B757-200 CREW HAD A CHRONIC AUTO SPD BRAKE DEPLOYMENT PROB. IN DEFERRING THE PROB IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEL; A CONTINUOUS EICAS WARNING WAS DISPLAYED. THIS WAS DISTRACTING FOR THE CREW.

Narrative

WE HAD A 2 HR DELAY AT THE GATE DUE TO A DISAGREEMENT BTWN LCL MAINT AND MAINT CTLR AND CAPT. THE AUTO SPD BRAKES WERE WRITTEN UP ON A PREVIOUS FLT AS NOT DEPLOYING AFTER MAIN WHEEL SPIN UP. THIS WAS A REPEAT WRITE-UP (FIRST PROB). THIS PROC REQUIRED THEM TO PULL AND COLLAR THE CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE 'G' PANEL IN THE 'F' SERIES B757 ACFT. WHEN MAINT PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE PANEL THEY GOT THE ASSOCIATED UPPER EICAS AMBER MESSAGE 'AUTO SPD BRAKES' (MAJOR PROB). THE MEL 27-12 HAS NO 'NOTE TO FLT CREW' REGARDING ANY EICAS MESSAGE AS IN MEL 17. AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH BOTH BASE MGR AND CHIEF PLT; THEY BOTH ADVISED CAPT TO ENTER THE ITEM INTO THE LOGBOOK AND; IF MAINT SIGNED OFF THE BOOK; TO TAKE THE ACFT. MAINT SUPVR MET CAPT AT GATE AND SAID THE ACFT HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF AND RETURNED TO SVC. HE ALSO SAID THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE ACFT TO OPERATE WITH THE EICAS MESSAGE 'AUTO SPD BRAKES' DISPLAYED WHEN THE ASSOCIATED CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BEEN PULLED. AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH ACR FLEET MGR; CAPT'S SUSPICIONS WERE CONFIRMED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE NOT OPERATED THE ACFT WITH THE EICAS MESSAGE WITHOUT ANY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION AS THIS WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF OUR OPERATING MANUALS. IT WOULD APPEAR AS IF EVERYONE WAS CORRECT TO SOME POINT AND THE REAL ERROR WAS IN THE FACT THAT OUR MEL IS INCORRECT. THE MEL 27-12 SHOULD HAVE CONTAINED ONE MORE LINE -- NOTE TO FLT CREW -- UPPER EICAS MESSAGE 'AUTO SPD BRAKES' WILL APPEAR. THIS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED A DELAY AND CONFUSION IN THE HEAT OF THE BATTLE OF TRYING TO DEPART.