HeroofCanton

My 1997 Subaru Legacy L, 2.2 Liter engine has decided to stop moving forward. She starts fine, but when I push on the gas she only lurches forwards a little and stays there. The RPMs go up, and when I let off the clutch it just stalls out. Not to mention a good amount of less than good-smelling smoke comes out of my engine when I try that. My highly uneducated theory leads me to think maybe one of the brake calipers is frozen, but I'd like an opinion from anyone who might know about this than I do before I go and spend the money replacing the calipers only to find that they weren't the problem.

twinturbomeow

Differental? Any noises coming from engine? Have someone try to drive it while you move it.

HeroofCanton

The engine sounds the same to me, nothing unusual. Had a friend of mine standing outside the car while I tried to drive it. The car moved forward maybe an inch, but it was like one of the wheels was locked in place.

83Stang5.0

If you can't push it freely, when it's out of gear, then yea brakes are prob sticking. If the car rolls, then your clutch is prob going out, hence the smoke/bad smell/stalling

HeroofCanton

When she's out of gear she still won't budge. Looks like I'm in the market for some new brake parts. Mush appreciated, gents.

83Stang5.0

work your ebrake and make sure it's not stuck, that happens often on aging manual cars. If it's a seized drum, you can bang on it to try and free it up. Ice can sometimes cause these to stick as well, regardless of condition.

It could be the caliper, but in my experience, that pad is more likely to slip fairly easily with a seized caliper as opposed to holding so strongly that the car stalls out.

Hicky

Its not the brake pads that would be the problem. one of your caliper's pistons are probably seized.. if not both.

EDIT: I read your post as "...in the market for brake pads..." not parts. lols

HeroofCanton

A friend of mine suggested to me that there might be something wrong with the e brake awhile back. Where should I bang on it exactly?

83Stang5.0

just move the handle up and down, kinda fast, but you should be able to tell fairly easily whether or not the brake is engaging and disengaging. People pull them too hard, and as they slowly adjust to needing to be pulled harder, the ebrake begins to lock less and less. More often than not, you can get it freed by working the handle, but the symptoms that caused the problem are still there. You will need to remedy it or just get used to dealing with a sticky ebrake.

HeroofCanton

Apparently she does move in neutral. And the smoke is rising from the transmission from what I can tell.