Trying to replace my fuel tank guard. Trying to let gas get low. To take off the guard. Canyon incline road danger warning signs to trucks. Ran out of gas before incline. Didn't even know I was out of gas. Needle not below red. Put in Neutral and coasted 7 miles. There is a gas station at the bottom of the road. I can't believe I coasted 7 miles out of gas. That's crazy.

Now heres where it gets scary.

I tried to stop to turn into the gas station - and the brakes locked up. I was forced to use the parking brake. Probably need a new parking brake. Thank the Lord there was no traffic. The brakes locked up in Neutral. I would have rear ended someone.

Seems pretty serious to me for a cars brakes to stop working because the engine failed on the road or it ran out of gas. Not sure I'm too keen I driving this anymore.




Why did the brakes fail?

 

Did the brakes fail or lockup - two different things. Normally when an engine dies, you loose vacuum therefore you loose braking boost. If you are traveling fast, its very hard to stop. This is normal. If they lockedup, thats very odd because there is no vacuum. So for them to clamp down and you skidding to a stop - also odd.

This is why your parking brake is also called an emergency brake.

 

When the gas ran out it felt like automatically went to neutral. I put it into Nuetral .. coasted 7 miles down an incline.. I pumped the brakes to slow down a few times .. when I got to the bottom the brakes were locked up so they would not even push down .. I had to use the emergency brake to eventually stop .. if there were other cars .. I would have smashed into them .. It took 100-200 hundred feet to slow down. Not good Surprised this car was ever approved for the road.. should be able to brake at ALL times .. what if your engine fails .. and your going 50 mph and there is a red light in front of you ? Not good..

Thinkin about selling her after this ..

 

Sounds like your parking brake has not been maintained if it took that far to stop. When was the last time was adjusted and serviced?

 

19 years ago ..
shouldn't need to use an e brake .. braking should work 100 of the time

 

So basically this situation was 100% avoidable and would happen the same way with any vehicle in the same state. So the issue is not the vehicle. Operator error. Get those brakes serviced and down go down steep grades on low fuel.

 

so ur saying any vehicle the gas runs out the engine dies and the brakes won't work ?

 

My suggestion would be public transportation for you. Obviously, you don't understand how a vehicles braking system works or that the power brakes installed on your vehicle need vacuum, created by the engine (while running) to give you a 100% braking. Without vacuum, your pedal will be very hard to push and offer very little braking at road speed...hence...the need for an emergency brake. Luckily, no one was hurt during your little run-out-of-gas-coasting-down-a-grade episode. This whole situation was caused by you, not the vehicle.

 

I agree with deputy. Your brakes worked you just didn't press hard enough

 

No. As mentioned above, you lost the vacuum on the brake booster. Your brakes did not stop working, you just need to push MUCH harder to stop when you don't have the power assist. Yes, every car with a vacuum brake booster does this when the engine is off.