Not so happy anymore - freezing brakes new Ontario member

[MaciejW]

I own a 2009 Cube - manual, and have been happy with its funkiness, handiness, space inside and general performance thus far.

Not anymore. It passed the first 2 Canadian (Ontario) winters OK, but now the parking brakes tends to stick in below zero (Centigrade) weather, locking the rear wheels. It failed miserably on January 2nd 2012 in a middle of a snowstorm in a a city distant whete I live, and had to be towed to a dealershio (I have an extended warranty). The dealership local confirmed that the parking brakes were indeed frozen solid but simehow managed to get the vehicle inside the shop, where it thawed up over the day. The dealership found nothing wrong with the brakes then and asked me to pick the car up (which I did, after travelling to that distant city (Barrie, Ontario) from Toronto by train. It was a period of a relatively balmy weather - well above the freezing point, so all worked fine for a while.

A week ago it happend again while my Cube was parked on my driveway overnight (snow and freezing temeperatures returned). I got into the car in the morning, started the engine to warm it up a bit, then released the hand brake, only to find out that the same thing happened: the rear wheels were locked.

Anyway, I got from the car to check what was holding it (leaving the door open), at which time the brakes lines apparemtly thawed up, and the car suddenly started rolling down the slope a l m o s t over me. I was knocked down to the grounfd injured by the door passing over me. The driver door is ruined, as it caught on a hedge along the drivewaym fortunately stopping the roll.

The car was towed again, to another - Toronto - dealership, who again foud nothing wrong with the brake (perhaps becasue the temperature went above 0 Centirade when they examined it).

It seems that I am not believed, a lyer or Alzheimer sufferer at 65 (yesterday was my birthday). All described above must be a figment of my imagination.

In my family, we drove Nissans for at least twenty tears: a Micra, three successive Sentras, an Altima and now the Cube, which - judging from the hassle that I am experiencing now - may be the last one Nissan we ever touch,

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Matthew

[CROUTON]

I live in Quebec and never une my handbrake. I leave my car on park or in reverse if it is manual. I have done this with all my cars and never had a problem

[fral659]

The park brake is controlled by a cable normally, not any type of fluid brake lines. If water can enter this cable thru a hole or split in the casing, it can freeze into ice, causing the cable to not release. I have had this problem on some older cars, not my cube though. Try having the dealer look for any kind of break, tear, crack or hole in the parking brake cable where water could seep in. Until then I would try not to use the parking brake in cold weather.