I just drove 10 hours from Ottawa Canada to Washington DC...Just before I got into DC I noticed my steering wheel shacking and when I came to a red light there was smoke coming from the front left tire and a burning smell. I let it sit for about 30 minutes and started to drive again and it has not re-occurred. I am going to bring it to a local mechanic tomorrow just to be on the safe side...any ideas?

2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT

Thanks

 

Maybe a stuck caliper holding the pad against the rotor.

 

Thanks.

That is what my mechanic back home said it might be as well.

I took it in to a mechanic here in Washington and he said the caliper is fine and the breaks are working well...He didn't find any problems and said when I drive it back to Ottawa don't drive 10 hours straight. I think I may have pushed it on the way down but will still have my regular mechanic take a look when I get home....hope I make it

 

He's wrong, it's a problem with the caliper piston not returning properly and the driving duration has nothing to do with it. I just had exact same problem and the only way I could fix it was to replace the caliper, mind you the original caliper had 297,000 kms on it, so I'm not complaining. If it doesn't re-occur I would suggest changing the brake fluid.

BTW, quick fix is to remove the wheel and gently tap the caliper with a hammer to free it up and getting it moving back and forth.

Cheers

 

Thanks PWR!

After reading your post I called my mechanic back home and he said the same thing you did and also mentioned something about the hose. He said I can drive it back but if the car starts to shake or feel heavy to stop for a bit and then continue....this is my second and last Caravan I think

 

You didn't mention the mileage on your van, but I've owned enough vehicles to say this is normal stuff. Every vehicle has it's own issues, including Toyota and Honda (i.e. it's not uncommon for higher mileage Honda vans to have transmission problems, usually 180,000 kms and up). I've owned Toyotas with persistent problems. If you use a vehicle they will wear out.

It's possible that the brake hose to the front caliper may have a problem, but if everything works out, and you get back to Ottawa with no problems, I would suggest replacing the the brake fluid. You could have air in the line that is causing a slow caliper return (for optimum performance, you should flush the brake fluid every 2 years as DOT3 brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning that it likes to absorb water).

Cheers