Brake job - now they're broken

[floridartist]

I am in a jamb, I got a full brake job at the Airstream dealer today, they let me leave the shop without checking everything out, well, the new brakes were locked up, and fried $977 worth new brakes, all within 1/2 mile of the shop, I was refunded, but now, I have new burned brakes, magnet is fried, got my old 1973 brakes and parts, I dont know what to do now, can the new backer plates be repaired ? where do I get the parts? I am lost, and still shook up from the smoke and all, what a day, any ideas? , thank you

[Melody Ranch]

Floridartist... start here.
Southwest Wheel Company - E-Axle

Be sure your connect wiring is correct. If your 7 wire plug is wired wrong your brakes will be locked.

[Ganglin]

Did they explain what locked them up and offer to do the install again.....

[blacksheep]

They should have done something different than refund your money. If it were me I would tell them they are going to replace everything that was damaged at thier expense and I would let them keep the money I had paid because I would end up with what I originally asked for - new brakes. If they wouldn't do that then it would be time for a friendly call from my lawyer. If they still refused I would take them to small claims court for triple damages which would be the bill from the new shop that replaced everything.

Godspeed,
Trent

[Airslide]

Was it that when applying the brakes they would go to full lock and when the brake pedal is released everything rotates fine? If you unplug the umbilical is the trailer towable or locked up? not sure what they could have done as the voltage signal comes from you tow vehicle? Maybe they adjusted them way too tight and once you got going they got hotter and hotter.. lots of smoke and brake smell and then when it cools down it rolls with little friction. If thats the case then the magnets are probably fine.. the backing plates ok too.. the brake shoes and drums would take the beating. If you are not confident to dive into this then is should be looked at by someone who is. If they overtightened the brakes then you dont want them looking at it again anyways.. Just get it corrected and if new drums are needed send them the bill.. pay them a visit then maybe your local small claims court should it go that far.

Vinnie

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by floridartist

I am in a jamb, I got a full brake job at the Airstream dealer today, they let me leave the shop without checking everything out, well, the new brakes were locked up, and fried $977 worth new brakes, all within 1/2 mile of the shop, I was refunded, but now, I have new burned brakes, magnet is fried, got my old 1973 brakes and parts, I dont know what to do now, can the new backer plates be repaired ? where do I get the parts? I am lost, and still shook up from the smoke and all, what a day, any ideas? , thank you

Hi, I can't imagine an Airstream dealer, after doing the job, to not be willing to find the cause and/or repair the brake system unless maybe you became un-glued and unwilling to let them make good on their work. Therefore here's your money back, good luck.

[Melody Ranch]

Original posting to another thread has been fixed by a Mod who stayed up late to help you.

The ref site I mentioned was to be the menu on left side of page. Here it is..Electric Brake Assemblies

I agree with above suggestions....the repair folks "should" make good for everything. "Should" and "will" are sometimes far far apart.

Check these prices too. I don't even like their 977$.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Were the brakes locked-up BEFORE being connected to the TV?

It's obvious the unit wasn't roadtested before being released, why?

The dealership should not have considered the job finished until it was checked out using YOUR tow vehicle.

What was their explanation for the failure?

Something stinks other than burnt brakes.

[hampstead38]

They should make it right. Period. There simply isn't any reason to burn up brakes 1/2 mile away from a repair shop. The problem with a simple refund is that the heat may have damaged more than the parts the shop replaced. I'm also a little curious as to why they agreed to write a $977 check rather than bringing the coach back into the shop and doing it right. Nine times out of ten, a shop will want the chance for a "do over."

Oh, if you've had a bad experience, post the name of the shop here. One of the advantages of owning an Airstream is that we are a community. Good businesses can count on good "word-of-mouth" advertising. Lousy businesses will find themselves losing businesses because if you screw one of us... you screw all of us.

[bob34787]

there are only 2 airstream dealers in Florida and I cannot believe either of them would let you go with locked brakes.

