What are the symptoms of a seized caliper?
 

i was driving today and had a crazy vibration come through my steering wheel. it felt like i had a flat tire. i lowered my window and kept hearing a swoosh swooshing noise

i have a feeling it was my right rear caliper

the problem has gone away after a few pumps of the brake pedal while the car is in the park gear. i also drove around in reverse and stomped on the brakes a few times

no idea what happened, this is the first time in awhile that i had car problems with my otherwise perfect ride

any input is appreciated

A caliper piston that becomes frozen will keep the pads against the rotor, create extreme heat and can cause some abnormal sensations when driving, but won't release. This is why it's called a frozen caliper, so if the brake system eventually returns to normal, then the caliper doesn't have a frozen caliper.

A couple ways to check if the pads continue to apply pressure to the rotor, once feeling the sensation, hit the rotor with a infrared thermometer and compare with the opposite side, it should be higher, or jack up the wheel and try and spin the assembly, if frozen or pads are in contact with the rotor it will be hard to turn.

A brake line that has an internal failure will exhibit the same similarity as a frozen caliper, but will elevate the built up pressure over time as the fluid will return to the master cylinder very slowly and the brakes will once again act in a normal manner until next time.

Put your hand on the effected wheel. It will be HOT.

When I had the problem there was a weird sound also when braking.

I had a seized caliper in the rear right last year.

Went to the dealer - $720; brand new rear right caliper, brand new pads for both rears, the rest labour.

Hope you don't spend that much.

If you feel the vibration more so in the steering wheel then your prob is most likely going to be somewhere in the front. If it actually was a stuck caliper you will feel quite a bit of drag on the car when you let off the throttle. Also there is a good chance you will feel some type of pull off to one side or the other. Hopefully the prob won't come back.:wish:

Exactly. A frozen caliper or brake problem in the rear will not show up as a steering wheel vibration.

The base 5at front brakes are known for warping easy. If you have a slightly stuck caliper all it takes is a little extra heat and you get vibration. Once they cool, vibration goes away. I dealt with this since the car was new and this was one reason I upgraded to a BBK, to get away from Acura rotors.

The caliper can be sticky but not stuck all the time. The sliders can stick and the piston can stick. They can slowly go back to their normal positions. Once the rotor gets hot and you get the vibration, it can kick everything back in place. As it was said, shoot the rotors or calipers with an IR thermometer. Both fronts should be the same temp and both rears should be the same temp. If one is more than a couple degrees hotter than the other you've found your problem.

so if i have a sticky caliper do i have a serious problem? the problem went away but i worry it will come back as brembo calipers are not cheap

when did you feel the vibration? was it at high speed? if you felt it through the steering wheel, then the problem is most likely in your front brakes. Vibration could possibly be warped rotors.

i was on the highway and there was traffic... i would say approx 30 mph.

the vibration wasnt terrible but it was noticeable. i am still pretty sure it is the right rear caliper that decided to "stick" but the problem has not come up since

i drove around today and everything felt normal and i also have brand new rotors on my car... highly doubt they are warped. letting go of the steering wheel and braking resulted in a straight line stop.

i have no intentions of buying an IR thermometer because i dont want to pay for it and it sounds expensive, also because my problem has not gotten serious yet.

as for now i will be monitoring my TPMS and watching for any abnormal PSI changes, so far its been pretty normal

im starting to think a piece of gravel got stuck in the brake area and fucked shit up for a short amount of time but i could be wrong...

anyways i will continue monitoring the brakes. do the rear calipers need re-lubing? if that is my problem i will definitely tell my mechanic about that

With that attitude, why even ask our opinion? Just drive the car until it gets worse or the car becomes undriveable and then go see your mechanic. By the way, an inexpensive infrared thermometer can be had for @ $15, but I guess that will break the bank.

An IR thermometer would tell you everything you need to know. This is a braking problem, it can cause injury, it's not like it's a lack of power or a cosmetic problem. What do you think happens if you boil the brake fluid in the stuck caliper?

i had no idea an IR meter was $15. again this problem has not come up and the car drives perfect still, i was very worried when i encountered this problem that is why i posted about it

i still feel that the problem was my right rear caliper and am starting to think a piece of gravel was in e brake area and messed things up for me temporarily

i will continue monitoring how the car drives but as of now everything is normal, there are no funny vibrations, and there are no funny noises. if i had a serious problem with a stuck or sticking caliper i think my tpms would show that problem as the PSI on that certain wheel would not be at average or normal PSI.

will definitely buy an IR meter if this problem was to arise again. i dont mind forking out $15 to diagnose my problem thought those things were like 100 bux

I had a similar problem the other day and thought it was my right front. I kept checking and couldn't see anything just heard a grinding noise with the rotor. Went away for a day then came back. I realized it was my right rear, caliper had locked up and wore the brake pad all the way through. Needless to say it ruined the rotor so I would keep a close eye on everything.

Re car repairs
 

I just wanted to point out that some of you boys on here are rather silly. Why would you go and pay hundreds of dollars to a fancey garage when there's always a decent mechanic on CL etc.. Never hurts to have 2 different people look at your car.You can always take it to farm n fleet or Midas for a free estimate. Then you will know if the other guy knows what he's doing .

Mom giggles

Never knew people look for mechanics via craigslist...

I work on my own car. If there is ever something that I don't have enough knowledge or tools to tackle I would take it to a ASE certified mechanic to get it done.

Finding a mechanic on craigslist and going to your local Midas both do not promise you that they know anything about cars. Most of the people that get hired at shops like Midas and work as mechanics aren't even ASE certified.

Anyone can turn a wrench and ratchet. Not everyone that turns a wrench and ratchet is a good mechanic. Your best bet is to find a ASE certified mechanic.

I've seen guys that worked as mechanics at shops and had the "ASE" patch on their shirt but weren't even ASE certified. They most likely stole the shirt from someone at a previous job who was ASE certified. Make sure you ask to see their credentials.

Now there are good mechanics out there that aren't ASE certified but they are hard to find and distinguish from your typical shady mechanic that just likes to throw parts at the car.

stuck front caliper almost always results in the car pulling to that side when initially braking.

loosen lugs
jack up car
remove wheels
remove bottom caliper pin on each side
lift caliper up

check pads, they should all be about the same in wear when comparing side to side
a stuck caliper will usually have an inside pad that has way more wear that it should.

Next do this since you are in there

press each caliper piston into the bore and check for free motion of the caliper on the guide pins by

lowering the caliper and reinstall caliper bolt tight enough so it will not move around

If the caliper does not move freely once bolted back onto the pins, remove the caliper, remove the pins, them, clean them, lube them and reinstall them. This should solve the problem if they were frozen. Also install new pads

if not, replace the caliper with a new OEM one, replace the pads, and the bleed the brakes.

BTW anyone can do this: all it takes is researching via the Internet (YT in particular) documenting everything as you do it, and then reversing the removal process

TL brakes are extremely easy to work on