Honda Civic 2004 – Front brake calliper issue

[Stefan]

Hi Ericthecarguy:

I had a problem with the driver side front brake caliper last year where the piston wasn’t retracting. This resulted int the brake pads being constantly pressed against the rotor – in a way, I had a constant brake applied on. The wheel was still moving, but I could tell at minor inclines that there’s no roll (it’s a manual car).

I replaced the entire caliper last year, but the issue started to reoccur again – I barely got 6 months from the new caliper and considering it’s reoccurring on the same side, I wanted to know: do I need to look at something else and not just replace calipers?

NOTE: there’s no ABS in this car so that may simplify things.

Topic

[Richard Kirshy]

Possible you may have a faulty brake hose that is partially collapsed internally that could prevent the caliper from retracting.

[Kevin]

Search ETCG videos….he has one on brake calipers and diagnosing your issue.

[zero]

First thing you should plan to do is take the front tires off to inspect the brakes and if there’s nothing wrong, service the front brakes.

https://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-brake-problems/disc-brake-service

With the caliper removed for servicing, it’s easy enough to see if it presses back in. Even if the replacement caliper was friction ready or loaded, they still need to be taken apart so everything can be properly lubricated.

[Stefan]

hi All:

I guess I should have posted an update long ago, but life got busy.

After following the video, it was the caliper (again). I hope the current one lasts longer than. Now I’m rolling down the hills as I should.

Cheers 🙂

[Author]

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