Brakes went on my car yesterday when I was driving.

[i-need-a-martini]

That was scary.

Lucky I was only doing 30km/hour so I could ease to a stop with the handbrake with millimetres of slamming into the back of the person in front.

But just prior I was flying over the Taren Point Bridge at 100km/hour. That could have been the end of me cause there is no way the handbrake could have been of help then.

But it got me wondering. My old car is a 30 year old Merc and the handbrake is an easy to reach pull-to-a-stop type with a big easy to grab handle. But what if it was a modern car with one of those push button handbrakes that almost hide under the steering wheel. I would have had no chance of stopping I don't think. Plus that would have been an absolute stop (as opposed to manually easing my way to a stop) and it would have caused havoc all around me.

Thank goodness for old cars!

[Anonymous]

According to the Vicroads learner test you should try pumping your brakes if they fail.

yeah, i had to do that once.

[***super_nova***]

Glad you are OK 🙂

[i-need-a-martini]

---

@*julia*2010 wrote:

i think thats where the brake fluid is.

the warning light should have come on.

---

There was a flickering light that came on 5mins before it happened. But I thought it was the warning that tells me to replace the brake pads so thought "i must mention that to the mechanic next week." Plus it didn't stay on but flickered on and off.

The mech tells me it was a general warning light that covers brake pads amongst other things and it should have come on so he would check the warning system as well.

Either way, the warning light should give you time get home before a complete failure occurs surely??!!

You can tell I know nothing about cars lol!

Spoiler

[i-need-a-martini]

---

@***super_nova*** wrote:

Glad you are OK 🙂

---

I could have been killed!

I keep repeating that to anyone that will listen but no-one seems to be taking it seriously nor are they as upset at this as I am.  

Spoiler

[i-need-a-martini]

Keep accidently hitting the spoiler button instead of the emoticon one. Has ebay changed the location or symbol or something??

[Anonymous]

Either way, the warning light should give you time get home before a complete failure occurs surely??!!

if its  working properly, yes.

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

Back in 66 my brother took a bunch of kids in our Jeep Wagoneer (55) to have a look at a recently extinguished forest fire.   On the way up, he managed to clip a brake line, and drained the fluid.  Once up at the top, he turned around and headed back down......it was at this time he realized that he had no brakes.......he tried to gear down, but the shifter hung in neutral.  He managed to get around a few corners, but eventually the car went over the edge.  Fortunately, it was all young growth going straight down, and once he hit a big enough tree to fracture the tie rods, the front wheels tipped in, and the car stopped.  The hood was plastered over the windshield, the front bumper was in two pieces, most of the windows were broken, and a branch had punched its way through the body, and given one of the girls a shallow puncture wound in her hiney.

My dad and I were at work when my uncle called, so we closed up shop and headed up the mountain.  When we got there, my brother lay prone on the ground, feigning injury, so my dad wouldn't really injure him........didn't work.

[i-need-a-martini]

Lucky they weren't all killed!

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

if its  working properly, yes.

In the '70's, GM actually contemplated doing away with idiot lights.........Apparently they had done a survey, and discovered women drivers, would drive 10 miles to ask a service attendant why that red oil light was on........

[i-need-a-martini]

---

@this-one-time-at-bandcamp wrote:

if its  working properly, yes.

In the '70's, GM actually contemplated doing away with idiot lights.........Apparently they had done a survey, and discovered women drivers, would drive 10 miles to ask a service attendant why that red oil light was on........

---

Well I can say that I know what all the lights are but was taken aback that the malfunction could occur so soon afetr the light fickered on.