Volvo Owners Club Forum - View Single Post - Front brake was stuck on; will it happen again?

capt jack · Apr 19th, 2018, 17:57

I've recently bought a "new" 1997 S90, and, as we all do I guess, for the first few weeks I driven it oh-so-carefully, almost nun-like in my stately progress!

The car had been stored relatively unused in a garage prior to my purchase, and as I started to get a bit more relaxed about driving it I noticed that under heavier braking there'd be a bit of a droning sound, which was also noticeable through the brake pedal. At first I was worried that the pads were shot, but a closer look showed that this was not the case.

So, gritting my teeth I deliberately braked hard a few times on a quiet road from 50-ish down to stationary. The droning noise and sensation quite quickly disappeared after a couple of repeats of this, and I've now come to the conclusion that because the car had been stood, and because I'd been driving so gently, a bit of scale and corrosion had built up in the discs - probably the rears, simply through lack of use.

The couple of "livelier" applications of the brakes had helped to shift this, and now the braking is silent.

When you look at a car's brake discs after washing or heavy rain, it's surprising how much scale and rust quickly appears. The Nissan Note that I had prior to the S90 was left standing on the drive for just 10 days before being sold. And in that time the front brake discs rusted up completely, to the extent that the eventual buyer took one look and declared that new discs were needed! They weren't of course, and in the course of the test drive the discs started to shine again.

The lesson is that like all machines, cars don't respond well to a lack of regular use.

As for the proper way to store a car, no doubt there are all sorts of practical suggestions on-line, but mine would include:

1. Leave the handbrake off
2. If possible leave the car in neutral
3. Over-inflate the tyres to prevent the formation of flat spots, and check regularly to make sure that they stay up
4. If possible, before storage service the car and top up fluids. Grease things like door locks and bonnet catches.
5. At intervals during storage start the engine and let it run up to temperature at least once a month, if possible actually driving the car a short distance each time. With the engine running apply the brakes a few times to help prevent things from seizing up.
6. On re-commissioning the car again, change the oil and check fluids, pump the brakes a few time to get things moving.
7. Possibly turn the engine over with the coil disconnected on the first start-up, just to get the oil moving a bit.

Ideally a car should I guess be stored somewhere dry, and away from extremes of temperature and humdity, perhaps with the windows open to keep the air in and around the car nice and fresh.

A dozen or so years ago I bought an 1800ES that had been stood for over 20 years, but in a nice dry garage. Things did need easing off but because the car hadn't been subject to any damp, it really did all start moving again quite easily.

One last thing, remember that petrol deteriorates with age. If a car is being left for a long period then I'd suggest either filling the tank to the brim, or leaving the tank empty but with the filler cap removed.

What I found with the ES was that the tank had been left about half full. This petrol had started to gum up the fuel lines and filter, and stank absolutely terrible. I drained it and used the petrol in the old lawn mower - which I am certain led to the early demise of said grass-cutter! Because the tank was neither full nor empty, above the petrol line condensation had formed, which rusted the upper half of the inside of the tank. Rusty scale then dropped into the petrol - contributing to the general decay! If the tank had been left empty with the cap off I reckon that there'd have been no condensation, and I would not have had to remove the tank to be cleaned!

Cheers

Jack

Apr 19th, 2018, 17:57	#6
capt jack VOC Member Last Online: Apr 20th, 2024 18:56 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Selby, North Yorkshire	I've recently bought a "new" 1997 S90, and, as we all do I guess, for the first few weeks I driven it oh-so-carefully, almost nun-like in my stately progress! The car had been stored relatively unused in a garage prior to my purchase, and as I started to get a bit more relaxed about driving it I noticed that under heavier braking there'd be a bit of a droning sound, which was also noticeable through the brake pedal. At first I was worried that the pads were shot, but a closer look showed that this was not the case. So, gritting my teeth I deliberately braked hard a few times on a quiet road from 50-ish down to stationary. The droning noise and sensation quite quickly disappeared after a couple of repeats of this, and I've now come to the conclusion that because the car had been stood, and because I'd been driving so gently, a bit of scale and corrosion had built up in the discs - probably the rears, simply through lack of use. The couple of "livelier" applications of the brakes had helped to shift this, and now the braking is silent. When you look at a car's brake discs after washing or heavy rain, it's surprising how much scale and rust quickly appears. The Nissan Note that I had prior to the S90 was left standing on the drive for just 10 days before being sold. And in that time the front brake discs rusted up completely, to the extent that the eventual buyer took one look and declared that new discs were needed! They weren't of course, and in the course of the test drive the discs started to shine again. The lesson is that like all machines, cars don't respond well to a lack of regular use. As for the proper way to store a car, no doubt there are all sorts of practical suggestions on-line, but mine would include: 1. Leave the handbrake off 2. If possible leave the car in neutral 3. Over-inflate the tyres to prevent the formation of flat spots, and check regularly to make sure that they stay up 4. If possible, before storage service the car and top up fluids. Grease things like door locks and bonnet catches. 5. At intervals during storage start the engine and let it run up to temperature at least once a month, if possible actually driving the car a short distance each time. With the engine running apply the brakes a few times to help prevent things from seizing up. 6. On re-commissioning the car again, change the oil and check fluids, pump the brakes a few time to get things moving. 7. Possibly turn the engine over with the coil disconnected on the first start-up, just to get the oil moving a bit. Ideally a car should I guess be stored somewhere dry, and away from extremes of temperature and humdity, perhaps with the windows open to keep the air in and around the car nice and fresh. A dozen or so years ago I bought an 1800ES that had been stood for over 20 years, but in a nice dry garage. Things did need easing off but because the car hadn't been subject to any damp, it really did all start moving again quite easily. One last thing, remember that petrol deteriorates with age. If a car is being left for a long period then I'd suggest either filling the tank to the brim, or leaving the tank empty but with the filler cap removed. What I found with the ES was that the tank had been left about half full. This petrol had started to gum up the fuel lines and filter, and stank absolutely terrible. I drained it and used the petrol in the old lawn mower - which I am certain led to the early demise of said grass-cutter! Because the tank was neither full nor empty, above the petrol line condensation had formed, which rusted the upper half of the inside of the tank. Rusty scale then dropped into the petrol - contributing to the general decay! If the tank had been left empty with the cap off I reckon that there'd have been no condensation, and I would not have had to remove the tank to be cleaned! Cheers Jack Last edited by capt jack; Apr 19th, 2018 at 18:15.