I think it was like 17 degrees F today when I went out to take my '98 3.2 TL to the post office. I let her warm up for several minutes (it was so cold, she hesitated to start up), then pressed the brake pedal and shifted into drive. The pedal did not have the usual firmness and it pressed all the way to the floor. I also noticed that the dash light for the emergency brake was on, yet the emergency brake handle was all the way down. I even tried setting and releasing it a few times, but the light didn't go off.

My car's electrical system goes out of whack in the cold, for example, the cab light in the front seat won't come on when the driver's door is opened, the warning beep to remind you to turn off the headlights when you park doesn't sound, and the locks and security system will randomly engage. All this goes away when the weather warms up, but it happens every winter. The reason I mention this is because I don't know if the cold has anything to do with the latest thing.

I did try rolling forward and stopping in the driveway to test the brakes, and they did stop, but my foot was on the floor. I don't think I've ever had to push the pedal that far down to stop at speeds of under 5mph. I ended up deciding not to risk it and went to the post office in my boyfriend's car.

Any thoughts on what the problem could be?

Another thing worth mentioning is that lately, the power steering has been randomly not working. Usually this problem crops up in parking lots, but the other day it happened when I was making a left turn. The steering wheel suddenly gets really hard to turn. My car has been a terrible mess lately. Sadly, I don't think it will ever get better.

 

check your brake fluid. when was the last time it was flushed? Might be time for one.