Everyone....After driving home from my job last night my drivers side rear wheel had this terrible hot, burning smell coming from it. This was the only wheel affected. I think this wheel is where the emergency break is applied and I know the break was NOT on when I drove home. I need some insight into what this might be. My 01 max has OEM brakes with 89,000 miles on it. It had new breaks put on it at 65,000 at the dealer when I purchased the vehicle. I have no pulsation or bad breaking in the past and I thinking something might have "hung up"???
Let me know what you guys think....Thanks.....

 

Sounds like a frozen caliper to me.

 

10char

 

Same thing happened to me, but I didn't have a frozen rotor. My rear brake had a bad burning smell coming from it. Upon inspection my friend Tony (Nissan Tech) took a look at it and showed me that my rear rotors needed to be cut. The problem was there was a good sized spot of RUST on the back of the rotor where the pad contacts. After he cut it no more bad smells and much better braking. For what its worth my rear brake pads had about 50% of their meat left so he just resurfaced them a little and we threw them back on. Check your rotors for rust and other garbage first because it is simple. Just feel it with your fingers it should be smooth with no major rust spots.

 

But just wondering, how hard do you drive

 

sciff5, I do not drive my car hard of aggressively. I practically baby the car all the time. My rotors show some signs of rust so I am looking to replace them soon with Brembo but I will try to cut them first. When you say "cut" do you mean to file them down or polish them? I am thinking that because you can't "turn the rotors" can you? Thanks for the input?

 

you can turn the rotors

Break
To cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently; smash.

Brake
A device for slowing or stopping motion, as of a vehicle, especially by contact friction.

 

probably the rotors.. but or the brake cable.. or