Hello. I just found this forum as I was searching an issue I am having with my step-daughter’s 2016 CX5. She let the brakes go far too long (65k miles) to where the right front rotor was getting chewed up and there was some noise coming out of the rear. I replaced the one rotor and did the pads on all four corners. The rears were down to the backing plates. Ugh. I wish I had found this site sooner. Here is what I did (old school):
Front: used a C-clamp to compress pistons and swapped pads.
Rear: A friend of mine told me that I had to turn in the rear pistons (using vise grips) and then compress the piston slowly with a C-clamp. He never mentioned anything about going into maintenance mode. I did what he said and was able to get the pistons compressed and the pads on (I figured out that I had to align the grooves in the piston with the nub on the pad. I did crack the plastic EPB cover on rear pass.
I put it all back together and I had little or no brake pedal. I tried pumping it a bit, but that didn’t work. I thought I might have some air in the line and tried bleeding each caliper but that didn’t help. Now I have very little friction at each pad. I am able to rotate each rotor while someone holds down brake (which goes all the way to the floor now). The same friend told me that the master cylinder is either air bound or needs replacement.
Does this sound right? In reading some posts on this site, I realize that when doing the rear brakes I should’ve put it in ‘maintenance mode’ and got the correct tool, but even if I did the rears incorrectly, shouldn’t the front brakes still work? How could a master cylinder just fail like that?
There is no brake warning light on the dash and the EPB engages and releases.
I’m happy to replace the master cylinder if I have to, but I’m not 100% confident that is going to fix the issue.
Sorry for the long (first) post. I’d appreciate any feedback.
thanks
Frank
Front: used a C-clamp to compress pistons and swapped pads.
Rear: A friend of mine told me that I had to turn in the rear pistons (using vise grips) and then compress the piston slowly with a C-clamp. He never mentioned anything about going into maintenance mode. I did what he said and was able to get the pistons compressed and the pads on (I figured out that I had to align the grooves in the piston with the nub on the pad. I did crack the plastic EPB cover on rear pass.
I put it all back together and I had little or no brake pedal. I tried pumping it a bit, but that didn’t work. I thought I might have some air in the line and tried bleeding each caliper but that didn’t help. Now I have very little friction at each pad. I am able to rotate each rotor while someone holds down brake (which goes all the way to the floor now). The same friend told me that the master cylinder is either air bound or needs replacement.
Does this sound right? In reading some posts on this site, I realize that when doing the rear brakes I should’ve put it in ‘maintenance mode’ and got the correct tool, but even if I did the rears incorrectly, shouldn’t the front brakes still work? How could a master cylinder just fail like that?
There is no brake warning light on the dash and the EPB engages and releases.
I’m happy to replace the master cylinder if I have to, but I’m not 100% confident that is going to fix the issue.
Sorry for the long (first) post. I’d appreciate any feedback.
thanks
Frank