Pontiac - Vibe :: Using Emergency Brake To Slow Down While Gliding Into A Parking Spot?
Dec 8, 2011
Does it harm the emergency brake to use it instead of the foot brake to slow while gliding into a parking spot?
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Dec 8, 2011
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Pontiac - Vibe :: Slow Down After Driving For 15 - 20 Minutes / Will Not Go Faster
I have a 2003 Pontiac Vibe and recently have had problems...after I drive 15-20 minutes the car will begin to slow down...even if I give it more gas the car will stay a constant speed...say 30 mph and will not go faster...if I down shift..(manual trans)... I can get the car back to normal speed...and sometimes it smells hot when I get out...like brakes....on the highway the car will begin to slow as well and stay at 45...then come back after downshift..
View 16 RepliesPhaeton :: Parking / Emergency Brake Warning Light
There are a few threads on a sticking parking brake resulting in the warning light remaining on. Mine has developed to a stage that it requires a toe under the foot pedal every time to silence the alarm.
I finally stuck my head in the footwell this morning to look at the mechanism, expecting to see a strained spring. However there was no spring in evidence and I saw that when the parking break is released, the cable remains with some free play above the contact point with the pedal: i.e. there is no tension on the cable when the pedal is released, there is about 15mm of "free cable", leaving the pedal almost "floppy".
Observations
1) The pedal has no spring to return to it's correct position. Based on self study guide SSP_277 this is not as it should be as on page 37 this discusses a spring mechanism in the pedal
2) I would image there should be tension in the cable even when released; I feel the rear mechanism requires inspection as there are springs there.
3) While the parking brake works fine, It has a lot more travel that it previously had. Thus something is worn, stuck, or the self adjusting mechanism is not working.
4) For the record, car has 110K miles, the temperature is above freezing, the behaviour is not weather dependent and the parking brake has been routinely used (2008 car).
5) My recollection from new is the parking brake was released with a significant spring action: quite abruptly.
Volvo :: 1996 850 GLT - Offside Parking (emergency) Brake Not Working
I have a 1996 850 glt .... As it is an Automatic, we don't rely on the handbrake to hold the car when parked as where we live is flat etc, but still use it.
Near side rear is fine, Off side rear refuses to work. I have a 1995 t5 that is currently in dry dock so can use for parts etc.
Adjusted up the brake shoes both sides with handbrake released by adjusting to locked on and backing off about 4 clicks. Then adjusted the lever so it gave me about 4-5 clicks before fully on.
NSR works as it should, OSR has had cable, shoes, caliper, disk replaced (all work as they should as individual items)and handbrake still not working.
Santa Fe (CM - 2007-12) :: Parking / Emergency Brake Pedal Adjustments
I went to adjust my Santa Fe's parking brake (pedal version) and am trying to troubleshoot. The pedal goes all the way to the floor, something like 11+ clicks....
I jacked up the rear end, pulled the tires off, rotated the drum so that I could access the adjusting nut and used a flat head screwdriver to rotate it all the way back to where it wouldn't rotate anymore. After that I clicked it ~5-7 clicks. Same process on each side.
Went to go test the pedal, still goes to the floor, same number of clicks, etc.
Tried to locate an adjusting nut for the pedal but cannot find one, if one exists. The fuse box sits perfectly in the way but I was able to view everything with a little bit of effort and still couldn't locate the mythical adjusting nut.
I know I did the adjustment on the rear brakes correctly so it's an issue with the pedal/cable/nut.
Ford - Taurus - Wagon :: Harmful To Use Emergency Brake While Parking?
I always put on the emergency brake before putting the car in park. My husband only uses the park gear and not the emergency brake. Is this harmful to the car?
View 13 RepliesPassat (B5) :: No Power When Pulling Out Of Parking Spot / Brake Lights Stayed Lit
I have a 2003 Variant V6, 34,000 miles - I was pulling out of a parking spot and the car had no "power". but eventually it kicked in..then when I got home I noticed that the brake lights stayed lit...no problem, I pulled the fuse so the battery wold not run out...put the fuse back in for the ride to the dealer, but a block out and again no power - depressing the gas pedal had no effect. Could these be related? The cars been at the dealer all day, they have no clue so far. I had the fuel pump replaced under recall...could it be some sort of electrical problem.
View 4 RepliesPontiac - Sunbird :: ABS And Parking Brake Lights On
I drive a 94 Pontiac sunbird LE, and recently I was driving up to a stop sign and just about stopped when the brake pedal went straight to the floor. I pumped the brakes a few times and they were fine again. Then the next time I started up the car the abs and parking brake lights were on, and stayed on for 4 days. Just the other day the same thing happened again. What is going on?
View 5 RepliesPontiac - Vibe :: Noisy When Wet / Car Shakes
I have a 2003 Pontiac Vibe GT - same car as a Toyota Matrix. It's a 6 speed standard. When driving in heavy rain where the street is flooded by an inch or more of water the car makes a noise like the bottom is going to drop out. It comes from underneath and makes a womp-a-womp-a-wompa sound that shakes the car. I initially thought it was one of the plastic panels below the car that was loose and catching water that would make it slap back and forth. But my mechanic couldn't find any loose panels.
Someone told me they had something similar with a Dodge Caravan and it was the timing belt getting wet - only I have a timing chain. I can't tell if it is related to the revs of the engine - it might be. It's such a scary sound I take my foot off the gas and it does seem to go away as the car slows. Seems like keeping under 30mph and out of the puddles works. This is only in heavy rain, street flooded conditions.
