2003 Acura TL Brake and Steering system lock up!

MORETTICA

MEMBER
2003 ACURA TL
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
82,000 MILES

I have a 2003 TL Type-S with around 82000 miles on it. The car is in great condition and I rarely have issues. About a week or two ago, my Brake indicator in the dash came on. It came on while I was driving. But the brakes were working fine. Everything was acting normal. I stopped the car and turned it off. And the light reset. Every once in awhile since then, the light will just come on and stay on until I turn the car off. I checked the Brake fluid. And I think it is fine. It isn't max, but it is nowhere near the min line. Well yesterday, I was in a parking spot. I turned the car on. The brake light came on and stayed on. I pressed the brake and it worked fine. I put the car in reverse to back out and then let me foot off the brake. The car rolled back and I went to turn the wheel to back out and it was extremely stiff. Not locked. Just ridiculously stiff. I tried to press the brake pedal and the pedal was very stiff. The car continue to roll backwards and the brakes and steering were not functioning at all. I popped the car back into Park and then tried it again. Same thing. So I put it back into park and turned the car off. I turned it back on. And the light went away and all of the functions worked perfectly. No issues whatsoever now. Regardless. That was really scary because I have never seen a problem like that. Effecting both brakes and steering. Not a good combination.

Also. These are things I was noticing today while driving. These things happen a lot, but I never thought of them as significant. But they could be related. When I press the brakes harder than average, the steering wheel shakes slightly from side to side. If I slam on the brakes, it shakes a lot. I notice that my car will sometimes shift to one side slightly if I hit the brakes too hard. It will pull to one side or another. It is also becoming more difficult to stop. I noticed it today.I was pulling up behind someone at a stop light and I was applying typical pressure to stop and I was getting really close and had to slam on the pedal at the last second to fully stop.

1 Reply

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

Well yesterday, I was in a parking spot. I turned the car on. The brake light came on and stayed on. I pressed the brake and it worked fine. I put the car in reverse to back out and then let me foot off the brake. The car rolled back and I went to turn the wheel to back out and it was extremely stiff. Not locked. Just ridiculously stiff. I tried to press the brake pedal and the pedal was very stiff. The car continue to roll backwards and the brakes and steering were not functioning at all. I popped the car back into Park and then tried it again. Same thing. So I put it back into park and turned the car off. I turned it back on. And the light went away and all of the functions worked perfectly. No issues whatsoever now. Regardless. That was really scary because I have never seen a problem like that. Effecting both brakes and steering. Not a good combination.

The only explanation I can think of for the above was that the engine cut off and when this occurs, the brakes and steering would be stiff.

Also. These are things I was noticing today while driving. These things happen a lot, but I never thought of them as significant. But they could be related. When I press the brakes harder than average, the steering wheel shakes slightly from side to side. If I slam on the brakes, it shakes a lot. I notice that my car will sometimes shift to one side slightly if I hit the brakes too hard. It will pull to one side or another. It is also becoming more difficult to stop. I noticed it today.I was pulling up behind someone at a stop light and I was applying typical pressure to stop and I was getting really close and had to slam on the pedal at the last second to fully stop.

The brakes puuliing to onoe side is most likely cause by a bad control arm or its ball joint.

The brakes vibrating should be caused by bad rotors and this would also cause braking efficiency.

Get the brakes checked as this is a safety hazard.

As to the brake indicator lights showing, is it the park brakes only or with other indicator lights such as ABS etc?