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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / March 2006

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the damage of driving while parking brake is applied

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Jerry - 22 Mar 2006 22:27 GMT
Hi,

2 weeks or so ago, I made a STUPID mistake: I drove my 2005 Toyota
Camry with parking brake applied for approx 2 miles.

At the time my mind was somewhere else(who knows) and didn't feel
anything but a bit of being hold back. I did't realize that the parking
brake was NOT released until I got to the destination and was ready to
get out of car. Then, I smell kinda acrid odor from around the wheels.

After this happened, the car seems drive well, but I'm concerned that
some damage had been done.

Could you please offer me some analysis as to what damages had been
possibly done? Do I need to go to a garage to get the car checked?

Thank you very much! Any input is appreciated.

Jerry
Shep - 22 Mar 2006 22:30 GMT
Pull the rear wheels and see if the drum/rotors and or pad/linings are
burnt. Std procedure.
> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> Jerry
Comboverfish - 22 Mar 2006 23:00 GMT
> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> Could you please offer me some analysis as to what damages had been
> possibly done? Do I need to go to a garage to get the car checked?

Do you know if you have rear disc or drum brakes?  If you don't know,
then tell me if it has a 4 cyl or V6 engine and what Camry designation
(LE, SE, XLE, etc) and I can guess with a fair bit of accuracy.

The point is, IF it's equipped with rear disc brakes, you likely did no
harm to any component used in conventional braking.  The disc brake
setup additionally employs a small set of shoes that are only used for
parking brake duty.   Leaving the P-brake on should not have caused any
serious harm to the brake rotors, and likely caused no damage to
anything else brake-related.  These little shoes are intended only for
application with your vehicle at rest, so they require less critical
design factors.  The shoes will likely be reusable upon inspection.
The holddown pins and retainers should be inspected also.  Chances are
an inspection, cleaning and adjustment will be all that is required.

IF you have drum brakes, then the actual brake shoes used in
conventional braking are also used for parking brake duty.  The shoes
may have overheated and/or become glazed and caused the brake drums to
warp.

I would have the system checked out immediately (if drum brakes).  I
would wait until your next maintanance visit (if disc brakes), but
recommend not using the parking brake until then.  If you have an
automatic trans and don't park on any steep grades, this shouldn't be a
problem.

Toyota MDT in MO
Jerry - 22 Mar 2006 23:17 GMT
Hi Comboverfish,

Thank you for your detailed reply.

I don't know if my 2005 Camry has rear disc or drum brakes.

I guess it has a 4 cyl engine, but definitely NOT V6(I know this for
sure).  The designation is LE.

BTW, it has automatic transmission.

Thanks again.
Jerry

> > Hi,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>
> Toyota MDT in MO
Comboverfish - 23 Mar 2006 02:20 GMT
> Hi Comboverfish,
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> BTW, it has automatic transmission.

A 2005 4 cyl LE has rear drum brakes, therefore I would have someone
look at them fairly soon to be on the safe side.  Since you don't note
any braking issues after the mistake, it is likely you will just need a
cleaning, sanding of the shoes, and adjustment.

Toyota MDT in MO
Jerry - 23 Mar 2006 02:47 GMT
Comboverfish,

Thank you very much for your follow-up!!!

Could you please give me an estimate as to how much (a range is good
enough) this kind of repair would roughly cost if I go to a Toyota
dealer?

Thank you!
Comboverfish - 23 Mar 2006 20:19 GMT
> Comboverfish,
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Thank you!

What you could do is see if they offer a discounted price on a
maintenance service called "clean, lube and adjust rear drum brakes".
This will cost you less that the equivelant time spent at full labor
charge.  You would need to explain to the service advisor what happened
to your vehicle and see if he will perform a CLA and have the mechanic
check it over for any signs of damage while he has the drums off.

Otherwise you are looking at .5 hour labor just to check out the
complaint, then add to that whatever repair actions are necessary.
With the discounted cost of the CLA service (probably all you need) it
should cost less than basic diagnostic labor.

Your dealer may *require* you to start off with diagnostic labor, but
it doesn't hurt to ask if they will follow the strategy above to save
you a few $$.  Labor rates vary wildly, from about $60 to $120 per
hour.  Metro areas charge much more than the boonies.

Toyota MDT in MO
Jerry - 23 Mar 2006 21:17 GMT
Comboverfish,

Thank you for keeping giving me good advices! I really appreciate it.

I just got back from a Subaru dealer (the only Toyota dealer near me
won't take me until next Wednesday and I don't want to wait) before I
saw your suggestion.

I explained to the service advisor what happened to my car, and wanted
to get the brake checked.

Result on their report:

******************
Pulled wheels, e-brake shoes look fine. No damage done.

Note: while car was on lift, found an exhaust hanger on backwards -
fixed
******************

Here I have 2 more questions:

1, Should I trust this Subaru dealer? (I feel they are decent). I mean,
does the brand of dealership matter? Is only Toyota dealer capable to
handle this kind of brake check-up on Camry? (I'm sorry if this sounds
naive, but I really know nothing about car).

