Since couple of days ago my car started to feel a bit more sluggish on initial launches and when i park it on a very slight slope with no handbrake pulled and gear in neutral, it doesnt start to roll away it just stays stationary even though it is on a slope. However when driving i dont hear any sound coming from the brakes and car does not pull off to either side when driving and while braking its still going straight ahead. Could i have sticky brakes? If i had one sticky brake i would imagine that car would not be going straight but it is going straight so i am not sure if i have sticky brakes. Maybe the main brake line going to the rear brakes is collapsed a bit and acts as a checkvalve and prevents brake fluid to return to reservoir so both of my rear brakes stick a bit by same amount so that my car can still go dead straight without pulling off to one side? Or could my handbrake be causing this issue? By the way my car has drum brakes at the rear
1 Answers
After a drive of more than a few minutes, carefully feel for the temperature of each wheel with your hand. They should all be about the same temperature. If one is substantially hotter than the others, the brake for that wheel is probably dragging. If no wheel is hot, your brakes are not dragging, or not dragging much.
A brake can drag a little, just enough to keep the car from rolling freely, but not enough to make the car swerve to one side.
One or more brakes in the rear could be out of adjustment. One or more front calipers could be sticking.
One common cause of dragging brakes is the internal collapse of the rubber hose between the hard brake line and the brake caliper or cylinder. This can allow brake fluid into the brake mechanism under pressure, but it acts like a one-way valve that retains brake pressure. The easiest way to diagnose this is to step on the brake hard, release the pedal, then slightly crack open the brake bleeder for each wheel. If brake fluid shoots out under pressure, that's the sign of a bad brake hose.
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