So mty brake saga continues... Finally Resolved

[redhat]

Some of you may remember my previous post about the drivers rear brake hanging/sticking on my Accord. Unfortunatley I still had an issue with that brake until this past Friday. A good friend of mine was kind enough to share his two car garage. Even though it was a chilly 20 degrees outside, a small electric heater inside of the place did make the job 10x easier. Was warm enough in there. For those who didn't see the last post/thread, I'll go through the saga.

When I first noticed the brake dragging, I immediately thought it was the caliper sticking. I went to AutoZone and bought a re-manufactured caliper and replaced it. The rotor and pad on this side were still good. After installing this caliper, I still had a brake hanging. So at this point I determined that it must be the drivers parking brake cable.

I went to the dealer and picked up the cable and had a local shop install the cable for me. I also had them bleed/flush all of my brake fluid because I wanted to make sure I had nice fresh brake fluid in the system since the caliper probably heated the brake fluid up pretty good. They completed these jobs, but my brake will still sticking. I took the car back to them to have them diagnose and fix the issue.

I picked up the car and they told me that I didn't adjust the caliper properly. I asked them what I didn't adjust and they said I did not turn the piston in all of the way. I assumed I was just wrong and I paid and left. After this, the brake wasn't sticking as bad (wasn't as noticeable at first), but I started to notice that it was still hanging and the wheel was getting hot. Since I didn't feel like [censored] away more money, I wanted to take a good look at this rear brake myself.

Fast forward to this past Friday, I brought the car to my friends house and we took a crack at the brakes in the rear. Since the rotor and pads on that side were consistently dragging and getting beat pretty good, I already decided that I was going to install a new rotor on the drivers side and pads on both wheels in the rear. I first put the pads on the passenger side and turned the piston in all of the way. I went to do the same on the driver side and noticed that the piston just would not go all the way in. BINGO, I found my problem. The re-manufactured caliper that I put on either was a defective rebuild or just the wrong caliper. I also discovered the way that the shop tried to fix the dragging problem. They removed the shims off of the pads, I find that kind of a half-arse fix. I grabbed my old caliper, turned the piston and actuated the parking brake mechanism and both were great. The piston went in all the way just like the passenger side.

I installed a new rotor and pads on the driver rear, lubed everything up, put the old caliper back on and bled that side. I also went through and re-bled/flushed every wheel about 6-7 times with the Honda Genuine Brake Fluid (just wanted to have all of my bases covered).

Needless to say, I'm going to return the caliper to AutoZone and get my money back. I also feel like this shop did some [censored] work. Besides the removal of the pad shims, I wasn't too happy about the following: (1) did not re-install rubber bleeder covers (2) left master brake cylinder with about 1/4" of fluid (3) did not re-connect AUX in or 12v cigarette lighter cables under console (4) did not jack car on jack points (doesn't look like super serious damage but area next to the jack points was used and now these pieces are bent up a little). I kinda want to get the $$$ I paid this place back. I don't know, does anyone think I have some valid points? This is why I hate shops, but I should've just done the work myself... but it was cold out!

I kinda want to complain to AZ about their bad caliper ruining my rotor and pads, but that's kind of an "it is what it is" deal. What do you guys think?

Thanks for taking the time to read!

 

[demarpaint]

Once again another reason to do your own work. Glad you were able to sort it out.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Wow! Sounds like quite the runaround.

Dirty trick on the shop. That's something that I wouldn't think is a bad thing if someone did it in their driveway, but one would expect a shop to either own up to the fact that they can't figure it out, or put the time in to get it correct.

Hopefully AZ will give you the money back for the caliper.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I think you will have no problem getting AutoZone to refund your money on the caliper. The piston clearly won't retract all the way.

I myself probably wouldn't spend too much effort with the shop to get your money back. You have plenty of reason to try, but this is one of those "lesson learned" things for me. You might end up spending a lot of time and personal hassle to get a few hundred bucks back. Your time and general well-being is likely worth at least that much. It probably doesn't hurt to ask (especially if you have photographic documentation of what you found on Friday), but if they appear unwilling to refund all or part of your money, I'd probably not waste my time. In theory, there are probably a few channels through which you could pressure them into working with you more (like taking the story to social media or to a news station), but again, your time is worth something, and the effort involved here may not be worth the return.

Glad to hear you got it sorted. So what do you think the problem was in the very beginning? Maybe the caliper was sticky along the slide pins, and the caliper itself (piston, etc) was good?

 

[redhat]

The problem had to have been the parking brake cable from the beginning, but I figured "how could a parking brake cable be hanging up already".

Never underestimate anything!

 

[eljefino]

Yeah I wouldn't lean on the shop too hard, you bought the parts and basically did the diagnostics and paid them for the labor. At least kinda. They saw the new parts and made the assumptions you did.

 

[redhat]

Yeah I don't know, I still think they did a bad job.

I told them to fix the issue (brake hanging) at one point which would have required them to perform their own diagnostics and they didn't correct the problem, they put some 'duct tape' on it and passed it as good.

Also, when you pay for a brake flush and are left with an almost empty master cylinder and are charged for brake fluid with the procedure, you should have your reservoir filled.

I had to spend my time to tear apart the rear of my console to hook back up some of the connectors that were not re-connected, and now I'm left with some parts of the pinch welded rocker crushed.

Maybe I see it differently. I will agree that the price I had paid for them to install the parking brake cable was justified and will not dispute that charge as it was completed. But the other ones, I think I will give them a call and see what can be done.

But I also agree, that I honestly don't feel like spending too much time on it. My mental health and relaxation are worth more.

 

[badtlc]

Don't be combative, but call the shop and let them know what all was done wrong. a good manager is going to want to know what is going on in their shops. if they are a good shop and want your business, they'll make it right. if they don't, then don't go back to them.

People make mistakes and I'm all for giving someone a chance to correct their mistakes.

 

[zzyzzx]

I am curious as to how much you wasted on defective rebuilt parts and the incompetent mechanic.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
I am curious as to how much you wasted on defective rebuilt parts and the incompetent mechanic.


Over the course of 5 years, I spent $1000 on the Taurus to get it to stop pinging.

Turns out it was the DPFE sensor bad enough to cause problems, but not bad enough to set a CEL.

5 years, $1000 wasted .... and it was a $47 part that took an hour to fix.

 

[Kuato]

Complain to the shop in writing. Send a copy of the letter to corporate, the service manger, etc. request that your entire cost be refunded since the problem wasn't fixed and your vehicle was made unsafe/damaged when the parts were removed. State that the parts were all there before since you had just had it all apart. They DID nothing, so they should RECEIVE nothing.

 

[Tosh]

If it were me, I would speak in person with the shop owner about all the mistakes they made and the damage their incompetence caused.

Did you say you replaced a rotor on only one side? I would want left and right the same...