Brake Failure / Chemical Smell

[Chumpy34]

I have a 2019 M3 just out of warranty. This morning was driving with windows open and noticed a chemical smell, sort of a WD-40’ish odor. Didn’t think too much about it. I rarely use my brakes and haven’t had them checked in the four years I’ve owned the car, but light turned yellow and I was going about 38-40mph and didn’t think I could make it, so stepped on brake pedal and brakes sort of locked up and my car fishtailed left to right, I pushed harder on brake pedal, let up, pressed again and car came to stop in the crosswalk at about a 10 degree angle. Scary. I was about 3 miles from home so took side streets and didn’t go over 25mph. I tested the brakes a few times on the drive home and things seemed to work normally, regenerative was fine and brake pedal worked. When I got home, the chemical smell was very strong so looked at tires/wheels, my right (passenger) side of car had a greasy film from bottom up to windows and the wheel wells, especially rear well, caked with “grease” and dust/grime. I had just washed car day before and it was clean. Front wheel was greasy too but drivers side wheels were normal and no grease. Took photos and then washed car and looking at the water pouring out from wheels, lots of chemical floating on top…like when you see gas in water. Scheduled appt. w/Telsa for Friday morning, coming to house. Anyone have this happen to them or any ideas? Safe to drive or more concerning?

 

[afadeev]

I would not drive it until someone (yourself? independent wrench? ranger?) took off the wheels on the passenger side and looked into the source of your leak. Could be a brake fluid, or could be coolant leak that is compromising traction/braking on the car. Or it could just be that you drove through a puddle of Hazmat fluid with your passenger side wheels, and splattered it all over the car, the tires, and the rotors.
Either way, this is not normal, and I would really want to get to the root of the problem before I drove the car again. If it was mine.

Good luck,
a

 

[Chumpy34]

I would not drive it until someone (yourself? independent wrench? ranger?) took off the wheels on the passenger side and looked into the source of your leak. Could be a brake fluid, or could be coolant leak that is compromising traction/braking on the car. Or it could just be that you drove through a puddle of Hazmat fluid with your passenger side wheels, and splattered it all over the car, the tires, and the rotors.
Either way, this is not normal, and I would really want to get to the root of the problem before I drove the car again. If it was mine.

Good luck,
a

Great advice and 100% what I will do.

 

[dusty22]

Or it could just be that you drove through a puddle of Hazmat fluid with your passenger side wheels, and splattered it all over the car, the tires, and the rotors.

That scenario seems most likely. I would clean it real good and drive the back streets and then check for fluids. If something is leaking it would then be easy to locate the source.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

Sounds like you're leaking brake fluid and a quick glance at the master cylinder would confirm if the fluid is low. Usually this is caused by road hazards damaging the rubber brake hose, or a botched brake job.

If so, the brakes will continue to work fine for some number of cycles, probably between 0 and 20, and then you'll die.