Last Updated on 5 years by Christopher G Mendla
My mom smelled something that smelled like wiring burning while driving her truck. She took it to the service center but they didn’t find anything. When she pulled up for Easter dinner, I could smell it. The engine compartment seemed OK. I got out the laser thermometer and took readings on the calipers. That identified the problem.
By the time I brought the laser thermometer out, the car had been sitting for 15 minutes. The front calipers were OK. However, the left rear was reading 199. The right rear read 127 (F). She had brake work done in October.
When she took the car in, they confirmed that the caliper was not releasing. They replaced the bushings and hose. Laser thermometers are great tools for diagnosing things like this. You don’t have to say “The left rear wheel seemed warm or hot”. You can show the exact temperature. They are also handy for diagnosing auto and home HVAC issues.
