Hey everybody! I took my 2005 Dodge Magnum into a body shop I’ve used before with success for some touch up work along the right side door and back. I rubbed up along a truck pulling forward in a parking lot.
It was there for 5 days getting worked on and the body work looks great. But, I drove it 1 mile on city streets to my house and during that drive I felt like the brakes weren’t responsive. When I got home and got out of the car, (and inside the car on the drive back) I smelled what I thought smelled like burning tire. Bending down to the front left side tire the smell was quite strong. And (this may be my imagination), I thought the tread on that tire looked way bad.
Anyway, probably too many symptoms and I may have imagined one. But the smell is definitely real, and it definitely was not there when I dropped it off. I left a message for the body shop but they aren’t open this weekend and I’d love to get some feedback on what you all think it could be.
Thanks!
Good Thoughts in Memphis, TN
Sounds like a common dragging brake/sticky caliper to me. At least the smell got you to check your tires.
Any ideas what I ought to do about it? I don’t know much about car repair. In your opinion, is there anything the body shop could have done to cause this?
Not much chance that he body shop caused it. It was probably ready to get sticky anyway and sitting for 5 days unused alowed it to do so.
Others might suggest lubing the slides, but it may need a new caliper. Once the wheel is off and the caliper swung up (or removed) the tech will be able to tell.
You might clarify the part about “touching up the back”.
Does this mean the wheel area got whacked?
What kind of repair bill, roughly, was involved in this touch up work?
Just offhand, I tend to agree with a dragging or frozen brake problem.
Do you use the park brake much? If not, maybe someone at the body shop actually used it and after being released a sticking cable did not allow the brakes to release.
You could try jacking the car up enough to get the wheel off the ground and try rotating the wheel by hand. If it does not turn freely then the brakes are likely dragging on it.
Sure. When I ran up along the truck, a dent was created from the lower part of the back passenger side door that terminated close to the wheel hub on the back right hand side. The wheel was not touched, and that wheel doesn’t smell. The touch up work involved the re-painting of a lot of the right hand side, replacement of the door panel, and I think some of the back fender. I paid $1500 for the work. I don’t use the park brake much- but I agree it could be stuck. I’ll jack it up tomorrow and see what’s what. Thanks,
Good Thoughts
We see this at our shop from time to time and there is nothing the shop could have done to make this happen. It is also not accident related. I am sure this is nothing more than bad timing, as in, it just happened to occur after the vehicle was repaired. I am sure you understand since from your post you seem to asking instead of accusing and I personally thank you for that. Just this week someone came into my shop after 3 months saying her tie rod was loose and we should have fixed it since we replaced the rear bumper.
Yes. I know that body shop techs (for the most part) take a great deal of pride in their work and I’ve used this shop before. I do not want to make any ridiculous, unsubstantiated claims just because I’ve had a very expensive episode with my vehicle. Sure is a heck of a coincidence though. It is over at a Mastercare place right now and they’ve taken the brakes apart and have yet to find anything. Right now they think the caliper may be sticking, and are taking an even closer look at the upper right hand side. I haven’t spoken with the body shop since I left them a message about the issue Friday afternoon.