is full. Just had a oil change also today. Do you think this is a brake issue or something else (major)? How much do you think it would cost?
I think my car brakes are locking up.?
The shaking, stiff pedal, and being hard to stop are all consistent with a vacuum leak. Why you would suddenly have a vacuum leak after running fine for so long is anybody's guess, as is how it goes away when you restart the car... Maybe some vacuum operated function is turned on (e.g. EGR) and the line going to it leaks...



At any rate, this sounds like a vacuum problem, not a brake problem.