my bad, ok let me clarify. The e-brake (at least on my '99) closes only one shoe, but does so on each drum. I'm gettin sooo confused lately

This IS a big deal. It will engage the leading shoe on the drum for up to 3k miles. That will wear the brake shoe down considerably. Not to mention that constant heat it is creating can warp the drum (or rotor if you are so lucky ). Also, dragging your car down the raod with the ebrake on will cause excessive wear to the tires it engages as they will ALWAYS be trying to stop. Eventually the brakes being clamped will cause a glaze to form on the drum and it will be much more difficult to stop the car. And last, but not least, your wasting gas like a **** putting the engine againt the brakes and greatly increasing the drag coefficient.

For a lousy 5 minutes of work to adjust one bolt, which you may not even have to go under the car for, you can save yourself alot of trouble. IT IS NEVER OK TO LET A PROBLEM GO UNFIXED. When my car got hit last year it was because the guy was waiting till his next checkup to get his rearview mirror fixed. Don't be that guy please.

 

Case closed! with a happy ending!

Went to do my first oil change today (*ta-da!* takes a shot of Moscow-imported Cristall vodka), and asked them to look at the brakes and e-brake tightness and the car bearing right.

The tech came back saying that he did tighten the e-brake, but he says that the brakes felt fine. He looked at them and doesn't see any warpage or unusual wear on the brakes, front and rear.

He says that the car drove straight as an arrow. So maybe I'm paranoid and I'm feeling the crowned-to-the-right roads of the US. Protege steering is really "responsive", so I guess that's what I'm feeling.

And in terms of the brake pedal pulsating, I think that was because of the road surface.

In other news, they did the oil change, filter change, gasket. Also claim they topped off all the fluids, lubricated where needed and I got a free auto car wash as well. All for $26.07 total at the dealer, which is pretty reasonable to me. I don't know which oil they used, but I think it was a Chevron because as I was driving away with the car, there was a Chevron "reminder of next service" sticker on my windshield. Which I promptly took off.

So I guess I'm too damn paranoid! Oh well, it can't hurt.

Thanks to everyone who helped me out with this issue!

3070 miles, 3 weeks owned, and going strong!

 

Glad it all worked out for you. It's funny how things can sometimes seem "wrong" with a brand new car, isn't it?

Anyway, happy motoring, and remember to release that e-brake!

 

This happened to me 2 years ago in my old car, after I parked it there was smoke coming out of the rear wheels ...nothing got damaged though.

 

Well at least you did not drive 75 miles with it on, like my stupid @##! That was one of the scariest things I had been through, besides having my brakes go out during hard braking in the rain.