| Subject: | brakes |
| Question: | i changed a set of
pads on the passenger side of a 97 mirage. the other wheel wouldn't
come off. now the passanger side brakes wont work and the brake light
is on. i bleed the brakes and still nothing. |
| Answer: | Matt, You shouldn't have needed to bleed your brakes if you were just changing pads. Rule-of-thumb, if you replace the passenger side pads, you should replaces the driver side pads as well, just so you have the exact same pad thickness on each side. You may want to drive (very slowly) to your nearest service station garage and ask them if they can just loosen the lug nuts on your wheels if you're having a hard time getting the wheel off. You can drive slowly for a short distance with loosened lug nuts. Your brake light usually only comes on for two reason. One, if your parking brake is engaged. Or Two, you are low on brake fluid. Air in the brake lines can also cause the brake light to come on. If air was allowed to get into the brake lines at any point, you'll need to bleed all the brakes, not just the side you changed. If you have anti-lock braking system, your brake light may come on if the sensor(s) is dirty. Whatever is causing your braking problems, get it fixed ASAP. Not
only for safety reasons, but a small problem can get bigger and more
expensive as time goes on. |