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Mystery Brake Problems

Discussion in 'Technical Chat' started by mmaeding, Jul 11, 2011.

  1. Jul 11, 2011 at 2:33 PM
    #1
    mmaeding

    mmaeding [OP] New Member

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    2011 Tacoma with 9500 miles. Everything is normal. Washed the truck and moved to driveway. Next morning the brakes were locked. No mater how much the brakes (regular and parking) were cycled or the shift control modified the truck still acted as if the parking brakes were locked. There were no warning lights and not suggestions in the manuals. Over 4 or 5 hours various attempts were made to modify this condition. Wife comes home and tries and the same thing happens. Finally a tow truck arrives and he tries and magically everything is back to normal as if there was never a problem! It is possible that the "park" pin did not disengage, or that there was a mechanical failure to release the parking brake, or that the ABS system enacted itself at an inproper time, OR ???? Anyone else having a similar problem or experienced such a thing?
     
  2. Jul 11, 2011 at 4:22 PM
    #2
    skytower

    skytower Well-Known Member

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    Hitch and wiring, aux back-up light, rear strobe lights, radio and underseat sub.
    If you were able to move the shift lever out of park, you may have a problem with the switch on the transmission not selecting the gear.
    Do you park on a hill? If so, that may be part of your problem.
     
  3. Jul 12, 2011 at 8:20 AM
    #3
    mmaeding

    mmaeding [OP] New Member

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    Thanks for the help but this brake problem is a mystery. Everything acts normal including the shifting and how the car feels when put in gear but it acts as if the parking brakes were left fully engaged despite their release. It is the same in forward and reverse. The problem went away magically without a change. The parking brake release and re-engagement felt and sounded normal, the shifting was normal, idle was normal, and the truck acted like I had the parking brake fully engaged when I tried to drive away. For the record the truck was parked on a level concrete driveway.
     
  4. Jul 12, 2011 at 8:27 AM
    #4
    Norcan

    Norcan What we don't have we make.

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    Did you wash the front calipers?? or get the front pads very very very wet??? It is possible for the pads to rust to the rotor and cause this kind of thing. I have had it in the winter on my old car. Parked it at the airport for 10 days and came back to a very similar thing. After it broke free you could see the rusted spot where the pads had been sitting. After a few miles the rust wore off and all was well.
     
    wilcam47 likes this.
  5. Jul 12, 2011 at 1:49 PM
    #5
    skytower

    skytower Well-Known Member

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    Hitch and wiring, aux back-up light, rear strobe lights, radio and underseat sub.
    I think our terminology is getting mixed up. The parking brake is a manual brake applied by hand lever, which engages the rear brakes. The parking pawl is applied by the transmission when you shift in and out of park.
    So... It's acting like the parking pawl is stuck, or the parking brake is stuck. Two different probs.

    Brakes usually don't seize overnight, even after washing them. Otherwise, I'd be stuck after driving through rain/puddles, then parking overnight. I'm betting that the parking pawl is sticking and you need the park/neutral switch looked at.
     
  6. Jul 17, 2015 at 4:11 PM
    #6
    Wammo

    Wammo New Member

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    I just had the same thing happen to me in my 2014 Tacoma
     
  7. Jul 22, 2015 at 8:00 PM
    #7
    RobertHyatt

    RobertHyatt You just can't fix stupid...

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    My bet is the rubber seals that supposedly keep water out of the caliper piston/cylinder gap. If that leaks water, that piston will rust REAL quick and there is not enough clearance. Press the brake pedal once and the brakes will be locked on. Easy test: Jack up one front wheel and try to turn it. if it doesn't turn, turn the bleed screw slightly open. If you get a spurt of brake fluid, close it when the spurt is done, then see if the wheel spins. If so, something was holding pressure and this is not really a normal circumstance unless maybe the ABS pump goes insane. If, after all the above, the wheel is still locked, then there is a chance that the rotor has sort of bonded to the pads, due to rust from washing. Otherwise, the piston in the caliper is locked. Getting the caliper off if it is frozen is a real pain. You might succeed in opening the gap with a pry bar. But step one is to get the caliper to release the rotor so you can inspect to see what is going on.
     
  8. Jul 6, 2017 at 9:01 AM
    #8
    Jam808

    Jam808 Member

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    What did you do should I try drive it till its free
     

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