First, allow me to apologize if I am posting this in the wrong area. I looked around for about a half hour and couldn't find a "I have a problem" type of area.
Second, I'm going to apologize again. I'm long winded. I will be including a lot of information, I'm not sure what's relevant or helpful. I choose to TMI than the alternative.

Onto my issue.

I bought this car (2008 Scion tC Manual Transmission) in May of this past year. Previous owner was amazing, and took excellent care of this car. However, the car has previously hit a deer on the driver's side. First time I drove it in the rain it slid quite a bit, and anytime the road is excessively wet it still slides. (Not the issue, but a possible symptom.) So when winter hit, and it rained and then it froze I was scared to drive it. I stowed the car at my sister's and drove a different car. It was there for 2, maybe 2 and a half weeks.

When I traded back, I noticed a grinding noise from the rear driver side tire/brakes, and driving short distances (maximum of 1-3 miles around town) caused a melting rubber smell. My dad is a mechanic, so he told me that my brake was locked up. From there he gave me a few ideas for a fix, and he sprayed my brake [lines?] with wd40 at my request. The assumption was they were mildly rusted and kept the one brake engaged. I stopped using my Parking brake, and simply put it in gear while the car is off to help diagnose the problem (manual trans). I drove the car around town maybe 1-2 trips to the store over the next week. During said week, I noticed that the brake would disengage after a few yards of driving. I thought the problem was solved...

The following week I was pulling left into a parking space, noticeably NOT pressing the brake pedal yet, and my car stopped, as though I slammed on the brakes. I pushed the gas pedal, to pull the rest of the way into the parking space, and I could hear my back driver side tire dragging the ground as though it weren't turning at all. The Parking brake light was on, and so was my ABS light. Might as well finish my trip, I went inside, came back about 10-15 minutes later, and though I could hear grinding, it wasn't as locked up as it was, and the brake disengaged after a few yards of travel.

A couple of days after this incident, my brakes seemed back to normal with the exception of when I first drive it for the day the slight grinding noise. Which after a few yards of travel would cease, and not begin again unless my car sat for more than about an hour. So I drove an hour north of my current location to stay the weekend with a friend. When I left it had been raining, so I was being cautious. I stopped at a stop light, and when it turned green and I attempted to go. The brake had locked up and my tire began to drag again (all the brakes related lights were on again). In an attempt to get off the busy road, I pulled the car forward through the intersection (dragging unturning tire noise the whole way) and into the nearest parking lot. As I reached the parking lot, it disengaged, and I sped forward startling myself. (If you're reading all this I felt you might need a bit of amusement I made it an hour drive home (via highway) with no further problems other than the grinding noise was back.

Here it is a week later, and it did it again. I pulled into a parking spot (turning right instead of left like last time) and the brake engaged on it's own... again. All the brake related lights also flashed and came on again. My foot was not even hovering over the brake pedal. Either I'm psychic, and I did it with my mind, or there's something wrong. :D

I have spoken with two mechanic friends and my dad, they can't seem to figure out the problem.


Other tid-bits of information include:
>While driving my parking brake light randomly flashes or turns on or off.
>My brakes don't seem to be deteriorating due to driving on them while slightly/completely engaged.
>It seems random whether or not they stick or grind.
>The driver's rear brake is the worst, but occasionally the rear passenger brake also grinds.

Thank you in advanced for your help :D


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