Golf IV / Jetta IV :: When Speed Up Or Slow Down, ABS / TC And Parking Brake Lights Turn On With Beep
Every time I speed up or slow down my ABS, TC and parking brake lights turn on and my car beeps at me. I'm assuming that I have a wheel speed sensor going out. But when I check the codes there is nothing and the check engine light never turns on, so how do you tell which one to replace? Or is my problem something different? I drive a 1999.5 vr6 Jetta.
View 10 RepliesPontiac - Vibe :: 2006 - Hood Won't Open
We have a 2006 Pontiac with no problems, except all of the sudden the hood won't open! We pull on the latch inside the car and nothing! No, the cable isn't broken ...
View 2 RepliesPontiac - Vibe :: 2005 Won't Start On First Try Occasionally
I drive a 2005 Pontiac Vibe that occasionally will not start on the first try. It seems to only happen when I drive it, let it sit for a short amount of time (5min-1hr) and try to start it again. When this happens, it has always started on the second or third try. It always starts fine when it sits overnight. Is this something I need to be worried about or costly to fix?
View 3 RepliesPontiac :: 2005 - Vibe Blower Motor Went Bad
I recently got another blower motor for my vibe. Got it installed but nothing happened. I replaced the resistor as well. Once I found the secret hidden fuse panel I found that the 40a fuse was blown. I replaced it and it blew instantly upon turning the ignition on, the resistor was unplugged at the time. I am wondering if there could be a short in the wire harness.
The blower went bad a while ago and blew a resistor, I replaced it and it ran for a while until some smoke came out of the dash and then nothing.
Pontiac - Vibe :: 2006 - Headlight Sometimes Works
My '06 Pontiac Vibe sometimes has one headlight out. When it's on as a daytime light, or on normally, the right headlight is not working. As a high-beam, it comes back on. It did this for a few days, then came back to normal after I hit a hard bump. Now it's back out again. It sure sounds like a loose wire to me, but I can't find it by jiggling wires behind the light assembly.
View 5 RepliesPontiac - Vibe :: Battery Won't Remain Charged After Disconnecting
I have a 2006 Pontiac Vibe. Yesterday my Check Engine light came on while driving. It's done this before and randomly gone away. My car has been in the shop twice in the past month for routine maintenance.
The light annoys me, so I disconnected the battery and reconnected it a few minutes later. The car wouldn't start. I jumped it. It started, I let it idle, turned it off, and it's dead again. I did the same once more. Still dead.
So, my family "mechanic" says I probably didn't connect the terminals well enough, and that it might just need to be adjusted (in all fairness, I'm playing the stupid girl card here). He said worst case scenario is that I randomly need a new alternator (I doubt this based on the circumstances), and it's possible I might need a new battery (I think I replaced it three years ago, but maybe I didn't).
Pontiac - Vibe :: 2003 - Fluttering Noise In 4th Gear?
My Vibe (manual trans) started making a weird chattering/fluttering noise in 4th gear a couple of weeks ago, so I took it in (mileage around 160k). The noise was similar to the one it was making two years ago when the transmission tore itself to shreds and the shop did a full rebuild, so I was somewhat concerned about taking it in before I was stranded on the road somewhere. It took several days to find the problem, but apparently a balance shaft moved and chipped some teeth, and that somehow affected the trans in 3rd and 4th gears.
Now when they were explaining this I was trying to calm a screaming baby, so I wasn't really paying attention to the explanation, but I wanted to verify that this could happen and that I really do need yet another rebuild, this time with a new balance shaft. He's cutting me a break (this rebuild is significantly cheaper than the last one).
All this said, I really do trust my mechanic, but am really considering letting go of this curse of a car. I've now paid for it's value 1.5 times over the last two years. While the mechanic assures me this trans is bulletproof, two incidents in as many years makes me think otherwise. A quick google search doesn't allay my fears either...
Pontiac - Vibe :: Steering Misaligned When The Wheels Are Straight
In an effort to save some money, my husband replaced the worn front brake pads and rotors on our 2009 Pontiac Vibe. He had a lot of trouble removing the old parts and did use force. Now with the new rotors and brake pads installed, the steering wheel is misaligned when the wheels are straight. There is no pull to either side when driving. What happened and what should we do?
View 18 RepliesPontiac - Vibe :: Intermittent Rattling In Rear When Idling
I've got a 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT. A few days ago, my battery went dead when parked and listening to the radio. The terminals looked corroded but we jumped it and it was fine. Monday, my friend removed the connections and cleaned the terminals. The next day, I noticed that upon starting it, there was a noticeable rattle coming from the rear area of the car. Once I hit the gas, it's fine, and after a 50 min interstate drive it seemed fine. However, leaving work today it happened again-- a rattling when stopped at red lights or stop signs. Once I hit the gas it goes away, but starts on again as I slow to a crawl. Is the battery issue a red herring? What could be the cause of this?
View 15 RepliesPontiac - Vibe :: 2007 - How To Keep Mud And Dust Off Rear Window
Own a 2007 Pontiac Vibe (Toyota Matrix). Anyway, do a lot of driving on gravel roads, and the rear window is always covered in mud or dust. Any type of deflector available to alleviate this ?
View 9 RepliesPontiac - Vibe :: 2009 - Radio Knob Broken - Fix?
I just purchased a 2009 Pontiac Vibe, I love it, but I didn't notice that the radio knob was broken, I can't control the volume. Actually if I turn it just right it will catch but it's very difficult to do and I have to be parked to play with it. Is there a way to fix the knob?
View 4 RepliesPontiac - Vibe :: 2005 - Cold Engine Surging Until Warmed Up
Last winter, I noticed the engine was surging intermittently after start-up, until the engine warmed up. No issues on warmer days, spring/summer, etc.. Recently, the check engine light came on, so I took it into the shop. The shop did not feel the problem was the throttle body, and replaced the mass air flow sensor. The engine is still doing the surging thing after starting up.
View 17 Replies