Hello everyone! I would really appreciate some advice on this issue, since I'm travelling mexico to meet a famous writer and learn some spanish, and now that i've had my brakes fail, i feel very nervous going through those tight mountains passes.

I was driving along one day (I drove for a very long time maybe4 hours of tight mountain roads) and suddenly my brakes, which were never tight to begin with, but always worked fine, suddenly felt very loose. within a few pumps they just about stopped working, and i had to floor the pedal to get any response at all. I down shifted and used the emergency brake and then crawlled into town. But about half an hour later the brakes worked fine. Now they work as good as new. This is very unsettling, since the mechanic i showed (in Cuernovaca, Mexico) it to afterward said there is no problem, the pressure or something (my spanish is only a month old) overheated from using the brakes so much and failed. Once it cooled it works fine. He advised me to take many stops on the mountains so i don't drive for too long, but not to worry too much about it. Easy to say, but as far as i know, brakes aren't supposed to fail after a few hours of hard driving. Any advice? there's no real shop here, so I want to know how safe this car is drive to another town? Or a clue as to the problem, because everything looks fine.

Its an 89' 740 Volvo stationwagon. I checked the brake fluid and nothing seems to be leaking, since it is at MAX level.

Thanks so much for your help.
Vladic

 

He maybe right. I had the same thing happen in my '73 Oldsmobile 88 a few years ago. I am thinking that when the (shoes in this case) got hot, they became glazed which becomes a poor brake surface. After a while and they cool the glazing actually wears off back to normal brake material. However, this is a goood way to warp rotors.

 

The car should be fine. you overheated the brakes. take it easy and not drive so hard. Ease up on the brakes and use the engine for speed reduction. Your not driving a race car.

I was in a Honda Civic with 6 people in iton the top of Manua Kea. We lost the brakes going down the hill and had to use the emergency brakes. They were just overheated and worked fine after a few hours.