When I was first given this car in December of 2003, it needed both brakes and a new alternator.
After replacing both last May-June, My car has now begun to have issues in both areas yet again.
The brake problem consists of a fair amount of noise eminating from the rear drums when braking from medium to high speeds. I should also note that stopping distance has increased quite a bit and that the pedal travels about two thirds to three quarters of the way down to the floor before you can noticeably feel the brakes engage the rotors/drums. Could I possibly need new pads this soon (not even a year)?
As for the electrical problems, both the brake warning and the charge warning lights intermittently illuminate simultaneously. These are the same symptoms I had when the alternator croaked last summer, so I immediately was suspect of the alternator (which has a lifetime warranty). I called Advance Auto Parts where I bought the new alternator and they tested it and it tested flawlessly (the needle was perfectly on 15 volts throughout the entire test). The "Parts Specialist" at Advance suggested that it may be a problem with the two-weeks-older-than-a-year battery. So I took the battery in and it was perfect as well.
Just this evening while I was driving home from an errand, the charge and brake warning lights were flickering as usual. Then the headlights started to dim randomly and erratically. At no point did the engine, heater blower, radio or anything else (other than the instrument panel lights) have any problems with what appears to be the apparent electrical problem.
I would sincerely appreciate any advice anyone has on either of these issues.
Thanks in advance! Jason