94 Mercury wagon: already has rebuilt tranny and complete tune-up, everything electrical replaced. the car runs perfectly normal for the first 10 minutes, then when something (i think in the wheels or brakes) gets hot, it won’t go faster than 25 miles an hour without flooring it, the anti-lock brake light comes on and goes off, and it drives like the emergency brake is on until something frees up again. in cold weather or rain it doesn’t happen. in hot weather, all the time. it locks up, then frees, then locks up again, continually. my mileage has dropped to 12 MPG. one mechanic replaced a sensor that he says tells the engine what speed the car is going. that didn’t fix it. help.
the car is my dog transport vehicle, and outfitted accordingly, so i don’t really want to get rid of it. any ideas?
It sounds like you could have either a stuck caliper or poorly-adjusted drum brakes. Get a second opinion from a dealership or a brake specialist.
After a short drive, get out and check the wheels and see which ones are unusually hot. Those have an issue. Seems the car is not pulling to one side, so brakes on either the front or rear are dragging. Might be a stuck valve.
thanks for your suggestions. will do.
Get to a brake specialist and don’t waste time thinking about it. We’re talking big time dangerous here. Yes, stop and feel the wheels to see which ones are hot. Not the time to read replies and consider what to do. Go see the man - NOW.