I had a scary moment this evening WHEN MY BRAKES GAVE OUT!
I had just dropped off a few corals at another hobbyist’s house near the airport. I left his house, got on the freeway, and a minute later my Emergency Brake light came on on the dash and a piercing squealing alarm started going off. I exited the freeway and pulled into a parking lot. The car / brakes all felt fine. I engaged / disengaged the parking brake multiple times to no avail. I did a few minutes research online and checked my brake fluid reservoir - all good there. I resigned myself to a 40 minute drive home with an annoying alarm going off and figured I would un-hook the battery when I got home for 15 min to reset the trucks computer. So, I started driving the 4-5 blocks through town towards the on-ramp to the freeway. All good so far. I start up the incline for the overpass, turn my blinker on, and start to slow down to turn onto the on-ramp....... and have absolutely no brakes at all. Pedal to the floor - nothing. And of course, I happen to be on the phone with my wife when I’m like “Ooooh ****! I have no brakes I have no brakes **** I have no brakes!!” And so she starts to freak out. I quickly downshifted to third, then second, then first, checking for cars all around me, and throw on my hazards. I continue straight across / over the overpass, through a light, I’m able to slow down just enough to turn right onto the first side street. I see an area of dirt off the side of the road over a curb. I aim for the curb, hit it and go up and over, and aim my wheels into a rut in the dirt, slam on the emergency brake and come to stop.
Deep breath.
**** that was scary.
Talked the wife down from her frenzy. Called AAA. All good. Deep breaths.
Only lasted ~45 seconds but scary as hell!
Ironic, I literally got the truck back yesterday after having to buy a brand new radiator.
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