I just got to work this morning after a 35 mile highway commute, I step out of the car and smell ... 'that smell'. My drivers rear wheel was quite hot - way too hot, in fact. Something is obviously dragging back there.

I ran some searches, and didn't see anything -- Has anyone had problems with sticking calipers or an e-brake problem allowing the brake to drag? (assuming they're in drums within the rotors).

Anyone have any tips they'd like to share before I dig into this tonight? I know my way around with common disk and drum duties, but this problem is a first for me.

Thanks,
-marc

Edit: Sorry, This is an '05 SXT. ~32,000 miles. Bought second hand, 4,000 miles ago, for what it's worth.

 

A little update I guess.

I had needed to get the cars oil changed, and I wanted to see how quickly things got hot back there, so I took the car out at lunch. Before I left, I gave the e-brake a few hard set/release cycles. Everything felt fine.

I took the car down the the oil-change joint about 5 miles down the highway. I checked things when I got there - the drivers rear didn't get noticeably hotter. I did my business there, and took the car for a 20 minute highway ride. Again, things seemed just fine.

I'm not sure if this brake problem was a fluke thing with the caliper, or if my e-brake was dragging on that side. I do manage to kick the e-brake pedal here and there getting in the car, but I always see that idiot light before I get rolling. Maybe my little accidental-kicks of the pedal and subsequent releases weren't enough to free a lightly sticking mechanism. I don't know. Just things I've been thinking.

I'll have to pull the rear wheels off and check out the pads and shoes to track down what's going on and to see if there is evidence that this was more than a one-time thing. If you guys are interested, I'll keep this updated...

 

This was hilarious.

I brought the car to the dealer because it's still under waranty. I tell them simply that the drivers-rear is dragging and things are heating up, to the point of (nearly) 'stinking'. Can't touch the rim, all of that.

I figure that would have been good enough for any competant mechanic to understand?

I go and pick up the car, mostly expecting that they replaced the caliper or found the e-brake hanging up. No, I get charged for a half our labor on a brake inspection and I'm told I simply need pads and rotors. I was quoted $575, including two hours of labor. "ARE YOU SERIOUS!" was my reply.

It was suggested that the smell I noticed was rust buildup burning off as I drove.

I took the car home and looked at things myself. I don't even think the dealer pulled the rear wheels. I pull the caliper and found that the outboard pad was hung up in the 'frame' that holds the pads. It was rusted up and a little crooked. It was definitely dragging. I had to hammer it out. I tracked down a new set of rear pads for $29, cleaned up the 'frames' that hold the pads, as there was rust in there gumming things up a bit. Slapped it all back together and everything is great.

The only reason I can come up with for the thing to rust up like that, was that I bought the car used, and I don't know how long it sat unused for.

 

Man that sad waranty work. Sorry to hear of the problmes.

I find myself from time to time having to pull the ebrake release more than once, but I don't have a ebrake dragging issue.

The ebrakerelease wasn't well made.

 

Same problem here guys. I get the brake light and bing often. I don't notice myself hitting the E-brake, but I pull the release and go on my way. I have a loud squeak in my rear brakes. I took it to the dealer and they told my there would be a $40 charge to look at the brakes. I have lock lugs and placed the key in my console in a way I would know if they used it to remove my wheels. They bring the car out and said they found nothing wrong with the brakes. I paid a $40 charge to tell me that? They didn't even look. The key was sittting exactly as I left it. Anyway as I pulled out of their lot, I had the same squeak. I'm beginning to think Dodge does not want to honor their warranties. Before I would pay themfor a $500 brake job, I'd take it to someone else and give them the money. I'm not going to continue to give them my business with service like that!

 

I have a 2006 300c SRT8 with 16,000miles. I've had almost word for word the same problem including how I was treated at the dealership. I changed the rotors and pads and still the same problem but not as bad as before but still the problem is there. I've went threw a lot of brakes on other cars/trucks. My 300c is close to needing new brakes but I didn't need to spend $550 for rotors and pads, yet I did before I realized. So, did you find out if its only rust build-up. Because I'd say my pads did NOT ware evenly at all the marks on the back of the pads lead me to believe there is a problem with the calipers. And I thought the front brakes were suppose to ware more then the back. One more thing the dealer tried to tell me I had been power-braking after I had over herd one mechanic at the dealer say it was the E-brake. But then they took the car to a bay in the back of the dealership. Then they fed me the line about power-braking. I'm the only person to drive my car and I have never power-braked it. then they had to order the parts and told me I could keep driving the car tell the parts came in. I guess there waiting for some-one to have something go wrong at 170mph and die before they will accept responsibility for the brakes that are NOT all that they made them out to be! Does anyone have a solution for the brakes.

 

My e-brake locked up and I had to have the car takin to the delaership they replaced the whole cable assm.