Brake caliper getting hot, trailer brake booster flashing red.
I just recently got a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. I did the brakes (pads only) on it about three or four weeks ago. After a long drive today I stopped and smelled burnt brakes on the passenger side rear. I peek my head in and black smoke is coming out, caliper and rotor is real hot. I took the wheel off, removed the caliper, pumped the brakes until I fully extended the pistons and clamped them back in. One piston was a little stickier than the other but other than that I didn't see anything out of ordinary.
I crossed my fingers and drove home while stopping intermittently and everything was fine until I smelled it again but this time it was coming from the drivers side rear! While coming down my driveway I noticed that the brake controller (Brake Master brand, not sure of the model but there isn't any display on it for codes) is flashing on and off in weird patterns (like a wire short) but when the brakes are applied the light stays on.
Are these two issues related? I can't see both calipers going bad suddenly and the brake controller acting funny at the same time to be of coincidence but I've never installed or owned a vehicle with one installed. I was under the impression that it just read some voltage relating to the trucks current braking status and sent a corresponding voltage out the plug in the rear to the trailer. Could it be mucking with my trucks brakes?
Can I disable the brake controller until I can get it fixed so I can drive it?
Posted Jul 18, 2015, 2:42 AM UTC
If you can depress the calipers with minimal effort they aren't stuck. Did you grease the slide pins?
If the controller is unable to actuate the trailer brakes, your disc brakes are doing all the heavy lifting and getting too hot. IT's flashing cause it's trying to tell you there's a problem.
Either way, after you figure it out flush the fluid because overheated fluid is garbage. And until then, avoid hills and hauling at all costs.
I don't know about minimal effort because I was using a friends wood hand screw (a little unwieldy under there), but they went in all the way with a little bit of an extra struggle on one.
Thing is, I'm not hooked up to a trailer. Nothing is plugged into the rear end. This all happened simultaneously, but it could just be coincidence.
I didn't have grease on hand so I put used 10w on the slide pins (such a redneck I know and not near heavy enough). One of them seemed to be sticky on the passenger side back when I changed pads but the driver side seemed fine. I'll grease them with some quality grease... maybe that's my problem.
yes. Never used petroleum based grease or oil around rubber. Your going to have to remove the pins and the rubber boot and clean the shit out of them then use proper green caliper grease liberally. I bet you the oil dripped out and started smoking.
While your at it. Crack open the bleeders. If fluid shoots out the hoses could be pinched and cause the caliper to stick.
I use the $5 piston depressor from Autozone. Basically you should be able to turn the screw by hand with no effort. If you have to crank it hard, replace the caliper. I learned this the hard way after I fought a pair of calipers only to have them get stuck closed.
I had that thought as well. It only smoked on the side I greased, too. The other side just got real hot acting like it was slightly seized. It made me think it had something to do with the brake lines the way one started seizing, quit, and then the other started.
You think it's possible both rear calipers are going out at the same time? I've never had but one go out on me. Just seems so suspicious... and I would think the slide pins could be the issue on the passenger side but I didn't grease the drivers side.. seemed fine.. hmph. I'll put a piston depressor on it and see. Thanks.
It's only possible if the calipers were already worn, then doing the brake job agitated them. That's why I won't complete a brake job if I have trouble depressing the piston, either they buy new calipers or I just give the car back.
Did you accidentally twist the e-brake cable at all?