UPDATE: Plop, Plop, Ping, Ping...

This morning while getting onto Rt3 N, Vic made some odd noises.  They were sort of like when it is cold out, you have some ice under the windshield wipers, and it breaks loose.  Only it was sort of under the hood, or even under the dash.  Then I smelled exhaust.  Thing is, at the same time, there was an older Jeep Grand Cherokee with its hazard lights on, slowly going down the breakdown lane, and also a horse trailer was in front of me.

Now, I am pretty sure I couldn't hear a horse stomping around in that trailer.  And the Jeep didn't appear to have a flat tire.  The sounds didn't last long, but I was starting to worry.  Add in the fact it was very windy, and hard to keep the car from wandering in the lane.  The thought of a ball joint giving way crossed my mind...

A little later, I accidently tapped the emergency brake pedal, and found that it sank right to the floor.  AHA!  Maybe the cable snapped??  Was it wrapped around something under the hood?  Uhoh... When I got a chance to pull over and check, the cable was still intact.  Granted, it was sagging as usual.  It seems that sometimes when I step on the e-brake, it does nothing (like normal), or it REALLY does nothing, and just sinks to the floor.  When I got home, I soaked (what I think is) the cable tensioner with WD-40, in an effort fo loosen things up a bit.  I am not hopeful... I need rear pads anyway, so perhaps it is almost time to make an appointment with Taxi Guy...