cold weather: is this normal?

[anothermustanguy]

it's easy to check out the brakes. After driving a bit, stop, get out, and feel the rotors one at a time. Depending on conditions or if they are sticking, one or more could be hot so be gentle with your finger as to not burn yourself. It's gonna be obvious if one is sticking because the other three will be much cooler. Also if it's bad enough, there will be a smell, especially noticable if you park in an enclosed garage.

For this brake sticking problem, I can tell you that a warmer, slush or rainy day...followed by a really cold day is the worst.

 

[Daniel Day]

Mine froze up this morning(15° last night). Pulled out of the drive and noticed it slowing down drastically when I shifted gears. I checked the parking brake handle and it was loose(freely moving with no tension). I immediately turned around and went back home to get my wife's car since she did not have school today.

I parked it, put it in gear and made sure the parking brake handle was down so it will hopefully thaw out soon(only 39° for the high tomorrow). When I got out I noticed the driver's side rear rotor was glowing red around the caliper. I only drive it less than a mile so hopefully it did not warp the rotors. I will check it when I get home in the morning and report back...

 

[VTXFrank]

Mine froze up this morning(15° last night). Pulled out of the drive and noticed it slowing down drastically when I shifted gears. I checked the parking brake handle and it was loose(freely moving with no tension). I immediately turned around and went back home to get my wife's car since she did not have school today.

I parked it, put it in gear and made sure the parking brake handle was down so it will hopefully thaw out soon(only 39° for the high tomorrow). When I got out I noticed the driver's side rear rotor was glowing red around the caliper. I only drive it less than a mile so hopefully it did not warp the rotors. I will check it when I get home in the morning and report back...

Aw man, that sucks! Especially since it was only 15°. You'd figure it would need to be lower than that to freeze them up that bad.

 

[05slvrgt]

Damn. Thanks for the good information folks. I too thought that I had a rear caliper sticking, but wasn't sure. The past couple days I have just been leaving the car in gear when parked and not using the break, if the weather warms up and the cable thaws, will this allow the calipers to "unstick" ?

 

[Captainstr8edge]

so i figured out it was my e-brake. just going to leave it in first from now on when its this cold out. thanks for all the help guys!

 

[Daniel Day]

Damn. Thanks for the good information folks. I too thought that I had a rear caliper sticking, but wasn't sure. The past couple days I have just been leaving the car in gear when parked and not using the break, if the weather warms up and the cable thaws, will this allow the calipers to "unstick" ?

Yes, it should. I checked mine when I got home yesterday and it had thawed out and the rotors seem fine(havent't driven it yet so I am not sure). Like you guys said, I am just going to leave it in gear with the parking brake disengaged when it is going to be below freezing.

 

[grywll42]

When I used to bracket drag race in ohio sometimes it would be in the 40s or 50s out so I would have to jack-up the rear end and run the entire driveline to warm them up or it would slow the car down enough to affect my ET and consistency. The cold would "thicken" the trans and rearend fluids if I didn't.

 

[doodad]

this is an E-brake issue.

my car does it after i leave it on ebrake over night when it is cold outside. I learned to not lift the ebrake up. just put the car in gear thats all.

 

[scrib]

captainstr8edge where on the south shore are you? im in the marshfield area

luckily my mustang is in the garage but the weather here is tough on my truck already and thats an 08... i think my battery is almost gone already...

 

[Captainstr8edge]

captainstr8edge where on the south shore are you? im in the marshfield area

luckily my mustang is in the garage but the weather here is tough on my truck already and thats an 08... i think my battery is almost gone already...

I'm in taunton

 

[lostsoul]

Is there something about the cold that makes your car flood with gas?

I visited my mum and the car was outside and it was cold as sheet.. no snow.. but in the after noon(still cold) I tried to start the car and it would crank over but not fire up. I tried a few times and could smell the gas.. I held the gas down and started and that didnt help. I basically had to wait till the next day then it barly fired up.. too it out for a drive and it was so so, but it threw 2 code p0172-173 running rich.. cleared the code and didnt come back on.. but I can still smell gas.. wtf could cause this.. =-/.. I normally keep it garaged.. but I'm pissed =-//.. is it the tune

 

[lostsoul]

haha.. also that day when I got the car to start it felt like I was dragging something then went away.. weeks now with no issue(in garage) today I left it out to test for tune issues and when I pulled it intot he garage I now can confirm I have the same issue with my ebreak. can the dealer fix this under the tsb for free? I remember have them fix the gas tank issue and it did the same.. haha