Seized Brake Calipers? 2014 CX-5

[Bitterlemon]

14 CX-5 with 110k miles here. The steering wheel started shaking at high speed when the brake was applied. Picture shows the front rotor. I checked the wheel it was hotter than the rear ones but not by much.

Do these tracks look like bad calipers related? Rotors themselves are with less than 10k miles but the calipers have not been replaced.

 

[Mazdiod2]

If the calipers stick you might notice it when parking, etc. High speed chatter is probably contamination on the disc surface.

 

[Bitterlemon]

Thanks. It only starts chattering after driving like an hour or so on the highway.
What kind of symptom when parking if it is the calipers?

 

[skid00skid0]

*IF* it's pad material, built up on the rotor, you might fix it with this:

On an empty road:

From 40ish mph, brake medium hard. Do that again 3 or 4 times. This should re-apply pad material to the entire surface of the disk. (This is a recommended procedure to break-in new disks).

 

[Bitterlemon]

Great, will try that too, good to know this trick.

 

[yrwei52]

View attachment 329685

14 CX-5 with 110k miles here. The steering wheel started shaking at high speed when the brake was applied. Picture shows the front rotor. I checked the wheel it was hotter than the rear ones but not by much.

Do these tracks look like bad calipers related? Rotors themselves are with less than 10k miles but the calipers have not been replaced.

I wouldn’t think your problem is caliper related. Brake calipers usually last for a long time without needing a service or replacement. A known exception is the rear brake calipers on 2016 / 2016.5 CX-5 with EPB as they’re poorly manufactured with quality issues.

Check and lube the caliper pins, and all other suggestions above. The worse case is to get a new (different and better?) pads and rotors for front brakes which isn’t too bad cost wise.

 

[madar]

Who replaced the rotors and were the lug nuts tightened with a torque wrench after they were replaced?

 

[Mazdiod2]

Thanks. It only starts chattering after driving like an hour or so on the highway.
What kind of symptom when parking if it is the calipers?

Well like if you were in a parking lot, backing up, etc, and you notice the brake not releasing completely, pulling or binding maybe. Greasing the pins should help that.
I hope you don't have something wrong with the drivetrain or bearings that might cause heat.
It's chattering when you touch the brakes at high speed? Madar's implicating possible warping of something, like the rotor, because of uneven installation. I think someone has mentioned that sometimes you can try to lightly sand the rotors to see if that evens them out by cleaning residue.
If you have been driving on the interstate for an hour have you been using the brakes some during this time? Or do they chatter with the first application?

 

[Bitterlemon]

I wouldn’t think your problem is caliper related. Brake calipers usually last for a long time without needing a service or replacement. A known exception is the rear brake calipers on 2016 / 2016.5 CX-5 with EPB as they’re poorly manufactured with quality issues.

Check and lube the caliper pins, and all other suggestions above. The worse case is to get a new (different and better?) pads and rotors for front brakes which isn’t too bad cost wise.

Agree, I indeed replaced my rear calipers as one of them was burning the pads about a year ago-I didn't replace the front ones as they looked find to me, this is also why I was paranoid with the front calipers (the mechanism suggested replacing all four calipers back to the time but I declined it). I will lube the calipers this weekend to see if it will help. Thanks, yrwei!

 

[Bitterlemon]

Who replaced the rotors and were the lug nuts tightened with a torque wrench after they were replaced?

I replaced the rotors about a year ago myself, I did torque the lug nuts but as others suggested I will lube the guide pins, thanks!

 

[Bitterlemon]

Well like if you were in a parking lot, backing up, etc, and you notice the brake not releasing completely, pulling or binding maybe. Greasing the pins should help that.
I hope you don't have something wrong with the drivetrain or bearings that might cause heat.
It's chattering when you touch the brakes at high speed? Madar's implicating possible warping of something, like the rotor, because of uneven installation. I think someone has mentioned that sometimes you can try to lightly sand the rotors to see if that evens them out by cleaning residue.
If you have been driving on the interstate for an hour have you been using the brakes some during this time? Or do they chatter with the first application?

Okay, that reminds me of something I overlooked- this is my kind of backup car which is parked and is only driven in town most of the time. Whenever I just put it in reverse and start backing up, I can feel/hear some kinda loud friction noise like the brake is released from some force holding it, after parked for a while. Does this suggest the guide pins lube issues to you? I drove it today to confirm the wheel/brake isn't near as hot as when my rear calipers were completely seized, just slightly higher than my rear ones now, even after driving an hour or longer.

