1999 Toyota Corolla Brake system or tranny?

CAPERJENJEN

MEMBER
1999 TOYOTA COROLLA
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
300,000 MILES

Last week I was going up a hill & had loss of speed suddenly. Stopped as suddenly as it started. Two days later, I go to back up in a parking lot. Can barely reverse. It went into reverse and the engine revved, but its like the ebrake was on and it barely backed up. When went forward it was shaking and sputtering. I shut it off, waited 10 minutes, seemed fine again. On the ride home it was sluggish and was taking a bit more rev to go into gear, but it drove. No lights on the dashboard. By the time I got home, there was smoke pouring out of the drive front tire and a strong brake smell. Mechanic changed the caliper. When I left the mechanic, 10 mins up the road again the loss of power and this time the car was shaking and sputtering and when I pulled over, it again wouldn't go forward or reverse, almost like the ebrake is stuck. Mechanic now says its the ABS control module. Can that cause my symptoms or does it sound like a tranny problem? Help! I don't want to get ripped off!

3 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

This sounds like you're trying to describe a dragging brake that isn't releasing. A sticking brake caliper is a good guess, but there's a more likely suspect. That's the rubber flex hose attached to it. The way to find this is to get it to act up again, then stop on a slight incline, shift to neutral, place a block about a foot downhill of one tire so you won't look funny chasing after your car, then loosen the steel lines at the master cylinder. You'll need line wrench for that, also called a "flare nut wrench". A regular open end wrench will usually round off the soft metal line nuts.

If loosening the lines there lets the brake release, we'll have to talk. That can be a very expensive repair. It's more likely the brake won't release there, so tighten them back up.

Next, open the bleeder screw on the caliper. Most likely the brake will release proving there's brake fluid trapped there under pressure. There's a metal bracket in the middle of the rubber flex hose where rust can form and constrict the hose. You can force brake fluid through it with foot pressure to apply the brake, but there's no pressure to make the fluid return to the reservoir, so it stays there and keeps that brake applied. A shaking in the steering wheel is a common symptom of a sticking brake.