Car problem

[Mark Rainey]

My brother had his 2006 Sebring parked for 5 months and I went to start it. It was 18 degrees out. Jumped battery but engine would not turn over - weak response only. Bought one of those new battery charger jumper small pack for $90 and it worked! Amazing. Engine turned over. The emergency brake was on, I released it but when I drove the vehicle the rear wheel would not turn. Felt like the brake was still on, but geez, there was a skid mark 100 feet long and the wheel was not turning. Any thoughts?

[Jim Becker]

Brake...probably the parking brake...is seized up.

[Dick Strauss]

One or more of the brake pad/shoes are stuck to the rusted mating surface.

I had this happen with a clutch disc that stuck to the flywheel. I had to remove the transmission to fix the issue.

[Ron Selzer]

back it up and see if it releases. brake shoe is corroded to drum/rotor
Ron

[Myk Rian]

Parking brake cable could be rusted.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Brake...probably the parking brake...is seized up.


Or frozen. Water can accumulate in cable housing. Sitting for five months, think the brake shoes are "rust welded" to the drums. Driving backwards usually breaks them loose. What kind of surface are you driving on, pavement, grass, snow?

[Mark Rainey]

thanks guys...I did put it in reverse and the wheel was still not rotating. Parking brake cable seized or brake shoe corroded to drum. He has drum brakes on the rear. He has 180,000 miles on it and bondo repaired body rust. When I was running it the inside lights were stuck on and dimming at times. I just don't know if it is worth trying to rehab...I wonder what other problems 5 months of sitting outside without running will lead to... I am on pavement...wow that 100 foot skid mark was impressive. He has snow tires on ( left them on from last winter ).

[Jim Matthews]

180,000 miles?

A running version of these are worth 2 grand, tops.

If the brake lines are crusty, the suspension is likely rusty. Sometimes it's time to let a beloved car take a ride out to the scrapyard in the country.

[Doug Dawson]

180,000 miles?

A running version of these are worth 2 grand, tops.

If the brake lines are crusty, the suspension is likely rusty. Sometimes it's time to let a beloved car take a ride out to the scrapyard in the country.
The Sebring (and related cars on that platform) was IMO a significant cause of mass disillusionment and abandonment of the brand by its target elderly audience. I don’t think too many of them were beloved, especially when you consider its reputation for blown engines because of a Chrysler engineering failure that was always blamed on the driver, at usually huge expense to them. This was methinks a sales ploy to get granny to buy a Toyota. :^) As the OP describes it, the car is worthless except to a wrecking yard for a few bucks.

[Fred Perreault]

It sounds like the car may have last been on snowy, salted roads. Surely rustication has occured and it could be any or all of the mentioned issues. The dimming of the lights is probably because of a dead battery, or poorly charged, and the accessories aer running on the alternator. Cars and houses often don't do well after sitting for a longish time.

[Jim Becker]

I would not put a lot of money into that vehicle, but it may be driveable with some attention to the brakes and a thorough safety check of everything else plus a replacement battery. Fred's correct that vehicles that sit for a long period of time don't "benefit from the experience". Be sure that the tires are checked for dry-rot as part of the inspection.

Worse case, suggest he donates it to a charity...they can get money even for non-working vehicles due to scrap value...and he may get tax benefits.

[Tom M King]

I'm running a 21 year old truck, with 360,000 miles on it, but that one sounds like scrap metal.

[Jon Grider]

My take is if you think the car is worth $500-600 to get another unguaranteed 20K miles out of it, have a new brake job done. If you fix your own vehicles, which I say you probably do not, hence this post, I would do the brakes myself and put the battery on a slow charger. If the battery is bad add another $200 or so +/-. Not trying to bash Chrysler, but they made some real dogs, Sebring being one of them.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I'm running a 21 year old truck, with 360,000 miles on it, but that one sounds like scrap metal.


Currently driving a 33 year old Mitsubishi Mighty Max with only 237,000 on it. Previous truck was a 1986 Nissian, which went 540,000 before final services were held. We typically get between 300,000 and 400,000 miles out of a vehicle. Run them till the wheels fall off, put them back on and repeat. Do all of our own maintenance, except automatic transmissions. Our "Sunday go to meeting car" is a 1998 Chrysler Town and Country that only 137,000 mile on it. It's a"cream puff." By running vehicles the way we do, think of all those payments we HAVEN'T MADE over the years. That alone has allowed us to have a better lifestyle, that based upon our income, says we can't.

[Jim Becker]

If this is in PA (and many other states) there is also the "pass state inspection" thing to be considered...