Date:         Mon, 17 Apr 2000 09:39:15 +0200
Reply-To:     Per Lindgren <lindgre@ONLINE.NO>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Per Lindgren <lindgre@ONLINE.NO>
Subject:      Re: Aaaaargh!  Brake failure (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Brent Christensen wrote:

> I was pushing the brake so *#&* hard that I
> thought I was going to either pull the steering wheel off or put my foot
> through the floor.  Scary with your wife, three year old daughter, and 2
> month old son all on board.

Brent,

The next time this happens (hopefully never) lower your rigth arm and YANK the
handbrake as hard as you can, just until you are about to rip off the calbes!
The handbrake is working, I hope? The reason you didnt have any brakes is that
when the rotors were glowing red, the brake fluid is boiling, and when it boils,
oxygen is formed in the lines. When you press the pedal, you compress the air
bubbles, instead of transmitting the pressure to the calipers. So you should
definitely replace the fluid now. This happens often when European campers come
to Norway in the summer to explore the great mountains, and the often old fluid
in the lines start to boil, and lead to brake failure at the bottom of the
hills. Veerrry scaarrry to meet a big camper out of control, BTDT.

Glad to hear you are all ok!

PerL
87 Syncro 112i