[moosetags]

I have not had any repairs or service done at Bates in Tampa. I have had both service and repairs done at Sanders in Alachua, and have always been more than satisfied with their competence.

Being that you are only 20 miles from Alachua, I guess that you went Sanders. I can not believe that they would do that to you.

Brian

[floridartist]

This is what happened, I went to Sanders, I was ok with the full brake job of $977.00, and some new wiring ,I wanted it done right, and I have no idea at all how to do it, safety first you know, so I went to the best. but they never checked the umbilical cord, said they did,nt have a one, that was hard to believe, a big Airstream Dealer with no cords. anyway, my theory is, when I got plugged up, they never checked anything out, my truck battery must have engaged the magnets, also they rewired the brakes to the male side plug of the Airstream, perhaps something in there is crossed, then, as I pulled what felt like 12 , 29 foot airstreams, peddle to the floor going about 20 mph, waiting to kick into the next gear, and being its the second time I ever pulled this thing, I said to myself, boy this thing is heavy, but I guess that's the way it is, then the smoke, and very close to fire and all that disaster kind of stuff happened next. and then of course, my panic, I finally got it back to Sanders, I called ahead of time, Make sure you have a fire extinguisher, I am rolling in on fire!!, just as I got there, up a small bump, everything seemed to let loose and now for the first time it felt like I was pulling only one 29 foot streamer, there was nothing left to burn ,and it was smooth sailing. The dealer said it was my new Out of doors mart cord that caused the problem, after the fact they even messed with the cord, and now I no longer have brake lights or blinkers, its all messed up, It was a hot day in the Airstream shop, it was the end of the day, everyone wanted to go home, I even gave the two mechanics $20 each, to help me out and also to show I was not a cheap bum, the shop said it all looked ok now and did what they could to send me on my way, but I persisted and said, take those tires off and look. They looked, and this picture is the results, turned to dust in 5 min. then the refund came, I still am not whole, my $40 cord is messed up and the wiring is messed up, but I can only deal with a little at a time being I am trying to quit smoking.
. Today, I went over to Texas trailers, I bought two lefts and two rights 12 x 2, $80 bucks each, then I got my mechanic and he installed them at my home, and I helped, I shall wait on the wiring till I get over the drama. Thank you all, you were there for me, being I started this story, If you want to know more, I,ll let you know later, here's the pics, left pic burnt brakes, right pic new brakes, Peace , John

[Airslide]

Hey John,

Thanks for the update. It might be a good idea to atleast have those drums checked. Im not sure what the recommendation is but I know that there are minimum thicknesses allowable to turn them on a brake lathe. I know that we have a shop in town that can actually turn the magnet surface at the same time. Just imagine how hot those drums got.. I bet they were glowing at night!

Vinnie

[floridartist]

does any one know, I did not connect any of the brake lines to the brakes, does this have any effect on the running lights, I plugged my cord in and all the lights no longer work, all worked fine before I went to Airstream to have the brakes worked on, now , no lights, looks like they messed up my wiring, I think they should make it right for me, and if I tell Marge, she,ll get on them.
John

[shermybaby]

Since the brakes got hot enough to do that kind of damage and cause that much heat it my be possible that some of your wiring is also heat damaged. Not only check out the pig tail thoroughly, but also the wiring from the axles to the harness under the trailer.

Also, the heat generated will have crystalized all the steel parts and, if it were me, I would replace the all the brake hardware including the bearings, drums, and maybe even the spindles. At least, check them over for heat checks and cracks very carefully.

Good Luck

[Mexray]

Wow...you are a lot calmer that I would be in that situation!

You roll into their shop needing new brakes....and roll out with screwed up wiring that engaged the brakes fully!...WHOA...they should redo the entire job as you paid for initially...don't know about Florida, but here in California, when you roll into an automotive repair shop - they make out an estimate for the repairs you request, price it out, and have both parties sign the form, giving you a copy before the repairs begin - it's a contract between the parties that states the amount you are paying for the stated repairs...