No, it does not chatter with the first application of brake after driving on the highway for an hour or longer, but after a few applications after driving for a while on highway.

 

[N7turbo]

Okay, that reminds me of something I overlooked- this is my kind of backup car which is parked and is only driven in town most of the time. Whenever I just put it in reverse and start backing up, I can feel/hear some kinda loud friction noise like the brake is released from some force holding it, after parked for a while. Does this suggest the guide pins lube issues to you? I drove it today to confirm the wheel/brake isn't near as hot as when my rear calipers were completely seized, just slightly higher than my rear ones now, even after driving an hour or longer.

The brake pads have a rough texture to them that makes a sound when you first move and they let go. It is quieter on subsequent stops.

 

[Bitterlemon]

The brake pads have a rough texture to them that makes a sound when you first move and they let go. It is quieter on subsequent stops.

So this is just normal, not related to the high-speed steering wheel shuddering. Thanks.

 

[skid00skid0]

Okay, that reminds me of something I overlooked- this is my kind of backup car which is parked and is only driven in town most of the time. Whenever I just put it in reverse and start backing up, I can feel/hear some kinda loud friction noise like the brake is released from some force holding it, after parked for a while. Does this suggest the guide pins lube issues to you? I drove it today to confirm the wheel/brake isn't near as hot as when my rear calipers were completely seized, just slightly higher than my rear ones now, even after driving an hour or longer.

No, it does not chatter with the first application of brake after driving on the highway for an hour or longer, but after a few applications after driving for a while on highway.

That's rusting disks. I had that problem with my second car, which sat outside the garage.

 

[Lazy2.5]

*IF* it's pad material, built up on the rotor,

Most pads and rotors will have some undesirable contaminants built up over time.

you might fix it with this:

On an empty road:

From 40ish mph, brake medium hard. Do that again 3 or 4 times. This should re-apply pad material to the entire surface of the disk. (This is a recommended procedure to break-in new disks).

I would suggest to first take apart the brakes (Or have a mechanic do it,) To ensure that the bore is clean, that the piston seals and sliding pins are greased.

then, resurface the rotors and condition the pads.

then, it makes more sense to do the moderate stops as mentioned above. You don't have to. regular braking with the occasional harder stop will be fine, it might just take longer.


Do not lock up the tires when intentionally bedding.
Do not come to a complete stop.

 

[yrwei52]

Agree, I indeed replaced my rear calipers as one of them was burning the pads about a year ago-I didn't replace the front ones as they looked find to me, this is also why I was paranoid with the front calipers (the mechanism suggested replacing all four calipers back to the time but I declined it). I will lube the calipers this weekend to see if it will help. Thanks, yrwei!

Here’s an example of brake pulsing and resolved by front rotors resurfaced with new pads:

Glazed Front Brake Rotors

Hi All,

I have a 2016 CX5-GT AWD (32,000 miles) and on a 10 day trip to the Texas Coast ( Yes we have one ;-) ) when we returned home my brakes started kind pulsing when I come to a stop. I tried to clean them with some hard stops, but nothing seemed to help. I finally took it to my Mechanic and said that the Front Rotor's were Glazed, he'd not seen that look before, and the Pads (original) still had a lot of meat left on them and were clean, nothing embedded in them. Anyway he resurfaced the Front Rotor's and put new pads on, hes said the back ones were still thick and no need.
After he resurfaced it they were back to normal.

My questions is, would or does salt spray from the Coastal Waters and Winds cause a build up on the rotors? We're going back down there soon and I was wondering if trying to keep them washed off might help prevent this from happening again. I just don't want to be replacing rotor's anytime soon.

Appreciate any thoughts or ideas? Take Care. Be Safe.

Craig

 

[Bitterlemon]

Okay, I figured it- the caliper piston seal is broken badly and I also noticed some low brake fluid in the reservoir.

Does anyone know if shops still rebuild calipers these days or would they just replace the whole calipers?

 

[skid00skid0]

It's almost always cheaper to buy a new caliper...

 

[Bitterlemon]

It's almost always cheaper to buy a new caliper...

Good to know, will just replace them, thanks.