Frozen Brakes

[bikeit]

I have a 2008 fiesta,

this past few days here it is below 0 degrees, got into the car yesterday morning and again this morning the back brakes were frozen, the car would not move forward or backward, so i had to keep trying to get it to move as i was running late, so what i would like to know is there anything i can do to prevent this happening again and was it safe to force the car to move?

[b1g_dav3]

Don't use the handbrake, keep it in gear.

[colin79666]

As above, especially if you aren't parking on a hill.

I haven't hard this issue with my Fiesta but on one of my past Fiats I had to make use of a big rubber mallet and give the drums a bit of a beating to free them up.

[stef123]

Don't force the brakes to free by trying to drive, you will end up damaging something or ripping the lining off the shoes.

Heat is the only option really, I have used boiling water once in the past when this happened to my girlfriends car.

[b1g_dav3]

Shouldn't use boiling water on a frozen part, you're up for micro-fractures, which I really wouldn't want on a breaking system that gets heated up >.<

Run cold water over windows too, not boiling. I feel like smacking people's heads against the windows when they use boiling water, a bucket of cold water from the tap would work as well >.<

[stef123]

Shouldn't use boiling water on a frozen part, you're up for micro-fractures, which I really wouldn't want on a breaking system that gets heated up >.<

Run cold water over windows too, not boiling. I feel like smacking people's heads against the windows when they use boiling water, a bucket of cold water from the tap would work as well >.<

No real difference in using hot water on the brakes IMO, think of when the brakes are hot and you drive through a puddle for example, they get quenched with cold water which is probably worse

[Magenta]

I always park in first gear anyway as I believe it is more reliable than simply relying on the friction of the handbrake - as long as you remember to declutch first when starting of course which I do as a matter of course in a manual car (foot on brake too) !.

[Steve]

i have never known a cars brakes to freeze... or perhaps i am too far south?

[Marcr1]

I had a problem on my punto with the hand brake sticking. when the car was left over night (summer to) it used to stick. I'd put the hand brake and the car wouldn't roll. Driving off there would be a clunk and it would drop off.

I never actually got the problem fixed though :P I sold the car and got my fiesta :D. It was a 10 plate to :s

Also going on from Magentas comment. My yaris used to have a built in feature where the car wouldn't start unless the clutch was fully pressed down.

Never forget I was on holiday and my dad wanted to take the car out. But couldn't get it to start! Not knowing about the clutch. Ringing up Toyota, having a go at them. They came out to inspect the car, realising what my dad wasn't doing... Awwwwwkwarddddddd