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Old 07-13-2019, 02:21 PM   #1
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Brakes smoking!

Hi All,
We have a 2017 Jayco Seneca super C. We have just come down a long mountain road and our rear right wheels were smoking so badly and feeling so hot, I was fearful it was going to catch fire! We were towing a GMC truck!! We have just phoned good Sam rescue but the mechanic they spoke to said it’s very common and not to worry but just make sure from now on lower the transmission so we don’t have to use the brakes and carry on it should be ok! I would understand it if there was a slight burning smell but not to the extent we had it! Anyone have experience of this? Thanks Mel
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:26 PM   #2
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Have to ask... Were you using the exhaust brake and in a lower gear?

When we are descending steep grades, we lock out our overdrive and use the engine brake. Generally speaking, we do not need to use our service brakes unless we need to slow down for sharp turns / switchbacks.
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:27 PM   #3
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Did you have the exhaust brake activated? Do you have brake assist on the Toad? I just came down a 7 mile, 6% grade last week and with the exhaust brake on I never even touched the brake pedal with a 10k trailer in tow.


It should be fine but might have it checked out.
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:28 PM   #4
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No neither, just the lorry brakes!
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:30 PM   #5
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Ok, I have to ask, what is the exhaust brake? I used to drive lorries in the uk and never knew!!!
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:31 PM   #6
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Your saying “we”. I’d disconnect your toad and have someone drive it to take the load off the Seneca and get it checked by a qualified mechanic whenever possible, Not some jerk on the phone! I’m sorry but he sounded like a jerk with that kind of answer.
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:31 PM   #7
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HI Mel,,do you have an exaust brake?? We tow a 26' trailer with a 69 Camaro inside. A cpl places we Dragrace at has some really long steep mountains. When we are going down them we switch on the exaust brake. When that's on we barely have to use the brakes at all.
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:33 PM   #8
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Ok, I have to ask, what is the exhaust brake? I used to drive lorries in the uk and never knew!!! Yes we have brake assist!
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:38 PM   #9
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No neither, just the lorry brakes!
well... that explains why the overheated brake... and you may have damaged your rear braking components / bearings with this event.

You should get this into a Freightliner shop ASAP and have them inspect your entire brake system. Explain to them what happened so they know what to look for.

You should review the drivers manual on your rig... descending grades requires
specific actions and precautions, or you can overheat your brake system and lose your brakes entirely in worst case situations. You were lucky...
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:38 PM   #10
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Ok, I have to ask, what is the exhaust brake? I used to drive lorries in the uk and never knew!!! Yes we have brake assist!
You should have a switch on the dash marked ENG BRAKE that should always be on when you're descending any grade, especially when you have the truck in tow. I personally left it on all the time except in stop and go traffic.
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Old 07-13-2019, 02:39 PM   #11
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I'm trying to post a picture. On our 2019 37TS the switch is right under the 2 window switches on the right.
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Old 07-13-2019, 03:06 PM   #12
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I would advice you to get more familiar w the rig u are driving. I have the exhaust brake on all the time. No reason not to. Go a bit slower over the top and as another said shift into 4th or 5th to make the exhaust brake work better. Make sure the toad supplement braking system is installed and working. Sounds to me like you rode the brakes all the way down the hill.
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Old 07-13-2019, 03:43 PM   #13
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On my rig it is located below the shift lever. It is not marked with any text but it is looks like the picture below.
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Old 07-13-2019, 10:52 PM   #14
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First and foremost I agree with you guys regarding being in the proper gear and using your exhaust break (if equipped). Most of the time that is enough to control your speed.

I thought I would pass on a little tip I learned many years ago regarding driving heavy vehicles down hill. "The 5 mph rule"

Once your vehicle has reached the max speed you wish to descend a hill, apply firm pressure to your breaks slowing your vehicle down 5 mph below your chosen max speed. Once you reach that speed you can let off your brakes and let the vehicle increase speed to your max. Keep doing this until you reach the bottom of the grade. For example if you want to descend a steep grade at 45 mph, once you hit 45 mph, slow down to 40 mph. Let the vehicle increase its speed to 45 mph and repeat. By doing this it helps avoid riding your breaks and allows them to cool more rapidly. Plus it helps avoid going over the speed you want to descend keeping you in control

Just another tool for the tool box.......

