# Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING!



## Thomas Smailus (Jul 8, 1999)

From the search I did of the past posts, I found one thing suggesting a cold weather problem. This is a 1994 Golf 2.0L GL with 4 wheel disk brake - no ABS. I normally pull the parking brake when parking, with the car in neutral (its a 5 speed). This morning, its rather cold - got below freezing during the night. I back out and drive the 2 miles to work and when I pull into the lot I see why the car was pulling to the left so much - the rear drivers side wheel is smoking up a storm and stinking to high heaven. 
My assumption: the brake was somehow 'STUCK'.
Now my question - What is the solution / problem?
Is this an issue with the parking brake or cable OR is this a problem with the brake system/calipers in general? What do I look at?
I read that it is possible to release them by hand - what do I have to 'poke' at to get it to do that and to check and make sure its released? Realize I don't want to or can, jack up the car and remove the wheel in the office parking lot.
What do I need to replace or what is the preventive maintenance to stop this from happening? I've had the car since 1994 - original owner, and in all that time, through all of those winters with frost and cold weather, this has never happened. I can thus only assume that some origial component has finally given up the ghost.
Thanks in advance.


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## vwfan (Jun 1, 1999)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (Thomas Smailus)*

I had this problem with my 90 GLI. It was the parking brake mechanism on the caliper of the right rear wheel. It had seized, not allowing the caliper to release when I released the parking brake lever. I had to replace the caliper. It was caught in time to prevent rotor damage.


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## D.A.T. (Mar 29, 2001)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (vwfan)*

If it's frozen, it's one of 2 issues, 1- caliper is hooped, replace it. 2- water in the ebrake line tube has frozen, seal is shot. 
Temp fix, usually works, is to just drive the car in reverse, should unlock unti the next time you hit the ebrake!


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## Gallucci (Aug 31, 2002)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (D.A.T.)*

Sound to be a bad caliper.


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## Thomas Smailus (Jul 8, 1999)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (Gallucci)*

What I'm hearing is either cables or caliper. Any way to tell if its the caliper?
As it stands, I've ordered the cables - some cable behaviour before now leads me to think this is the likely cause. I'll replace them first and if this doesn't fix the problem, I guess its caliper time.
Is there any way to test immediately if its the caliper? I was thinking, remove the wire from the caliper at the affected wheel and try operating the brake lever by hand and see if it compresses and releases - only I'm thinking that I cannot generate enough force to see enough movement 'by hand'.


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## CarLuvrSD (Jan 15, 2002)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (Thomas Smailus)*

You could try spraying some white lithium grease on all the points of contact you can find and see if that works. I give it an 80% chance. You see this in ski areas frquently. It's caused by Ice forming on the moving parts. If the cable is slick it cant happen. On an older car though the cables are probably a bit coroded giving the ice a good foothold.
Worth a try. I keep the stuff around all the time. It's cheap, unafected by cold and the spray cans come with a little tube thingy so it only goes where you want it. Might fix it that way for less than $4 bucks.


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## allan r (Dec 30, 2000)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (Thomas Smailus)*

ultimately you will need a new caliper, because the parking brake mechanism ins't rebuildable by itsself. It's a common vw problem, actually, both my parking mech's are seized. just don't use the e-brake. and don't buy a rebuilt caliper - they never last.


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## WVW Jetta (Sep 16, 2002)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (allan r)*

And let's not forget - if the brakes got so hot they were smoking, you've also most likely cooked off the grease in the bearings and you'll need to replace them, and the seal as well. May as well do it all now, and do it right, lest you be forced to pull it all apart again later.


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (WVW Jetta)*

And add the the brake lines as well.
Well...I don't usually use the parking brake in the winter....for fear of the parking brake freezing...I keep it in reverse, and if I have to....chock the wheels.


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## Thomas Smailus (Jul 8, 1999)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (converted_vw)*

Well, looking at the calipers from under the car - that one is now shiney and clean - almost new looking. The smoke was certainly the grime and grease that had accumilated on it from 9 years of driving cooking off (grease, asphalt, etc). 
Since the brake calipers would heat the entire rotor and the steel wheel itself (spinning in the cold air along with the rotor) would act as great heat sinks, and since the plastic wheel cover shoes no sign of wear or melting, I doubt that there was enough heat generated on the rear 'axel' to cook off the grease in the bearing. Now I have not taken it appart to look at it, a hot and smoking caliper does not translate into a hot and smoking bearing in my mind- given the amount of steel between them, exposed to cold air of the morning.
For now, I'm replacing the hand brake cables and the guide into the car and thats it. I see no signs of a seized caliper as its still operating with the handbrake now - its warmer outside and the handbrake seems to operate ok for the past couple of days.
I only drove the thing the approximate 2 miles from the house to the job on a nice frigid morning in southern Louisiana.
Now as to not using the parking brake for fear of it seizing - thats not an option. If its broken, it needs to be fixed. Blocks- are you serious?


[Modified by Thomas Smailus, 12:05 PM 1-27-2003]


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## WVW Jetta (Sep 16, 2002)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (Thomas Smailus)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Since the brake calipers would heat the entire rotor ... I doubt that there was enough heat generated on the rear 'axel' to cook off the grease in the bearing.[HR][/HR]​Okay, if you say so.







But, you do realize that the bearings live *inside the rotors*, right?


[Modified by WVW Jetta, 2:56 PM 1-27-2003]


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## Thomas Smailus (Jul 8, 1999)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (WVW Jetta)*

Yes, but the rotors are very massive compared to the pads/calipers and the rotors also have the wheel bolted to it as well - that is a lot more mass to heat up on that end than the other side where its just the calipers. I would say that if there was indication of a problem of rotor warping or any sign of an issue, I'd consider it, but for the conditions of the incident and the amounts of steel on either side of the friction surface equation, I will stick with my assumption that the calipers would get much hotter than the rotor/wheel combo would. Given the calipers are now nice and clean, I can certainly suggest the smoke was all the black crud that is visible on the other caliper, cooking off. No?


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## CarLuvrSD (Jan 15, 2002)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (Thomas Smailus)*

SInce your car is a 94 I assume you have lots of miles on your bearings already. Therefor I see no reason why you can't just drive it the way it is for now. I don't believe in fixing car problems that aren't really problems. Why spend money you don't have to?
If your bearings got to hot you will know soon enough because they will become noisy or loose. It's not that hard of a repair and you stand a very good chance of not having to do it at all if you wait.
Follow your intuition. It's your car and your money.


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

*Re: Driver side rear disc brake stuck in cold weather - SMOKING! (Thomas Smailus)*

quote:[HR][/HR]
Now as to not using the parking brake for fear of it seizing - thats not an option. If its broken, it needs to be fixed. Blocks- are you serious?

[Modified by Thomas Smailus, 12:05 PM 1-27-2003][HR][/HR]​Yes I'm serious....my parking brake on my old Camry never froze on me (the parking brake mechanism is really an internal drum brake, thus makes the rear caliper cheaper).
Yes not froze on me yet on the TDI. Since I don't really park on steep hills anymore...no need for chocks yet.
edit
Here's a poll on The Car Lounge (where it gets more exposure)
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=683642
So far, as of 11:00, one person person does the same


[Modified by converted_vw, 11:06 AM 1-28-2003]


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