Ask a Car Guy !

[Armento]

thats a lada...russian made under fiat badge

except we called them Jiguli i learned to drive on the 07. obviously they were all manual shift

[DaveR]

you were pretty manly for the first two years, but now you may as well be asking us what color panties you should wear on your dates.

now, please run to the nearest man card drop box and drop your card in. thanks for your cooperation.

what's a man card?

[Mr.I]

Steering wheel pulls to the left when braking, pulls to the right when first stepping on gas

[lvdphse]

and for brazen if you dont want to buy the scanner take the car to any advance auto part store...they will connect their scanner and tell you code for free

This is true Brazen but beware. Many times the code only points you in the right direction. Make sure the person deciphering the codes is a mechanic you can trust and not a very good parts exchanger. Code might say "bank two lean", rookie reader tells you it must be the converter and it could just be a sensor or easier a spark plug or wire. Not the greatest example but you get what Im saying. The wrong shops take those read outs and rip you off. And tell you "the computer dont lie", 'we went by what it pointed to". Of course this is after you already paid and come back to complain your check engine light is back on.

[DJ RodWOne]

This is true Brazen but beware. Many times the code only points you in the right direction. Make sure the person deciphering the codes is a mechanic you can trust and not a very good parts exchanger. Code might say "bank two lean", rookie reader tells you it must be the converter and it could just be a sensor or easier a spark plug or wire. Not the greatest example but you get what Im saying. The wrong shops take those read outs and rip you off. And tell you "the computer dont lie", 'we went by what it pointed to". Of course this is after you already paid and come back to complain your check engine light is back on.

that is very true...but sometimes it comes down a process of elimination..certain things on cars no matter how sophisticated the computer is there always is going to be some issues

[lvdphse]

Steering wheel pulls to the left when braking, pulls to the right when first stepping on gas

I will be Rods weak apprentice while he is out to lunch.

Pull while braking sounds like a caliper or very un evenly worn brake pads. Pull when accelerating, if its front wheel drive sounds like torque steer from a lead foot lol. Check the wear on front tires could be worn suspension parts.

Will have a better answer when the boss comes back.

[DJ RodWOne]

Steering wheel pulls to the left when braking, pulls to the right when first stepping on gas

check these things
A). your pads might be wearing uneven...
see that the pads on both sides of the rotor have wearing evenly....
B). there is warpage on the rotors.
spin the rotor slowly and see if it moves freely with out sticking ...you will hear a scraping sound
C). last the caliper is starting to go...
remove the brake pads..check the seals around the caliper piston

good luck

[AD]

what's a man card?

don't bother applying anymore. you are officially on the "do not accept" list.

[DJ RodWOne]

I will be Rods weak apprentice while he is out to lunch.

Pull while braking sounds like a caliper or very un evenly worn brake pads. Pull when accelerating, if its front wheel drive sounds like torque steer from a lead foot lol. Check the wear on front tires could be worn suspension parts.

Will have a better answer when the boss comes back.

lol....lvdphse
yes primarily check the braking system to eliminate that...then head on to the suspension..you might have a weak front strut if the brakes checks out well

when braking the weight of the car tranfers to the front...called a (nose dive)
which also cause the car to lean towards one direction L/R which increases your braking distance (takes longer to stop)

[k-mixx]

yo rod...great thread man.....could probably save alot of peeps money

[DJ RodWOne]

yo rod...great thread man.....could probably save alot of peeps money

thanks K just trying to help out...i know these are rough $$$ times for everyone

[lvdphse]

Hey boss, help me out with this one. 03 elantra left brake sticking, got to the point it smoked. Easy fix with bad caliper which by this time ruins the pads and rotors so I change both.

Wouldnt you know a day later its pulling to the right. Odd coincidence but possible so I do the same on the right but still getting hot a few days later.

Proportioning valve appears ok and usually dont go bad and would likely show issues front and back not just side to side.

I do some searching and get a long shot answer of contaminated brake fluid that has ruined the rubber seals in the calipers which is causing them to freeze up. The fix of course is completely flush all the fluid out and replace with new and of course change the pads and rotors again not only because they wore quickly and unevenly due to overheating but to surely to rid bad fluid completely.

Now thats just the fronts. If the bad fluid theory is true I assume I will get the same issue in the rear drums.

What you think?

[DJ RodWOne]

Hey boss, help me out with this one. 03 elantra left brake sticking, got to the point it smoked. Easy fix with bad caliper which by this time ruins the pads and rotors so I change both.

Wouldnt you know a day later its pulling to the right. Odd coincidence but possible so I do the same on the right but still getting hot a few days later.

Proportioning valve appears ok and usually dont go bad and would likely show issues front and back not just side to side.

I do some searching and get a long shot answer of contaminated brake fluid that has ruined the rubber seals in the calipers which is causing them to freeze up. The fix of course is completely flush all the fluid out and replace with new and of course change the pads and rotors again not only because they wore quickly and unevenly due to overheating but to surely to rid bad fluid completely.

Now thats just the fronts. If the bad fluid theory is true I assume I will get the same issue in the rear drums.

