[Fis753106]

So confused..

Is this hand brake and seized calipar problem two different problems?

Now that I think about it, the car has seem to been struggling up hills during the past 6 weeks or so. Never had any problems with the e-brake though..

 

[RickBlaine]

Your "bad-side" e-brake looks an inch or two past where it should be. That may or may not be the bracket.

You may have used the e-brake and it never retracted when you released it- If that is the case, you can easily "seize" your brake caliper because of the heat generated when the pads are pressed against the rotor for a while. The caliper and rotor may be saved, but something (rust, lack of proper lubrication, hitting multiple beavers, driving through puddles, road salt, etc. etc. etc.) caused that e-brake to lock up.

One of the best ways to check the health of your car is mpg. If it drops, something is wrong.

If you live in an area with road salt, it is a VERY good idea to have your brakes (or learn to do this 90 minute, easy procedure) disassembled, cleaned, and re-installed once a year. Everyone complains about Accord rear brakes- I think road salt (and heat if you are in AZ) kills the slider pin lubricant and leads to issues 2+ years on.

OP, you may be able to save all of this. A locking/adjusting nut may have rusted, and a brake cleaning/lubrication job (maybe no parts needed if it is within spec) may be all that you need.

When you get a seized or sticky caliper- ALWAYS bleed all four brakes because the fluid may have cooked. Brake fluid is hygroscopic- it attracts water and kills calipers. Once it exceeds the temp rating, it attracts water like Seattle.

Please report back if you take it in...or post other pics if you think we can help. Some of the Honda techs get on this forum at night- they will have good insight.

 

[Fis753106]

Not a seized caliper.

Something is wrong with the ebrake. It engages but doesnt dis-engage. I can disengage at by pulling the boot manually.

Wheel hardly spins when you dis-engage the parking brake, unless you manually pull on the cable under the car

 

[Fis753106]

Your "bad-side" e-brake looks an inch or two past where it should be. That may or may not be the bracket.

You may have used the e-brake and it never retracted when you released it- If that is the case, you can easily "seize" your brake caliper because of the heat generated when the pads are pressed against the rotor for a while. The caliper and rotor may be saved, but something (rust, lack of proper lubrication, hitting multiple beavers, driving through puddles, road salt, etc. etc. etc.) caused that e-brake to lock up.

One of the best ways to check the health of your car is mpg. If it drops, something is wrong.

If you live in an area with road salt, it is a VERY good idea to have your brakes (or learn to do this 90 minute, easy procedure) disassembled, cleaned, and re-installed once a year. Everyone complains about Accord rear brakes- I think road salt (and heat if you are in AZ) kills the slider pin lubricant and leads to issues 2+ years on.

OP, you may be able to save all of this. A locking/adjusting nut may have rusted, and a brake cleaning/lubrication job (maybe no parts needed if it is within spec) may be all that you need.

When you get a seized or sticky caliper- ALWAYS bleed all four brakes because the fluid may have cooked. Brake fluid is hygroscopic- it attracts water and kills calipers. Once it exceeds the temp rating, it attracts water like Seattle.

Please report back if you take it in...or post other pics if you think we can help. Some of the Honda techs get on this forum at night- they will have good insight.

Thank you for the great insight.

I use the e-brake every day. It seems like there is a kink in the cable and it doesnt retract.

Your comment about gas mileage is golden. I usually get around 32 mpg for the week but only have been getting 29ish.


Are you suggesting that the slider pins arent greased enough? That is a different problem as far as the e-brake.. Right??? And re-greasing the slide pins will not fix the ebrake?

I might have to leave this one to the pros.

 

[RickBlaine]

Your caliper is "STICKING", not seized.

I say "sticky" because the e-brake is not retracting, which means it is applying braking force ALL the time. That mimics a seized caliper. I am on the 7th Gen forums, and as our cars get older, our younger peeps buy them 3rd, or 4th hand, some brakes were not serviced properly and when people say gas mileage has gone bad- number ONE is a seized/sticky caliper.

Before your caliper becomes seized, you will have to have the brakes fixed.

The slider pins not being lubed would NOT cause the issue with your e-brake. However, one of the reasons why brake slider pins lose their effectiveness is road salt, heat, and time. Guess what, these evil forces also cause e-brake mechanisms to freeze up. I am perplexed because you say you use your e-brake all the time. Usually the frozen, or "sticky" e-brake happens because it is used once every two years....

So your slider pins are probably greased enough- it is probably just an e-brake problem.

The e-brake is sticking because of something you hit (the beaver you hit is having his vengeance) or because of rust. The bracket could have gotten knocked loose by something you ran over, a valet may have beaten the hell out of your ride (applying e-brake at 30 mph like our man Dom in the Fast and Furious movies), or your brakes wore down, you yanked on the cable too hard after driving through puddles and road salt, and it did not retract in time as you floored it. Who knows?

In conclusion, it is NOT a seized caliper- it is a sticky caliper caused by a dysfunctional e-brake cable.