I need a gear head
Jul. 12th, 2007 05:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyjanellySo I'm having problems with my car's brakes.
If any of you know a mechanic, can you ask if they've heard anything like this?
The car in question is a 2000 Dodge Stratus with 127,000 miles on it.
If any of you know a mechanic, can you ask if they've heard anything like this?
The car in question is a 2000 Dodge Stratus with 127,000 miles on it.
5-31-07
My car made this rear brake noise, and the rear brakes smelled hot, so I took it in to Sears (Richardson).
I was told that the rear brakes needed replacement and the front brakes woudl soon, but were alright now.
6-7-07
Car started making a horrible noise during my first trip over 10 miles since the brake job. It sounded like I'd hit a high-pitched rumble-strip. Like a "Bwomp!" noise that lasted half a second or so.
The sound is the same whether I'm going slow or fast. Whether I'm braking or not as it starts. I can feel a change in the car's momentum/engine strain. It seems to build before the noise and go fast when noise is done.
Took it back to Sears (Richardson). Was told there was nothing wrong.
6-9-07
Car continued to make noise.
Took to Sears (Dallas)
Was told the front brakes needed replacement, and that rear brakes needed adjustment, everything is fine now.
6-11-07
The next time I drove far in one day. Car makes the bad noise again.
Brakes almost didn't stop the car at a light.
Engine overheated.
Called tow-truck to take to Sears (Plano)
Was told rear brakes needed adjustment (had been too tight and had been rubbing the whole time) everything is fine now.
6-15-07
Car made bad noise. Brakes were squishy.
Took to sears (plano)
Was told I need a master cylinder. Paid for MC. Was told that everything's fine now.
6-19-07
Drove to Frisco and back.
Car made noise.
Rear brakes made smoke
Brakes made grinding noise
Brakes became extremely squishy
Took to Sears. (plano)
Brake Tech (BT): Oh, hey. There's this little spring that pulls the brakes back from the 'engaged' position, and it's all stretched out. Wow, they should have changed that when they did the first brake job.
J: I had these same symptoms before I got the Master cylinder. Did I pay for a mc when all I needed was a spring?
BT: Oh, no. I changed the MC myself. It was all busted and gooshing fluid everywhere. Definitely bad.
J: Did the spring being bad break the MC? Because you'd have thought the Richardson or Plano guys would have wanted to get paid to change that out.
BT: No, the spring doest touch the MC.
J: But my brakes were squishy before it was replaced, and they're still squishy.
BT: That's brake fade. What happens is, if the breaks get friction, the brake fluid boils and the hydrolics don't work anymore.
J: And the brake fluid boiling doesnt hurt the MC?
BT: Oh yeah. That'll blow a MC up.
I resolved to talk to their district mgr, the only one who could authorize the refund for the mc.
Called Sears on the way home.
Asked if they'd changed the spring on the left too, or just the right that had been smoking.
Was told "YEs ma'am, it's all good."
6-21-07
Car never stopped making noise.
Went to Sears. ASked tech in person if he'd changed both sides. He says no.
Had spring on other side changed.
7-3-07
Car runs okay for a little over a week. Begins to make noise again. Called Sears district mgr.
Was told to take car to dodge dealer for diagnostic.
Car spends 3 days in shop (mainly waiting for sears to authorize the $90 buck evaluation)
Dodge says that at some point, the brake fluid was contaminated and the fluid hoses are not letting the fluid go back out of the piston (or whatever).
They reccomend new callipers, rear wheel cylinders, new caliper hoses left and right, new rear brake hoses.
They want to charge $1400 for the work.
Sears agrees to have car towed back to them and promises to do the work.
7-7-07 (not a lucky day)
Sears replaces calipers. period. They say the situation cannot possibly be caused by the hoses.
7-12-07
problem is noticably better, but continues to make noise occasionally, on long drives. Brakes do work though.
Take car back to Sears. They say again it can't possibly be the hose, since speed and braking don't affect the noise. They send me home in this car.
Sam gets on phone with district guy. guy calls Sears. Sears calls us and will be happy to replace hoses.
Waiting on parts to come in before we bring the car back to them.
So that's where we are. Has anybody heard of anything like this? Any ideas at all?
My car made this rear brake noise, and the rear brakes smelled hot, so I took it in to Sears (Richardson).
I was told that the rear brakes needed replacement and the front brakes woudl soon, but were alright now.
6-7-07
Car started making a horrible noise during my first trip over 10 miles since the brake job. It sounded like I'd hit a high-pitched rumble-strip. Like a "Bwomp!" noise that lasted half a second or so.
The sound is the same whether I'm going slow or fast. Whether I'm braking or not as it starts. I can feel a change in the car's momentum/engine strain. It seems to build before the noise and go fast when noise is done.