2, What did they mean by "an exhaust hanger on backwards"? I didn't
understand this at all. I don't have any garage work done on the
exhaust system of my car (only did oil change and wheel alignment for
once so far), but I did recall that I hit the curb when I backed up the
car a long time ago. Could that be something which caused "an exhaust
hanger on backwards"?

As to the cost, the total charge is $32.35. Among them, the labor fee
is $29.95, and misc charge is $2.40.

It took about 1 hour from I dropped my car to I left the dealership. I
don't know if this is considered expensive. The Subaru dealship is
located at Norwich, VT. Their website is http://www.carstore.sne1.com

Comboverfish, thank you again.

Jerry

> > Comboverfish,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> Toyota MDT in MO
Comboverfish - 24 Mar 2006 00:57 GMT
> Comboverfish,
>
> Thank you for keeping giving me good advices! I really appreciate it.

No problem.  It's nice to see someone actually respond after having
their questions replied to.

> I just got back from a Subaru dealer (the only Toyota dealer near me
> won't take me until next Wednesday and I don't want to wait) before I
> saw your suggestion.

This is not a difficult job for any repair shop.  You originally
mentioned trying a Toyota dealer, so I suggested a strategy based on
that info.

> I explained to the service advisor what happened to my car, and wanted
> to get the brake checked.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> fixed
> ******************

The phrase "e-brake shoes" has me confused.  That makes it sound like
you have disc brakes; odd for an '05 4cyl LE.  It is possible, but I
don't think I've seen one.  Disc brakes on that level are possibly an
option or a package deal when you custom-order Vehicle Skid Control.

I have no idea what the exaust hanger on backwards means, but it is of
little significance to anything.  Hopefully it is correctly installed
*now*.

> 1, Should I trust this Subaru dealer? (I feel they are decent). I mean,
> does the brand of dealership matter? Is only Toyota dealer capable to
> handle this kind of brake check-up on Camry? (I'm sorry if this sounds
> naive, but I really know nothing about car).

Sure, but you might as well scope out a good independent shop or use
the Toyota dealer if you like them.  It seems like a real waste to go
to the wrong brand of dealer.  I bet their business is slow to be
taking in non-Subarus.

> 2, What did they mean by "an exhaust hanger on backwards"? I didn't
> understand this at all. I don't have any garage work done on the
> exhaust system of my car (only did oil change and wheel alignment for
> once so far), but I did recall that I hit the curb when I backed up the
> car a long time ago. Could that be something which caused "an exhaust
> hanger on backwards"?

Now that I have read this paragraph, I think I know what happened.  You
backed the muffler into a tall curb once, and it shifted the muffler up
and forward where the muffler edge caught on the underside of your car,
holding it out-of-position.  This can happen (infrequently) on Camrys.
It takes all of two seconds to pull the muffler back down.  I have
never seen any lasting damage occur because of this.

> As to the cost, the total charge is $32.35. Among them, the labor fee
> is $29.95, and misc charge is $2.40.

Sounds pretty reasonable.

> It took about 1 hour from I dropped my car to I left the dealership. I
> don't know if this is considered expensive. The Subaru dealship is
> located at Norwich, VT. Their website is http://www.carstore.sne1.com

I suggest for future benefit that you ask friends and family for
recommendations regarding a good, honest, competent independent shop in
your area, or use the Toyota dealer if they treat you well.  Start off
with small services first to see if you really like the shop.  You
don't want to have your car break down or need expensive service, THEN
have to find a shop.  That situation is a crapshoot and can possibly
end up badly for you and your car.

Toyota MDT in MO
Jerry - 24 Mar 2006 17:01 GMT
> The phrase "e-brake shoes" has me confused.  That makes it sound like
> you have disc brakes; odd for an '05 4cyl LE.  It is possible, but I
> don't think I've seen one.  Disc brakes on that level are possibly an
> option or a package deal when you custom-order Vehicle Skid Control.

I just called Toyota Customer Service, and gave the VIN to their
specialist, and confirmed my 05 Camry has:

front disc brake
rear drum brake

(They said that rear disc brake is only for V6)

> Sure, but you might as well scope out a good independent shop or use
> the Toyota dealer if you like them.  It seems like a real waste to go
> to the wrong brand of dealer.  I bet their business is slow to be
> taking in non-Subarus.

I'm going to another Toyota dealer tomorrow morning, and will report
back what they found.

Thank you! Comboverfish

Jerry
Comboverfish - 24 Mar 2006 20:42 GMT
> I just called Toyota Customer Service, and gave the VIN to their
> specialist, and confirmed my 05 Camry has:
>
> front disc brake
> rear drum brake

Then your Suburu guy used a goofy term, or it got lost in the
translation.  I figured your car had rear drums.

> (They said that rear disc brake is only for V6)

This is not true for 2002-up Camrys.  If it was that easy I wouldn't
have theorized so long about the possibilities.

Toyota MDT in MO
Jerry - 27 Mar 2006 22:54 GMT
Hi,

I just wanted to update this thread with what I found at Toyota dealer
on last Saturday.