What you think?

wow that's crazy....lol
when you change caliper you should (always) do both at the same time...to avoid issues like that....and since you have the calipers out its good to flush out the whole system while you at it..... moisture (water) is what contaminates the brake fluid

the answer to your question is 97% no...it should not have no effect the rear drums....you should be fine as long you flushed the system....

if you have a lead foot get a good dot 3 or jump to a dot 4 it has a higher boiling point...

fast pad/rotor wear is mainly due cheap parts....even if you are a slow driver....always invest in braking power...i always suggest ceramic pads and vented rotors that dissipate heat well

[DJ RodWOne]

i though... i share a work of art....

[DodgeDanger]

This is the business!!!!!!!

73' Skyline GTR; Playas!!!!!!!!

[DJ RodWOne]

This is the business!!!!!!!

73' Skyline GTR; Playas!!!!!!!!

true..cant 4get the old school Skylines....do you know the 1st ones where built in 1957....they kinda look like the bel air

[lvdphse]

wow that's crazy....lol
when you change caliper you should (always) do both at the same time...to avoid issues like that....and since you have the calipers out its good to flush out the whole system while you at it..... moisture (water) is what contaminates the brake fluid

the answer to your question is 97% no...it should not have no effect the rear drums....you should be fine as long you flushed the system....

if you have a lead foot get a good dot 3 or jump to a dot 4 it has a higher boiling point...

fast pad/rotor wear is mainly due cheap parts....even if you are a slow driver....always invest in braking power...i always suggest ceramic pads and vented rotors that dissipate heat well

Thanks Rod. I dont know how but I guess water contamination. This cant be condensation though so I have no clue how enough (unless very little will do it) would get in system to give me these issues. Im gonna change the rubber lines going to the master cylinder also. Was told to replace everything everything rubber in system. Will let you know how it turns out.

[DJ RodWOne]

Thanks Rod. I dont know how but I guess water contamination. This cant be condensation though so I have no clue how enough (unless very little will do it) would get in system to give me these issues. Im gonna change the rubber lines going to the master cylinder also. Was told to replace everything everything rubber in system. Will let you know how it turns out.

i had the same issue it happened to me a few months back....it turns out the moisture was getting through the piston caliper seal...but let me know how it turns out

[lvdphse]

i had the same issue it happened to me a few months back....it turns out the moisture was getting through the piston caliper seal...but let me know how it turns out

OK, this is getting out of hand and expensive. New calipers, rotors, pads, master cylinder, front brake lines (rubber ones) and complete flush. After 30 minutes of driving, up in smoke. The proportioning valve is all metal but doesn't it control pressure? Im helping on this with a certified mechanic that Ive used for years that has always been on point with diagnosing and repairing and the PV isnt high on his list of possible cause. I kinda want to agree because if it was bad it would be bad not go bad after a half hour. Next step is the rear wheel seals and re flush. Any thoughts?

[DJ RodWOne]

OK, this is getting out of hand and expensive. New calipers, rotors, pads, master cylinder, front brake lines (rubber ones) and complete flush. After 30 minutes of driving, up in smoke. The proportioning valve is all metal but doesn't it control pressure? Im helping on this with a certified mechanic that Ive used for years that has always been on point with diagnosing and repairing and the PV isnt high on his list of possible cause. I kinda want to agree because if it was bad it would be bad not go bad after a half hour. Next step is the rear wheel seals and re flush. Any thoughts?

hhhmmm... where was the smoke coming from front or rear?
The proportioning valve reduces the pressure to the rear brakes. Regardless of what type of brakes a car has, the rear brakes require less force than the front brakes.

[mjoseph]

i have a question:

how come every time i venture into the burbs i always see some dude in a shitbox turning on his nitrous oxide to make it over over a hill/bridge/ramp (only to stop 100 ft later at a red light). what are they trying to compensate for other than their obvious miniature penises?

[DJ RodWOne]

i have a question:

how come every time i venture into the burbs i always see some dude in a shitbox turning on his nitrous oxide to make it over over a hill/bridge/ramp (only to stop 100 ft later at a red light). what are they trying to compensate for other than their obvious miniature penises?

people in the burbs dont drive shit boxes..you need money to live out there

[lvdphse]

hhhmmm... where was the smoke coming from front or rear?
The proportioning valve reduces the pressure to the rear brakes. Regardless of what type of brakes a car has, the rear brakes require less force than the front brakes.

All issues have been from the front so far.

[DJ RodWOne]

All issues have been from the front so far.

try bedding the brakes...meaning do about ten stops from 35 mph to about 5 mph using moderate brake pressure and allowing the pads to cool between stops
and see if it stops

if the pad are glazed pull them out, rough up the surface..also make sure he cleans the rotors...not to leave grease, dirt on them that will cause the problem too..

[Nay Sayer]

Yo car guy,

I have a 92 Saab 9000. One of the metal brackets that appears to hold the fuel tank in place has broken off an is now dragging on the ground. Can I have this welded back into place or do I need to purchase replacement parts?