Took it back to Sears (Richardson). Was told there was nothing wrong.
6-9-07
Car continued to make noise.
Took to Sears (Dallas)
Was told the front brakes needed replacement, and that rear brakes needed adjustment, everything is fine now.
6-11-07
The next time I drove far in one day. Car makes the bad noise again.
Brakes almost didn't stop the car at a light.
Engine overheated.
Called tow-truck to take to Sears (Plano)
Was told rear brakes needed adjustment (had been too tight and had been rubbing the whole time) everything is fine now.
6-15-07
Car made bad noise. Brakes were squishy.
Took to sears (plano)
Was told I need a master cylinder. Paid for MC. Was told that everything's fine now.
6-19-07
Drove to Frisco and back.
Car made noise.
Rear brakes made smoke
Brakes made grinding noise
Brakes became extremely squishy
Took to Sears. (plano)
Brake Tech (BT): Oh, hey. There's this little spring that pulls the brakes back from the 'engaged' position, and it's all stretched out. Wow, they should have changed that when they did the first brake job.
J: I had these same symptoms before I got the Master cylinder. Did I pay for a mc when all I needed was a spring?
BT: Oh, no. I changed the MC myself. It was all busted and gooshing fluid everywhere. Definitely bad.
J: Did the spring being bad break the MC? Because you'd have thought the Richardson or Plano guys would have wanted to get paid to change that out.
BT: No, the spring doest touch the MC.
J: But my brakes were squishy before it was replaced, and they're still squishy.
BT: That's brake fade. What happens is, if the breaks get friction, the brake fluid boils and the hydrolics don't work anymore.
J: And the brake fluid boiling doesnt hurt the MC?
BT: Oh yeah. That'll blow a MC up.
I resolved to talk to their district mgr, the only one who could authorize the refund for the mc.
Called Sears on the way home.
Asked if they'd changed the spring on the left too, or just the right that had been smoking.
Was told "YEs ma'am, it's all good."
6-21-07
Car never stopped making noise.
Went to Sears. ASked tech in person if he'd changed both sides. He says no.
Had spring on other side changed.
7-3-07
Car runs okay for a little over a week. Begins to make noise again. Called Sears district mgr.
Was told to take car to dodge dealer for diagnostic.
Car spends 3 days in shop (mainly waiting for sears to authorize the $90 buck evaluation)
Dodge says that at some point, the brake fluid was contaminated and the fluid hoses are not letting the fluid go back out of the piston (or whatever).
They reccomend new callipers, rear wheel cylinders, new caliper hoses left and right, new rear brake hoses.
They want to charge $1400 for the work.
Sears agrees to have car towed back to them and promises to do the work.
7-7-07 (not a lucky day)
Sears replaces calipers. period. They say the situation cannot possibly be caused by the hoses.
7-12-07
problem is noticably better, but continues to make noise occasionally, on long drives. Brakes do work though.
Take car back to Sears. They say again it can't possibly be the hose, since speed and braking don't affect the noise. They send me home in this car.
Sam gets on phone with district guy. guy calls Sears. Sears calls us and will be happy to replace hoses.
Waiting on parts to come in before we bring the car back to them.
So that's where we are. Has anybody heard of anything like this? Any ideas at all?
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-12 11:20 pm (UTC)also - FUCK sears. seriously. take it to some little mechanic in the middle of nowhere.
seriously. stop taking car to sears. contact dodge for recall lists on stratuses. cuz i got at least 4.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-12 11:33 pm (UTC)At this point, sears has refunded everything except for the very first brake job, and is doing this for free.
And really? If this doesnt fix it, I think I'm just getting a new car.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 12:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 12:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 01:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 01:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 01:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 01:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 02:00 am (UTC)lol. *makes beastly roar*
no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 02:42 am (UTC)you are evil.
i break out the watery jensen.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 02:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 02:58 am (UTC)DUDE.
WHO. JARED. JENSEN... AND.. WHAT!@@@ you are evil, pure evil.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 03:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 03:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 03:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 12:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 01:41 am (UTC)I don't know about the brake problem, sorry.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 03:20 am (UTC)Just to make sure they do it.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 10:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-13 12:18 pm (UTC)Or get Haven and Shalazar REALLY drunk, strip them down, paint stripes on their fat naked bodies so they look like obscene Michelin men, oil them down and declare an invasion on the mechanics at Sears. The rest of us can dress up like rival grease monkeys from Pep Boys and go to town on their bitch asses swinging tire irons and using old hub caps as shields. Viva la vehicle turf wars!!!!!
no subject
Date: 2007-07-15 05:03 am (UTC)