I think I just had a clue to your problem.

You almost ran into some horses in a BAR?

Now everything is falling into place. <g>

Karl
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brent Christensen" <bpchristensen1@HOME.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2000 9:51 PM
Subject: Re: Aaaaargh! Brake failure (long)

> I did grab the hand brake, and all that happened was a tremendous howling
> noise that woke up the entire family and startled a family of horses that
> were sleeping in the bar I almost ran into!  No braking action at all.
>    This is why I will never again refer to it as an "emergency brake" but
> rather as a "parking brake."  (I like your version - "hand brake" even
> better)
>
> BTW, the brake fluid was BRAND NEW!
>
> Brent Christensen
> '89 GL Syncro Westy
> Santa Barbara, CA
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Per Lindgren <lindgre@ONLINE.NO>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, April 17, 2000 12:39 AM
> Subject: Re: Aaaaargh! Brake failure (long)
>
>
> > Brent Christensen wrote:
> >
> > > I was pushing the brake so *#&* hard that I
> > > thought I was going to either pull the steering wheel off or put my
foot
> > > through the floor.  Scary with your wife, three year old daughter, and
2
> > > month old son all on board.
> >
> > Brent,
> >
> > The next time this happens (hopefully never) lower your rigth arm and
YANK
> the
> > handbrake as hard as you can, just until you are about to rip off the
> calbes!
> > The handbrake is working, I hope? The reason you didnt have any brakes
is
> that
> > when the rotors were glowing red, the brake fluid is boiling, and when
it
> boils,
> > oxygen is formed in the lines. When you press the pedal, you compress
the
> air
> > bubbles, instead of transmitting the pressure to the calipers. So you
> should
> > definitely replace the fluid now. This happens often when European
campers
> come
> > to Norway in the summer to explore the great mountains, and the often
old
> fluid
> > in the lines start to boil, and lead to brake failure at the bottom of
the
> > hills. Veerrry scaarrry to meet a big camper out of control, BTDT.
> >
> > Glad to hear you are all ok!
> >
> > PerL
> > 87 Syncro 112i
>