Rob
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Old 07-14-2019, 01:24 AM   #15
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Thank you Rob so much for your help, very kind of you to go to the trouble of posting a picture.
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Old 07-14-2019, 05:50 AM   #16
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my exhaust break will not do that, it might drop a gear, but I have to hit the brakes quite a few times to keep it at 55mph here in californie, that is why I was asking if people drop the shifter to a lower gear

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rustynuts View Post
Did you have the exhaust brake activated? Do you have brake assist on the Toad? I just came down a 7 mile, 6% grade last week and with the exhaust brake on I never even touched the brake pedal with a 10k trailer in tow.


It should be fine but might have it checked out.
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Old 07-14-2019, 08:01 AM   #17
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re: Brake overheat

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Originally Posted by SloPoke View Post
well... that explains why the overheated brake... and you may have damaged your rear braking components / bearings with this event.

You should get this into a Freightliner shop ASAP and have them inspect your entire brake system. Explain to them what happened so they know what to look for.

You should review the drivers manual on your rig... descending grades requires
specific actions and precautions, or you can overheat your brake system and lose your brakes entirely in worst case situations. You were lucky...
YUP, need good brake inspection; what happens is overheat causes warp, but also causes rubber seal failure on hydraulic cylinders, which causes leaks, brake fluid hits red hot metal and bursts into flames; game over, no brakes and on fire. After overheat, replace cylinders, drums/rotors, and hoses.
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Old 07-14-2019, 08:09 AM   #18
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Yes, drop to lower gear, NO OD, lower to 2 if required; I would use 1 at 10mph if it would save a brake failure.
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Old 07-15-2019, 01:27 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobieMo View Post
First and foremost I agree with you guys regarding being in the proper gear and using your exhaust break (if equipped). Most of the time that is enough to control your speed.

I thought I would pass on a little tip I learned many years ago regarding driving heavy vehicles down hill. "The 5 mph rule"

Once your vehicle has reached the max speed you wish to descend a hill, apply firm pressure to your breaks slowing your vehicle down 5 mph below your chosen max speed. Once you reach that speed you can let off your brakes and let the vehicle increase speed to your max. Keep doing this until you reach the bottom of the grade. For example if you want to descend a steep grade at 45 mph, once you hit 45 mph, slow down to 40 mph. Let the vehicle increase its speed to 45 mph and repeat. By doing this it helps avoid riding your breaks and allows them to cool more rapidly. Plus it helps avoid going over the speed you want to descend keeping you in control

Just another tool for the tool box.......

Rob

I completely agree with Rob. The worst thing you can do is drag your brakes. Get on the brakes with authority (don't slam, but firm) to slow down below your target speed. You want to spend as little time as possible "on the brakes".


I've been in an El Camino that the brakes faded to nothing because the car in front of my Dad kept riding his brakes. Went went straight through a stop sign at the bottom of the hill.
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Old 07-15-2019, 09:16 AM   #20
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Don't feel bad.

My son-in-law just bought a new Chev 2500 duramax diesel to pull his 38' travel trailer. He is an "expert" in his own opinion, but asked me the other day what an exhaust brake is.

I explained that diesels use "compression braking" as a means of controlling heavy loads when descending a hill without burning the brakes up. He wanted to argue abit about the merits of this over just using a lower gear and I explained that "rather than having me justify the merits, why don't you just turn it on on the next steep grade and try it".

I could see the lights come on after the next trip.

The exhaust brake on a diesel (at least on commercial trucks) will lock down or limit the valve travel to make the cylinders big compressors. While proper transmission gear still needs to be selected, the addition of the right gear and exhaust braking will be a vast improvement over a gas engine simply using the engine drag.

I agree with all advise. It is probably not that you damaged your brakes (they will take a lot of heat) but you should have them inspected. Damage will show up as discoloration and probably warpage to the rotor (are these drum or disc on the Seneca? I don't know). If no issues, then keep rolling, but control your descents with combination of transmission, engine brake, and lastly, wheel brakes.

Thanks for being brave enough to post so others can learn.
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