Essentially they said that no damage was done to my rear bake and all
looked fine. (But I kept wondering that if that's case, why I smelled
the acrid ordor)

The cost there is basically the same as what Subaru dealer charged (see
below). They have something called "brake inspection and adjust rear
brake labor", which sounds similar to CLA Comboverfish suggested to
try.

======================================
brake inspection and adjust rear brake labor: $ 29.95
brake cleaner: $4.58
=====================================

Thanks everyone, especially Comboverfish. You offered me a lot of
valuable information.

Jerry

P.S. The tire of my camry looked kinda flat(especially front wheels),
and I noticed that the tires of almost all other Camry on our parking
lot looked more flat than other brand of cars. Is this a "common"
feature of Camry?
Nate Nagel - 28 Mar 2006 00:26 GMT
> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> Jerry

The nasty smell was the linings getting hot; but if they didn't
disintegrate, glaze over, or otherwise sustain damage, they can work
fine for many miles after they've cooled off.  That's not to say that
what you did was a good idea; it's not.  But you should be OK so long as
you don't repeat that experiment.

> P.S. The tire of my camry looked kinda flat(especially front wheels),
> and I noticed that the tires of almost all other Camry on our parking
> lot looked more flat than other brand of cars. Is this a "common"
> feature of Camry?

Might be a feature of the tire; it could possibly have a more compliant
sidewall than the other tires you're looking at.  Might as well make
sure your pressure is to spec anyway though.

nate

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Comboverfish - 28 Mar 2006 05:34 GMT
> P.S. The tire of my camry looked kinda flat(especially front wheels),
> and I noticed that the tires of almost all other Camry on our parking
> lot looked more flat than other brand of cars. Is this a "common"
> feature of Camry?

The front (as with most FWD cars) is heavier than the rear and
therefore puts more pressure on the front tires, bulging the sidewalls
more than in the rear.

Camry tire specs are 29 psi, probably a bit lower than comparable cars
-- that's just a guess though.

Toyota MDT in MO
GreyGoose006 - 22 Mar 2006 23:40 GMT
On that note, does anyone know how to tighten the cable leading to the
parking brake.  i have an 84 caprice classic, and the parking brake
dosent seem to do very much.

Signature

GreyGoose006

http://www.automotiveforums.com

Old Wolf - 23 Mar 2006 00:58 GMT
> On that note, does anyone know how to tighten the cable leading to the
> parking brake.  i have an 84 caprice classic, and the parking brake
> dosent seem to do very much.

If you remove the boot covering the brake handle, you ought to find
an adjustment nut that you can turn with a spanner to tighten or
loosen the brake. Make very sure that you don't tighten it so
much that it is actually having a slight pull when it is supposed
to be off.

If you adjust this the whole way and the brake is still too loose,
then it is possible to adjust it at the other end. If your car has
rear discs like mine with the handbrake shoes using the inner
rim of the disc as a kind of drum, then I can tell you how to
adjust that.. otherwise I can't :)
Nate Nagel - 23 Mar 2006 01:05 GMT
>>On that note, does anyone know how to tighten the cable leading to the
>>parking brake.  i have an 84 caprice classic, and the parking brake
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> rim of the disc as a kind of drum, then I can tell you how to
> adjust that.. otherwise I can't :)

It's a Caprice... probably has one of those execrable foot operated
things.  And I haven't a clue where the adjustment is, but it's probably
under the car somewhere.  Before cranking on the e-brake adjustment,
pull the rear drums and make sure that a) your shoes aren't worn out and
b) that they are properly adjusted with the star wheels.  THEN start
worrying about the e-brake adjustment.

good luck,

nate

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Mike Romain - 23 Mar 2006 16:54 GMT
The adjustment is the rear brake shoe adjustment.  There is a cable
adjustment likely under the vehicle near the rear seat area for setting
up new parts, but it shouldn't need adjusting unless something is
broke.   Usually when the emergency no longer grabs, you need new rear
brakes.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos:  Non members can still view!
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> On that note, does anyone know how to tighten the cable leading to the
> parking brake.  i have an 84 caprice classic, and the parking brake
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> http://www.automotiveforums.com
Steve W. - 23 Mar 2006 20:05 GMT
That vehicle has the adjustment on the cable branch under the car. It
will be just about under the front of the back seat and is just a long
threaded rod (probably RUSTY) with the cable saddle and the left/right
cables out of the saddle and the front cable going through the saddle.
BUT another item to look at is the pedal itself. GM has been using a
unit that is spring loaded, You can just about stomp the EBrake to the
floor and the spring pulls on the cable. No real feedback from the
brakes but it should hold the vehicle in place when you put it in gear
and take the throttle off idle. If not then check the back brakes for
wear and the cables for stretch (don't buy any of the gimmicks that
clamp on the cable to tighten it, they tend to fail at the worst time)

Signature

Steve Williams

> On that note, does anyone know how to tighten the cable leading to the
> parking brake.  i have an 84 caprice classic, and the parking brake
> dosent seem to do very much.
 
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