E-Brake Sticking

[oilerfan4lyfe]

I'm having some trouble with my e-brake sticking...any suggestions would be appreciated. Car is a 2004 Acura TSX.

I changed my rotors, pads and flushed my fluid about 2 months ago and have had the issue ever since. I used all OEM parts. Most of the time when I pull up my e-brake and then put it back down, it'll still be lightly active. The actual handle is all the way down and the light on the dash will turn off but I'll need a little extra throttle to get going, more gas to keep up speed when driving and it becomes easier to stall the car.

The workaround I found is to put the e-brake handle down and then to press the brake pedal hard which will cause it to completely disengage and go back to normal. It's easy to tell because when it's still active the handle is like a floppy noodle and is easy to pull up whereas after pressing the brake pedal hard I'll hear a click, the handle will return to normal resistance and the car will drive just fine.

I must have effed up something when changing the brakes...anyone know what? I did push the star piston thingy in as far as I could turn it with a flat screwdriver prior to changing the pads.

Thanks.

[ShermanEF9]

sounds like the pads aren't sliding all the way back in. did you clean the "channels" for the pads, or are they still crusty?

[civic_stylez]

Sometimes lubing the e brake cable can help as well.

[revelations]

With an 04, you need to TURN the piston in order to retract the pads.

http://www.tsxclub.com/forums/1st-ge...rake-pads.html

[oilerfan4lyfe]

I turned it in as far as I could. I figured if I didn't turn it in far enough the pads wouldn't have fit in?

I cleaned and lubed the edges when putting the pads back in.

I wonder too if it's the piston just not being turned in enough...I'll try to take it apart and re-do it to see if that fixes the problem.

Thanks for the replies!

[revelations]

check the link posted to see if you missed any steps ....

[oilerfan4lyfe]

I used that thread along with a DIY video to do it, the only exception was that I don't know where to get the tool so I used a large flat screwdriver instead to screw in the piston. I think I'll call around to see if any places around here rent out the tools because screwing it in with a screwdriver is brutally hard.

[G-ZUS]

Originally posted by oilerfan4lyfe
I used that thread along with a DIY video to do it, the only exception was that I don't know where to get the tool so I used a large flat screwdriver instead to screw in the piston. I think I'll call around to see if any places around here rent out the tools because screwing it in with a screwdriver is brutally hard.

http://www.princessauto.com/en/detai...ol/A-p2990062e

[drtoohotty1]

canadian tire rents out the piston wind back tool set for free

[G-ZUS]

Originally posted by drtoohotty1
canadian tire rents out the piston wind back tool set for free

Do they? Yesterday I tried to rent a spring compressor from there - they said you have to buy the struts from us

[oilerfan4lyfe]

I'll have CT a try...otherwise maybe I can buy it from princess, use it and return it?

[J.M.]

Get the piston wind back tool, that princess auto one is still a bitch to use. It's pretty much the same as using the screwdriver method, you've got to push really hard and turn at the same time.

[drtoohotty1]

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/automo...an-a-tool.html

Everytime I need something I just borrow it from CT has worked great for years

[Cooked Rice]

Spead open a pair of needle nose pliers to fit in the notches of the piston and turn it with that.

[jltabot]

That $7 wind back tool works just fine. You just need a solid hold on the caliper and turn and push steadily. Also, while you're at it, don't know if you did or not since I don't think it was mentioned, lubricate the slider pins in the caliper with sil-glyde or something similar, just be careful not to get any lube or grease on the pad itself. As mentioned before, clean up with sand paper any rust on the retaining clips that the pads sit in (edges). Button it all up, press and release the brake a few times. And do the same with the E-brake, up and down, to make sure it's engaging and disengaging.

[oilerfan4lyfe]

Thanks again to everyone who helped out with suggestions. I finally got some time today to fix this. I rented the tool from Can Tire in Beacon Hill (not all CT rent tools) and screwed the piston all the way in - that was part of the problem but my e-brake would still stick, just not as badly. Civic_stylez had it on the money...I had to lube the e-brake cable/spring. I noticed that the spring on the rear right didn't have the same mobility as on the other side, so I sprayed a bit of WD-40 on it and the problem was fixed up. There's a picture attached in case anyone runs into a similar problem - the green box is around the spring that I had to lube.

Only downside is that because I let it go for so long my new brake pad is about 50% worn in just 3 months. Oh well, live and learn.