About three months ago or so I had gotten all the kids into the van and was on my way to therapy with Josh. I put it in reverse to back out of the driveway and it refused to move...it was as if the emergency brake was on. I tried popping the emergency brake, which I rarely use (and definitely don't use at the house), but nothing happened. I tried turning the van off and back on thinking maybe I just didn't have the key completely turned or something. It wouldn't move. So, after going through all of the options I could think of, dummy me decided to apply a little gas to see if it would go. It went, but it sounded like something fell out of the bottom of the van when I did it. So, I call Silas and he has no idea what it could be. I pulled up and down the drive a few times to be sure it would indeed brake, and it did. So, after talking a little while longer to Silas, I decided to try driving it around the block. When I did this, I heard a noise from the back that sounded like I had a flat tire, but there was no bounce that typically goes along with that flat tire. After only 200 feet or so, the noise stopped. I had my wonderful husband drive it several times before I would get back behind the wheel, and naturally it worked beautifully and did not seem to have a single issue. It's been driving fine with no noise until recently.
Well, for the past couple of weeks I have been saying we needed to get the van brakes looked at because they feel funny to me and they are starting to sound like a bus when I stop. The stupid thing NEVER does this for Silas when he is driving though...only for me.
Silas took the van in today thinking that the front and back brakes would need standard repair. Before he even got home, I got a call from the repair place saying that it was a lot worse. The rear left wheel cylinder is busted, and there is a good possibility that the brake fluid has air in it. I asked what that meant exactly, and Silas said if there is too much air in the brakes, they basically will not work at all.
So basically I have been driving my kids around in a vehicle around whose brakes could have gone out at any minute. God has definitely been watching over us.
4 comments:
Just wondering what kind of car it is? I know you live here where I do and my husband just happens to work in the car business...he is a Service Advisor for Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge. Maybe he could help and give you a great deal too. Hope we can help!
Oh man! I wish I would have known yesterday! It is a 97 Dodge Caravan. I will definitely get in touch with you for any future repairs, which I am sure will not be long in coming. This thing has had so many issues since we bought it used a few years ago. Thanks for letting me know. I know the air needs to be repaired, as well as one of the rear windows. Those are next on the list. LOL Thanks for letting me know!
I am just sorry that I didn't read your poat earlier... Sorry that we couldn't help this time but let me know if you have any more problems, it is always good to know somebody in that business.
Oops, I meant to say post not poat.It seems the later it gets tonight the dumber I get...lol! Maybe I just need to go to bed.
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