What damage am I looking at?

[Gibbo205]

Hi there


Driving home tonight, 20 minutes or so in my drive and all of a sudden the car feels like its got drag or a brake is not releasing, so I do couple of brake test and it really get worse, definitely feels like a brake is being applied.

Switch over to TPMS and all sensors reporting 32psi but attempting to coast and car is not free rolling its come to a stop, so I look for a place to pull over safely and car comes to a halt without needing to brake.

I get out, can smell burning, this was my left rear side:

There was some faint smoke coming off. So I get back in car, TPMS is reporting 34psi in that one, all others on 32psi.

I stomp the brakes, pull hand brake up and down, brake is still on, so I pull away and drive couple of yards, no luck.

So I just sit it out, eventually can hear the brake creaking and it releases, so I drive slow and do a few brake stomps and then sit for 15 mins to let it cool off as even though disc is not red the allow wheel is too hot to touch.

Drove home fine, it did not stick but I made sure not to use hand brake, close to home I did a few emergency stops from speed, brakes released fine.


Realistically would this have caused any damage such as:
- warped disc?
- boiled fluid?
- ruined caliper?

Anything else?

It is obvious I have a sticking caliper issue, but trying to get warranty to fix something that is well not going to show itself in their hands will no doubt be a mindfield.

Aside from any damage this could of caused is there anything I can do to the caliper to try and help it out?

I am going to disable to the hill assist (but I think it uses front brakes) and stop using the hand brake though I do not think hand brake caused it as it rolled out of my work parking space when I released it.

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[welsh treg]

Is that the disc Red hot ? or does the pic make it look worse ?

 

[Gibbo205]

Nope that is the disc glowing like crazy and there was some faint smoke.

 

[Gibbo205]

I am going to contact Ford, the disc is milky now, I think its ruined, pad will be ruined and I simply feel the car is unsafe if it could just throw a rear brake on when it feels, what if the brake had locked on harder, would of spun me out.

NCAP LEVEL 0 !!!

 

[Spider]

Happened to me on the Astra when it had been stood 6 months. Didn't warp the disc but turned it bright blue. Didn't want to take a risk with such an important piece of equipment so I changed discs and pads both sides and serviced the calipers.

(It might have some implication with the hardening process discs go through)

 

[stevec]

Surely ford have to replace the caliper, brake fluid and both discs as a minimum

 

[Gibbo205]

Happened to me on the Astra when it had been stood 6 months. Didn't warp the disc but turned it bright blue. Didn't want to take a risk with such an important piece of equipment so I changed discs and pads both sides and serviced the calipers.

(It might have some implication with the hardening process discs go through)

Should not be happening on a new car though that was only driven a few days ago.

I had noticed what felt like drag last week but it went away, so I am guessing have a caliper issue that is clearly getting worse.

 

[Gibbo205]

Surely ford have to replace the caliper, brake fluid and both discs as a minimum

I will request, new caliper, pair of new discs, pair of new pads and a fluid change.

In short term will stop using hand brake and disable hill assist. Though I do not think hand brake is to blame, more a caliper fault.

A week or so ago I was driving slow and thought it felt odd, like car was dragging but it was very minor and then went away.

Today that dragging was enough to bring the car to a dead stop when I pulled over, so the caliper/pad was applying quite a bit of pressure hence why it was glowing.

The more scary thing is though, what if I was on the motorway doing 80mph, it would of potentially caught fire. Car has not even done 10,000 miles and has just turned a year old.

Seriously am I just unlucky. :(

 

[Enoch]

Happened to me twice....both time on separate Jeeps....

Both times due to a foreign body probably a stone, making its way between calliper and disc.

Both times I pulled over and reversed a few yards, and was able to carry on with no ill effects...

If it was me I'd pull the wheel and caliper off, visually check all is ok and if so drive it....

Milky appearance on disc will disappear after some brake applications....if it makes you feel happier, remove pads and give them a light rub with some sand paper on a flat service, just to remove any glaze..

 

[welsh treg]

The pessimist in me says Ford will just say ware and tear issue, and "Are they 20"non Ford tyres sir", cue big intake of breath, and will wash their hands of it.
So off to your friendly local trusted garage for a strip down and hope its something simple,
handbrake issue maybe ? hill start is not going to help,
good luck.

Don't sell it and get an M5, I will have no one to buy unwanted mods off

 

[hinch]

disk and pads will be fubar standard steel disc's dont handle heat cycles like that too well.
chances are the handbrake didn't release properly rather than a sticking caliper now the question is was is the hill assist that didn't release properly or you manually releasing that didn't let go.

I'd favour the hill assist personally especially if since you turned it of it hasn't happened again.

 

[Gibbo205]

Happened to me twice....both time on separate Jeeps....

Both times due to a foreign body probably a stone, making its way between calliper and disc.

Both times I pulled over and reversed a few yards, and was able to carry on with no ill effects...

If it was me I'd pull the wheel and caliper off, visually check all is ok and if so drive it....

Milky appearance on disc will disappear after some brake applications....if it makes you feel happier, remove pads and give them a light rub with some sand paper on a flat service, just to remove any glaze..

Did try reversing but brake was jammed on and once of power car squeaked to a halt as that rear side was clearly stuck on.

As it cooled off (parked on hill) no brakes applied I could hear it start to creak and finally release. At this point I drove, did couple of test stops and all was well, I then parked up no brakes for 15 minutes to let the wheel and brakes cool off.

It then drove home without issue, brakes feel fine but main test will be gentle braking at high speed to feel for any vibration in pedal or from rear.

 

[Gibbo205]

The pessimist in me says Ford will just say ware and tear issue, and "Are they 20"non Ford tyres sir", cue big intake of breath, and will wash their hands of it.
So off to your friendly local trusted garage for a strip down and hope its something simple,
handbrake issue maybe ? hill start is not going to help,
good luck.

Don't sell it and get an M5, I will have no one to buy unwanted mods off

Was not hand brake, 100%
Hill assist maybe, that is now disabled.

I will push Ford very hard to sort it, otherwise I will just post this on a few sites, that NCAP 2 star car, more like 0 star when it throws a rear brake on and throws you off the road.

I would hope in such matters they do the right thing and realise stuff getting this hot generally causes damage to components.

When I felt it grabbing couple of weeks ago, it had stock wheels on. So not wheels so middle finger if they say that, most likely grit/dirt/dust in the caliper causing the piston to stick, but its a road car the calipers should not be so susceptible to this.

 

[Enoch]

The pessimist in me says Ford will just say ware and tear issue, and "Are they 20"non Ford tyres sir", cue big intake of breath, and will wash their hands of it.

Don't sell it and get an M5, I will have no one to buy unwanted mods off

Just chuck the original wheels back on

 

[Mr Wibbles]

Just chuck the original wheels back on

This

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