Dogginator

It typically is the push rod adjustment that causes the brakes to lock like this. When you swap a master cylinder or booster, you must adjust the rod.

dylanrue

It is not air in the system.

I would start with the pushrod because it is free and you can do it. I don't have the specification but the brake pedal should sit just above the gas pedal and START to engage the brakes just below it. Start your car, let it run for a few seconds, then turn it off. Lift the front of your car and have a friend spin a tire while you slowly and softly press on the brakes if they are engaging instantly then then it is likely the pushrod.

If that is fine you could take a wheel off and see if the caliper body moves around a tiny bit. If it doesn't at all you may want to check the slides.

Will_SG

Just like to add as I just had my brake booster and cylinder changed.

1. You can try adjusting the brake light sensor position to allow more play in the pedal, instead of adjusting the push rod.

2. If you brakes gets jammed after driving for a short distance, just remove the vacuum hose to the brake booster to release the vacuum. And the brake caliper should release. Instead of waiting in the car for the brake caliper to release on their own.


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Melanie Wingo

Having same problem with my 88 Honda Civic wagon. Have replaced port valve, breaks, calibers, rubber hoses and running out of money. Only 5,000 miles on rebuilt motor and everything else has broke since. Getting frustrated. My husband and I are doing all work on our own with no garage. I love this car and I want to be able to drive it more than 3.8 miles. That's as far as I can go.

Damanzi

i havent been able to figure out how to correctly adjust the push rod and i was driving the other day and smoked the ^%$# out of the driver side caliper area, and since that i still have the same symptoms with the pedal, works regular after just starting to use the car but after a bit it's stuck high and i can hardly push it in. But my car will still accelrate now even when my pedal is stuck high (didnt do that before i smoked it out) so I'm guessing i f&^% something else up worse (cooked lines or something?) anyways i finally got time off work so I guess going to start working through it. really need a 2nd car.. cant take this kind of car to a shop they just tell you that you need x part and charge you 4x oem price for part + labor.

Will_SG

I solved my problem by allowing the brake pedal to have more travel eg. adjusting the brake light sensor position to allow the brake pedal to release more. If the brake pedal isnt fully release, it allows the vacuum to build up in brake booster (The brake booster uses vacuum in assisting our braking), resulting in the "hard" / Pedal stuck high and caliper clamping down on the brake disc.

dylanrue

Vacuum "building up" in the booster would not give you a hard brake pedal.

Will_SG

In my case, when i removed the vacuum hose, the caliper loosen up and brake pedal regains the travel.

dylanrue

I see what you mean. The brakes were already partially applied by the booster, giving the pistons less distance to travel before being fully applied, which would give you a harder brake pedal.

Melanie Wingo

O.K Feeling really stupid so the first thing you should check is that there is not a fallen heater cable between the brake booster and brake pedal. Spent couple hundred bucks replacing entire front breaking system only to find problem didn't cost a thing to fix. Don't feel like a moron like I do check the easy stuff first. Moved wire and have driven 200miles with no problem

Will_SG

So the cable got in the way and the brakes pedal wasnt able to release fully?
Well, at least you know that your brakes system are new and good for a long time.

Damanzi

why is it that when you first start the car up there is enough travel but then later on when driving they would be partially applied? if the reason for the harder pedal was that they were already applied, wouldnt the brakes be hard the moment you turned on your car?

dylanrue

Your first sentence is the problem that the original poster is having. The second situation you described is what Will SG was having. It's pretty much impossible to completely diagnose a car if it's not with you, these threads just help OP get in the right direction maybe, or remember something they forgot initially.

johnsonmfw

good luck with the brake issue. atleast its a honda.. i had a brake issue with my e46 m3 brembos and that cost me a arm and a leg..

hondarulez

Having the same problem, break overheat after 10 mins driving caused by brake drag. MC was changed lately... will try unpluging vacuum hose.

hondarulez

Unpluged vacuum hose (heard the pshffff) but didn't release front brake piston faster.

I did push each from piston again inside the caliper with bleeder open + removed pad shim. This helped reduce overheat (I can now touch my wheel using my finger without burning myself) Waiting 5-10 minutes engine turned off always release my piston and my wheels move feely when raised on jack....

Any suggestion about what I could try next?

thanks

OMG THE GOGGLES

iTrader: (7)

Saw this happen to someone locally, culprit ended up being one of the "techs" at his work changed his brake fluid for him...with motor oil. Heated up, brakes got super hard, and locked up.

hondarulez

I'm starting to think it could be simply my calipers (rebuilt last year but lot's of autocross by previous owner), the piston is so hard to push back into the caliper that It would make sense piston doesn't release quick enough...

mish__

Same thing happening to me. Spent a lot on a clutch master cylinder, slave master cylinder, clutch kit and flywheel... thinking clutch was slipping. But, no. Learned the hard way.

After 10 minutes of driving, brakes stiffen and odometer/speed drops. Smoke on front wheel areas. Weird smell.

So what is advised to check first? I never messed with the brake master cylinder (full), calipers, brake pads/rotors. Just happened out of nowhere when I was driving home from work one day.

hondarulez

Finally changing both calipers resolved my problem, brake pedal is less hard and no overheat.

94eg!

iTrader: (2)

Poorly adjusted push rod, or bad brake booster. Adjust the push rod (shorten) to lower the pedal a bit. If that doesn't help, then it's the booster. Replace it.

alucard420x

I have a 99 acura cl and am having the same problem. but none of the answers I have read so far explains why it would happen after sometimes driving for a while, or only after a few minutes, or why it happens more when it's hot than when it's cold. I don't want to spend a bunch of money replacing things that it's not. would the push rod move on it's own then back again? does the Master Cylinder work intermittently?

Oh, and I tried bleeding my brakes and found there was no fluid to the back tire, so we followed the line to a bad proportioning valve, changed it, got fluid to all tires, but still the same problem.

preludeNApower

Bleed till you bleed. I've had similar issues after removing abs and after bleeding about 20 times it worked

speedjunkie_g35

The brake booster has a rod in the center that when the brake pedal is pressed, this rod is pushed into the master cylinder, forcing brake fluid into the calipers to stop. The is a valve on the brake booster that allows the rod to return to its normal position when the pedal is depressed.

If the brake booster is new and this occurs then the rod needs to be adjusted which can be found on youtube.

If it is a old booster then the valve has become clogged and is not allowing the pressure to be relieved. The fix is a new booster.

Hope that helps better explain what is happening.

b16jared

I know this is an old post but I just had this problem and found this thread and it saved me from buying all the brake parts I was gonna throw at my crx. I adjusted my brake light switch to where the pedal could com all the way back and it stopped my locking brakes! Thanks alot for this thread and thank god for honda-tech