2001 Brakes Locked Up

ttrim · 04-02-2008, 11:05 AM

My husband and dad have been working on the car, but I've been without it for 3 weeks now...trapped at home with a 1 and 2 year old. So, this is all from what they tell me, so if something doesn't make sense it's because I don't know what they're talking about.

The brakes locked up about 3 weeks ago. They'd already changed the master cylinder for another problem. They've changed both front calipers. They changed this valve thing (I forget what it was called, but definitely something valve). They've replaced some of the brake lines. They've bled and bled and bled it....at the wheels and the master cylinder.

Still locking up. Any ideas? I hope someone can help....I need my car back! Thanks!

1fastkia · 04-02-2008, 12:13 PM

Did they check the rear wheel cylinders?

ttrim · 04-02-2008, 12:18 PM

I will ask. Will that cause the front brakes to lock up? I think all four are locking. Although, when it started I think it was just the left front. (that was the one that was hot when it would happen) Then when we thought it was working I was driving and had to stop and there was smoke coming from both fronts. Now they are saying it's all four.

ttrim · 04-03-2008, 11:30 PM

They said the rear stuff all looks good. My dad took the master cylinder off today and flushed it out and cleaned it up and it was working tonight, but it's worked before after being bled and then the next day will lock up again. So, we'll see what happens tomorrow.

ttrim · 04-07-2008, 10:54 AM

Someone told us yesterday maybe when the brakes get warm the pads are suctioning to the rotors. Does that make sense? They are going to change the pads (again) and turn or replace the rotors.

1fastkia · 04-09-2008, 03:45 PM

It could be the caipers locking/frozen

ttrim · 04-11-2008, 01:36 PM

We already changed both calipers.

They changed the pads and had the rotors turned today. Still locking up.

Ordered a new master cylinder. It will be in tomorrow. We'll see what happens with that.

This is getting annoying.

(and to top it all off, last Sunday our other car... an old, junky Grand AM.... broke a belt. We replaced that, but my dad said the wheel bearings are too bad for us to be driving it. They're going to work on that one in the next few days, too. We haven't had a car for a week now. I'm getting extremely frustrated!)

ttrim · 04-15-2008, 08:02 PM

Well, they changed the master cylinder (again) and flushed the whole system out. So, we either got a bad master cylinder last time or there was just gunk in there. Either way, it's been working for 3 days now, so hopefully we're good to go.

Thanks, guys!