Stored a 325i over the winter, took care to run the engine and drive the car every couple of weeks to keep the battery in good condition and ensure brakes wouldn't seize. Last week tried to bring car out of garage and found the brakes seized (and had driven the car the week before) - car will not move either forward or backward. Any suggestions on how I can correct the problem, or am I looking at having to get a tow to the mechanics to correct?
Did you leave the handbrake on? If so try rocking the car back and forward.
That's not a bad idea, but I suspect that it may be only enough to get the car to a mechanic, and runs the risk of warping the rotors due to the brakes dragging all the way there and building up heat unevenly.
I would strongly suspect that the problem is corrosion of the front brake pistons or calipers. Since brake fluid is hygroscopic (that is, it attracts water) a vehicle that sits for a long time will sometimes get water in the brake lines due to condensation. Since water has a higher density than brake fluid, any water in the system tends to sinks to the lowest point in the system which, of course, is the brake calipers and that causes corrosion over time. The solution is to disassemble and rebuild the calipers. It's a messy but not a difficult job if you're interested in doing your own work. If you decide not to do your own work, I'd say that it may be prudent to get it hauled using what we call "roll-back" trucks around here. With such trucks, the car is sitting entirely on top of the truck -- you don't want the kind that just picks up one end and pulls since you don't want the wheels rotating for long distances.
For those of us who don't (yet) have this problem, it's a reminder that brake fluid should be changed at least yearly, whether you drive the car or not!
Ed
The handbrake uses drums...
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