If additional work is needed, you are notified and informed of the additional charges and have the right to continue or terminate the repair, etc., etc....the point is, it's a contract - they agree to do the work, and you agree to pay...when they screwed up your brake job, for whatever reason, BEFORE you left their lot, they didn't perform their part of the contract!

Did anyone screw with the brake controller in your TV?

7-way cords have standard wiring connections for RV trailers - how did the AS dealer screw yours up? Don't they know how to wire 7-way cords? That's their business, for god's sake...

How could they do a repair job and not have you hook up your RV and give everything a final check?

I have a small battery shop, and the last thing I do after installing batteries is to start the vehicle to see that everything is working properly, Alternator, etc...takes only a moment, and it's part of the job!

Don't know if you signed a repair 'contract'...but if so, I would demand they complete the work as ordered - but of course, as you have written, that horse is out of the barn now, you got your $ back, and had to go back to square one - EXCEPT they screwed up your wiring - which I think you have a right to demand they fix, no charge...

As much as I dislike situations that may require the services of a laywer, it may be time to consider that option if the dealer is uncooperative...or look to your state's small claims courts as an option...

Any dealer worth it's 'salt' should step up to the bar and make things right for you...there are many, many AS owners that have read your forum posts, and this info could well have a direct impact on this dealers service business in the future...good dealer reputations can be damaged by such actions on their part, and could take years to be rehabilitated...

Never forget that the 'squeaky' wheel (or brakes, in this case) get's the 'grease'...I'd be leaning on these guys...

Hope you get your rig back in good working order soon...in any event, you've now found that rebuilding electric brakes aren't that big a deal if you're willing to get your hands dirty for an afternoon...plus you have the satisfaction of knowing the job is done correctly...check here on the Airforums, there are lots of info to get you through the whole process...

Hope you replaced the seals and bearing, as all that heat propably effected those parts as well, and they are fairly 'cheap' when compared with the whole picture...

Happy Trails...Ray

[Mexray]

In view of some other comments on another thread here about a new 7-way cord that energized the brake circuit upon being plugged in - earlier trailers had a different hook-up pattern in the trailer end of the plug - that's what most likely caused your problem here...

But I still don't think that lets the dealer off the hook, for not checking things before you left - but I can see where that might be a 'gray' area indeed...

What's puzzling to me is that if your 7-way worked when you drove in to the dealer for the brake job, and then it didn't work later...somethings amiss here...hum...

When I installed my new axles and brakes, I was looking for a way to easily tell that all the brakes were wired correctly and the magnets were energized properly...an Airforum member told me to hit the brakes and hold a compass against the wheels and the needle would swing toward the magnet - worked like a charm!

[mello mike]

Originally Posted by Mexray

In view of some other comments on another thread here about a new 7-way cord that energized the brake circuit upon being plugged in - earlier trailers had a different hook-up pattern in the trailer end of the plug - that's what most likely caused your problem here...

But I still don't think that lets the dealer off the hook, for not checking things before you left - but I can see where that might be a 'gray' area indeed...

What's puzzling to me is that if your 7-way worked when you drove in to the dealer for the brake job, and then it didn't work later...somethings amiss here...hum...

When I installed my new axles and brakes, I was looking for a way to easily tell that all the brakes were wired correctly and the magnets were energized properly...an Airforum member told me to hit the brakes and hold a compass against the wheels and the needle would swing toward the magnet - worked like a charm!

Yep, that was me who got the miswired pigtail from Out of Doors Mart. When I plugged mine in this last weekend for a trip and put it in drive and applied the gas I knew my trailer brakes were engaged and stopped immediately. As soon as I unplugged my new pigtail my brakes disengaged. I found 4 wires miswired in my pigtail last night. I'll be speaking to the manager later today about this. This is unsat!!

[easyride]

I would think that for it to lock up like that ,that the tires would have some flat spots.
I definately would be looking at them. Dave

[Airhouse]

MELLO MIKE--- Was it a private shop or an Airstream shop that installed your 7 wire plug? and why wasn't it checked out upon completeing the work? Seems late in the game to find the problem just prior to a trip.