Having others work on my vehicles...

[flagmanruss]

My Progressive Multiple Sclerosis has reached a point where I can only be on my feet a few minutes at a time. I'm forced to have others do everying on my vehicles... The prices are outrageous... and either the work isn't done right or they cause another problem... Today, I paid to have batteries put in the truck... I could hear the truck rev a few times while the stupid paper jockey figured out to wiggle the shifter slightly (automatic). So I get the truck back & the BRAKES light is now on. I had noticed the E brake had been put on... I never use it... I had to raise the petal by hand. I had the Mgr, 2 mechanics out there... Actually, I really think the paper jockey did it when he moved the truck, so don't want to hang the mechanics... The Head Mechanic violently shakes the mechanism & the warning light goes out... he says I should have it checked. So I leave butI'm certain the I now have a stuck cable & probably dragging E brakes. In as much as I drove the truck before with seized brakes... the only symptom was piss poor mpg... So now I have to find somewhere to take it. Basically the truck hasn't been 100 miles since the brakes were done (& redone, I took it back when the truck would thump when the pedal was applied, AFTER the First brake job.) I don't plan to go back there & expect they don't want to see me either. Russ

[Mopar1973Man]

If the rear e-brake shoe or out of adjustment the pedal doesn't alway return properly either... http://mopar.mopar1973man.com/tips/cumm ... -brake.htm But typically in cold weather the cable does get stick and hang up. Sometimes you just got to park it a in a warm shop and wash the cables down and the dirt and grit off them. Then the pedal returns normally. I have this problem out here in the cold days of Idaho. I start out in Riggins, ID where is 45*F and raining and head back to New Meadows, ID where its 20*F and snowing now all that road grime and ice is form up on the cables. Now I set my brake (manual trans) and park it for the night. Next morning the brake won't release properly. BRAKE light on yet and the pedal hanging down...

[keydl]

Use a motorcycle cable lube adapter to force synthetic oil through the brake cable - it will not freeze to the housing. If the ice gets built up it may interfere with the equalizer bar where the cables joinA different way is to clean the cable from the equalizer and oil well, then pull the drum and pull the cable through to lube the other end.Oil and water do not mix easy and the water will not wick up the cable houseing and stick to the houseing and cable. Of course swatting the cable with a tire checker will usually break the ice.A little seal of grease will usually keep the oil 4-5 years if the rubber seals are not working.With your problems any shop where you can not talk to the actual wrench is probably a poor choice, when you find a small shop that has a wrench that returns to school every month and has pride in doing the job right the first time - find out some thing that he/she likes - 6 pac, donuts, bucket of chicken..........You want to be seen as a few min diversion that is welcome even when you have problems. Good shops have a book for 6 hrs a day that is 3-6 weeks long which leaves 2-3 hrs for stuff that lands on the door step every day. I quit a couple of times because of the scheduling and was fired once.At the dealership they have only one cure for e-brake cables - new ones. Probably approching $200 the eachkeydl