So I'm driving southwards on the A470. Kind chap in his VW Sharan wound the window down and kindly shouted at me - "Smoke coming out of my car"

With obvious alarm I'm luckily near a layby so pull over.

Get out of the car, and indeed, smoke is billowing out around my alloy. Closer inspection reveals a RED HOT brake disk (you could see it) and I cannot tell, but I guess the reason for this is a brake pad "stuck" on, causing friction thus the cause of the smoke and red hot brake disks etc.

Stopped and called recovery, informed that they are not allowed to touch brakes at the roadside (fair enough) so I have been recovered and just dropped off at home.

Car is outside now and fortunately I have use of the wife's car as she is working nights, thus I can take her to work.

However, obviously I am going to need to fix mine.

Only last week did I have the rear brake pads changed, so obviously my first port of call is to the garage.

What can I do in the meantime?

Is it a fault with the new rear pads being fitted?

Can the handbrake stick the pad to the disk?

Any other ideas?

Seized/sticky caliper.

Changing the pads probably finished the caliper off.

Hopefully it's just down to the garage being stingey with the copper slip.

If the disc was red hot then it's likely that it is now knackered.

Edited 15 September, 201213 yr by silver1011

I had the rear pads changed on my merc vito by the dealer. The brakes squealed like crazy afterwards. Mostly when i WASNT breaking.

I jacked it up and took a wheel off and the pad was stuck solid in the carrier. Knocked it out with a hammer in the end. £90+/hr labour and they couldn't even clean the carrier before sticking the new pads in.

Seized/sticky caliper.

Changing the pads probably finished the caliper off.

Hopefully it's just down to the garage being stingey with the copper slip.

If the disc was red hot then it's likely that it is now knackered.

New disk then? Great.

as above but you may need some new calipers, it's quite common for the calipers to seize with age so might not be the garage's fault

Car's not done 50K and it's only 6 years old. My Dad has identical car that is 7 years old that has not got any caliper problems?

Edit, calipers are about £60.

Edited 15 September, 201213 yr by g_tee

Hopefully as mentioned above it is just the pad stuck in the carrier which is a quick fix with a wire brush.

All the grime, brake dust and dirt settles in the carrier around the pad. When the old pads are removed if this muck isn't removed before putting the new pads in then sometimes the new pad doesn't then sit in the carrier properly.

The disc may be OK too, so long as when it cooled it didn't warp.

If it is the caliper then they can sometimes be freed off without having to replace them.

Either way the garage should take a look for you free of charge. If it does need money spending on it you'd hope they'd be sympathetic and do you a bit of discount.

Edited 15 September, 201213 yr by silver1011

Trouble is now though, getting the car down there. I didn't have the foresight to get the recovery guy to drop the car off at the garage and drive me home /facepalm

Was it a main dealer?

No, I didn't fancy paying £99 for brake pads to be changed.

That's come back and bit me on the arse really.

The garage I used have got a very good reputation around Bridgend and I am quite disappointed really after all the good things I heard about them...

Edited 15 September, 201213 yr by g_tee

It might not be their fault - calipers can stick as well as pads in the carrier. BUT seeing as the pads have only just been replaced my money is on the pad sticking in the carrier.

If the disc was that hot it is probably goosed, and I would check out your wheel bearing as well as the disc is bolted to the hub/bearing. The bearing will have been getting some of that heat.

I had a caliper stick on mine recently, nowhere near that hot, just noticed the warmth when getting out of the car. It had warped the disc though.

The Hand Brake can indeed stick the brakes on, that is how brakes work.

You may have had a hand brake cable that is rusted & did not release the brakes properly causing the over heating.

So that will be a check needing doing.

If the mechanic doing a brake pad change did not see a sticky caliper then thats not good, & i would not be trusting them now.

If they were not aware that a replacement Brake cable was needed, thats equally as bad.

george

Why wouldn`t you just drive it to the garage? Take your time, go at the least busiest road time (Sunday morning maybe) and use the brakes you have as little as possible.

My money is on a jammed calipre as the pad must still have some meat on it, because IMHO & by the way you describe it, sparks would have been flying out, if it was metal on metal, and the noise would have been horrendous.

At worst its a calipre, discs, and new pads. At best its new pads, with the garage throwing in the labour as a gesture of goodwill, (in each scenario).

Trouble is now though, getting the car down there. I didn't have the foresight to get the recovery guy to drop the car off at the garage and drive me home /facepalm

FWIW, the rear callipers get grubbier than on any other car I've ever seen.

It required a soft wire brush, a lot of brake cleaner and a coating of brake lube before putting new pads in there.

Have you got photos you can post to show us the before and after?

FWIW, the rear callipers get grubbier than on any other car I've ever seen.

It required a soft wire brush, a lot of brake cleaner and a coating of brake lube before putting new pads in there.

Thanks for all the comments.

The car was very recently serviced, and the brake pads are brand new.

The dealer should have picked up on the handbrake cable (IMO) so I am not suspecting that.

However, I am annoyed that we're looking at new pads (just had them), new brake disc + caliper - We're talking >£100 before labour.

Not happy.

You never know, might just be one pad stuck a bit in the carrier.

Get it cleaned up, some coppaslip and refitted, you will be able to tell if the disc is warped as you will feel it when braking.

Glowing red hot is not good though - does it appear to have 'blued' the brake disc now it has cooled down?

Haven't been out to look at it yet but will do so

If you never left the Hand Brake on a little, i am surprised that you discount a sticky cable so easily.

There was no excuse for them to put a car out after changing pads with a sticky caliper.

?What type of 'service' had the car had.

A Full Inspection and Maintenance service, with Oil And Filters, & Brake Pads changed.

Was the Brake Fluid changed, or when was it last changed?

??

Can i ask how much that Service cost.

I would be running riot with them if there is a lack of Proper Servicing done on the vehicle, if i had paid for that.

(Unless you had the hand brake on just a little!. That would have effected both rear brakes tho, if it was.)

george

Was a full inspection + maintenance service done at a main dealer.

I don't recall leaving the handbrake on, I've not done this in 9 years of driving. There were no lights on the dashboard, and even with one click on the handbrake you usually see a light. I do not suspect driver error in that respect. Every possibility a handbrake could have stuck the pad to the disk though, admittedly. If I had left the hand brake on - surely, as sk4gw pointed out then both wheels would have gone through this.

The car is parked on a upwards drive, I park with the nose up. I always go into neutral, apply handbrake, take foot off brake, then put car in park (so I'm not resting the car on the DSG park brake...)

Service was £149. There is a full service history on the car, though I think they said brake fluid may need changing.

I'll need to go inspect it now to see the damage to the disk and if it is handbrake sticking or if the caliper has seized.

Soooo what's next to go then?

If you drive off with the handbrake on the instrument cluster 'boings' at you.

So, it is either a seized caliper, a pad stuck in the carrier, or a sticking handbrake cable/mechanism. All of which should have been sorted on the service / pad change.

Next thing to go - rear wheel bearing as you have just cooked all of the grease.

Yay. :(

I was only kidding

Take the pads out, put the caliper and wheel back on and check for any 'grittiness' or play when you spin the wheel. If it is nice and smooth and quiet you are OK. There is a lot of other metal to dissipate the heat (including the wheel itself).

I'm not equipped to do that so garage will be next step.

Luckily I can use my wife's car in the interim.