Lanny Chambers wrote:

> I mentioned adjusting the rear brakes, Pat, not the parking brake. The
> parking brake cable should probably never need attention, if the rear
> caliper adjustments are maintained. Frozen slider pins are another
> source of brake problems; mine get cleaned and lubed about every other
> oil change.

Ok, I was wrong to mention parking brake, but I am definitely confused here.
Are you saying that the rear brakes require adjustment at frequent
intervals? Why are they different from the front brakes which
self-adjust as the pads wear down? I never adjusted the rear ones except
after pad installation and never had a problem. Did I just get lucky?

I do check and lube the slider pins about once a year.

>
> FWIW, I expect my 136k-mile car to work perfectly, all the time. I'm
> happy to pay my mechanic $30 to change the oil, do all the little stuff,
> and give the car a general inspection every 3k miles. I'm not poor, and
> I haven't enjoyed doing my own maintenance for decades.
>

Well, I am poor, and young enough that doing my own maintenance is no
big deal. Hopefully, I will be old and wealthy one day and will have a
trustworthy mechanic at the time. ;-)

I wouldn't expect any car to function perfectly all of the time,
especially at 136K miles.
The miata is great, it is not magic. Even well-serviced cars break down.

Pat