My brakes are not working right.

JAMIAE

MEMBER
1994 GEO PRIZM
2WD
AUTOMATIC
97,076 MILES

Just recently my brakes started malfunctioning. What is happening is while I am driving it will sometimes lock the brake petal and it wont let me push it down, when I can brake it is fine works just alright but when I can't I can only push the petal half way locking up. We have shut the car off and push on the brake and it gets harder. I don't know what to do, Can you help?

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,912 POSTS

There are going to be additional symptoms or observations related to this. Most commonly you're going to find at least one wheel is getting real hot due to a dragging brake that won't release. There are two things that can cause this, and one is not pretty. Remove the cap from the master cylinder reservoir and look at the rubber bladder seal under it. If that is blown up and mushy, we'll have to talk.

If a brake is locking up, park on a slight incline, shift to neutral, and place a block about a foot downhill from one tire so you don't look silly running after the car! Loosen the steel lines at the master cylinder. If doing that lets the brake release, we gotta talk. If the brake still sticks on, you'll have to crawl underneath and open one of the bleeder screws on a caliper to see if that brake releases. Start with the one with the hot wheel, if there is one. Also loosen the bleeder screw on the other caliper. If loosening either bleeder screw lets the brake release, suspect blockage in that rubber flex hose.