1992 Chrysler Imperial Help please?

ohmissvincent · Posted at Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:03 am

Brakes problem
1992 Chrysler Imperial 6 cyl 146000 miles

I just got a '92 Chrysler Imperial today and noticed the brakes make a sort of notchy grindy sound every now and then, and my ABS light and brake light comes on. How long can I drive on this without messing up my rotor, and how much will it cost for me to get it fixed? I'm supposed to drive about 100 miles on the interstate tomorrow night.

caradiodoc · Posted at Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:41 pm

Most of the wear takes place when you are braking, not cruising on the highway. With light carefully planned braking, I've gotten by for a week without doing significantly more damage. This is not true with Ford products. The metal parts are made from softer metal to reduce noise in the passenger compartment. The trade-off is by the time you hear the grinding, you have junk.

Be aware that you will hear the anti-lock brake system pressure pump cycle on and off while driving. On my '93 Dynasty, the twin to your car, my pump runs after about every three brake pedal applications because this pressure is also what provides the power assist when stopping. You might be hearing the pump, not grinding brake rotors, especially if you hear it when you are standing still and pumping the brake pedal. In that case, if the brake ABS brake light is on, you will just have regular brakes, not the anti-lock function. A mechanic will connect a hand-held computer to retrieve the diagnostic fault code memorized in the ABS computer. Common problems are a cracked tone ring on the axle shaft or a defective wheel speed sensor.

caradiodoc