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Parking Brake



 
 
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  #11  
Old January 22nd 06, 05:44 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
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Default Parking Brake

In article >,
pws > wrote:

> 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.


I got my Miata at 54k, and it's now at 136k. Only two things have failed
so far: an intermittant coolant fan motor, and the clutch slave finally
needed fixing after 11 years. Neither sidelined the car, and repairs
were at my convenience. I'm still on the original clutch, top, and A/C
charge. All other work has been routine maintenance/consumables or
discretionary upgrades. It's magic!

--
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html
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  #12  
Old January 22nd 06, 06:40 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
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Default Parking Brake

Lanny Chambers wrote:

> I got my Miata at 54k, and it's now at 136k. Only two things have failed
> so far: an intermittant coolant fan motor, and the clutch slave finally
> needed fixing after 11 years. Neither sidelined the car, and repairs
> were at my convenience. I'm still on the original clutch, top, and A/C
> charge. All other work has been routine maintenance/consumables or
> discretionary upgrades. It's magic!
>


I think that we have different definitions of the word "expect".

I replaced a starter that failed with no warning on a miata with far
less miles than your's. The owner was not the type to crank the car with
the car running, the part simply failed, despite being on a miata.
That car was sidelined. Your starter might make it to 300,000 miles, but
it could also fail tonight.

Would it really shock you if your A/C compressor failed, your radiator
started leaking, your clutch started slipping, or any of the many other
things that happen to any model of car, especially as they start to get
to be well over 10 years and 100K miles.

Pat
  #13  
Old January 22nd 06, 06:55 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
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Posts: n/a
Default Parking Brake

Oh, when I installed the new pads I extensively read about that on that
website and especially in my Haynes manual. I am pretty sure I got the pads
adjusted correctly. It is a balancing of the nominal clamping of the pads -
you adjust the clamping of the pads with an allen wrench. Not too tight to
have the pads rub; not too lose that the pads don't ever reach the disc when
applying the brake. I had a hell of a time with that (originally the pads I
used had no shims and were rubbing the discs intermittently), but when I got
the good pads - I think they were semi-metallic and they had shims on them,
I got the brakes working.

But, still the parking brake does not work.
Brian

"Lanny Chambers" > wrote in message
...
> In article <3gCAf.1686$zh2.1480@trnddc01>,
> "Brian" > wrote:
>
> > However,
> > I am suspicious that *both* calipers have a problem. That's why maybe

there
> > is some adjustment on the calipers for the parking brake I don't know

about,
> > or maybe I did something wrong when I changed the pads.

>
> I think so, too. Visit miata.net, go to the Garage section, and read
> about brake pad installation. The rear adjustment procedure, which
> involves an Allen wrench, is explained in detail.
>
> --
> Lanny Chambers
> '94C, St. Louis
> http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html



  #14  
Old January 22nd 06, 07:24 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
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Posts: n/a
Default Parking Brake

In article >,
pws > wrote:

> Would it really shock you if your A/C compressor failed, your radiator
> started leaking, your clutch started slipping, or any of the many other
> things that happen to any model of car, especially as they start to get
> to be well over 10 years and 100K miles.


Except for the radiator (an all-metal replacement), no, not really. I
expect various parts to start showing their age, and some of them sooner
rather than later. I don't expect anything to fail disastrously without
warning, though, because both I and my mechanic watch for those warnings
regularly. Just because one's car has never used oil between changes
doesn't mean one shouldn't check it weekly--if it starts using oil
unnoticed, the engine's demise could be accelerated.

The Miata really is more reliable than most other cars. I think there
are several good reasons: the drivetrain is mature and well developed,
the turbo-spec engine is in a relatively mild state of tune, and the
car's light weight presents a modest stress load. And when it does
break, most things are cheap and easy to fix, as modern cars go.

--
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html
  #15  
Old January 22nd 06, 07:26 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
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Posts: n/a
Default Parking Brake

In article <67FAf.1284$jO3.274@trnddc07>,
"Brian" > wrote:

> I had a hell of a time with that (originally the pads I
> used had no shims and were rubbing the discs intermittently), but when I got
> the good pads - I think they were semi-metallic and they had shims on them,
> I got the brakes working.


Recheck the adjustment, now that the new pads have bedded in.

--
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html
  #16  
Old January 22nd 06, 08:12 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.mazda.miata
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Posts: n/a
Default Parking Brake

Lanny Chambers wrote:

> Except for the radiator (an all-metal replacement), no, not really. I
> expect various parts to start showing their age, and some of them sooner
> rather than later. I don't expect anything to fail disastrously without
> warning, though, because both I and my mechanic watch for those warnings
> regularly. Just because one's car has never used oil between changes
> doesn't mean one shouldn't check it weekly--if it starts using oil
> unnoticed, the engine's demise could be accelerated.
>
> The Miata really is more reliable than most other cars. I think there
> are several good reasons: the drivetrain is mature and well developed,
> the turbo-spec engine is in a relatively mild state of tune, and the
> car's light weight presents a modest stress load. And when it does
> break, most things are cheap and easy to fix, as modern cars go.
>


I think that we are in general agreement here.
My last miata was by far the most reliable car I have ever owned, and I
am sure that my similar near-fanatical maintenance was part of the
reason, as well as the ones you listed above.

Still, there are certain things that are not regularly checked, like the
starter that I mentioned that died without showing any symptoms.
These type of parts can easily fail without warning, leaving you stranded.

Neither of us has ever been stranded by mechanical failure in driving
approximately 80K to 85K miles each in our own miatas.
Others have been far less lucky, either due to bad maintenance/pure
chance, or both.

I also agree that these are very easy cars to work on, (relatively),
especially the earlier years. Taking one completely apart has helped a
lot with knowing how everything interacts.
Wow, what a ton of wiring!

Good night,

Pat
 




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