Misfit2613

Ok so when I bought my ep3 I knew it needed pads, rotors and struts. Well after replacing the rotors and pads after a little bit of stop and go traffic the pedal gets stiff. I can smell my brakes, sometimes see the smoke and my driverside wheel is crazy hot. After a little bit of driving without touching the brakes everything goes back to normal. Soon as I hit the brakes some and build up pressure it does it again. When the caliper is sticking the car is very sluggish and I can literally sit on a hill in neutral and not roll.

It is not pulling to either side. Driverside pad is down to metal within a week or two while the passenger side looks new. I have replaced rotors three times, pads twice, both front calipers twice, both front rubber hoses, brand new slides, everything greased up, brake fluid vacuumed out and replaced by Honda. Almost everyday I have had it in the air trying to figure out what it could be. Over the past couple weeks it has gotten worse. If anyone could point me in the right direction that would be awesome. I just want to actually enjoy driving it without worrying when it's gonna start sticking again.

Tyson

Poorly adjusted replacement master cylinder, or calipers need replacing.

Misfit2613

I've replaced the caliper with two different ones and if the master cylinder was bad wouldn't both front calipers be sticking not just one? Remember it's just the driverside that is the issue

Tyson

also a bad brake hose is a strong possibility.

Misfit2613

Both the front hoses are two weeks old. I replaced them after I did both the front calipers.

Misfit2613

Today I drove it to my garage while it was sticking. Jacked it up and the driver wheel was the only wheel hard to turn. Took everything apart. Greased all the slides again, grinded off the rust on the caliper bracket where the pads sit in the steel holder. Put it all back together. Bled the brakes, good fluid and pressure out of both sides. Both sides spin freely, pumped the brakes a few times to build pressure and the driver wheel was stuck again.

When taking the hoses off the calipers the passenger side had a good amount of fluid come out and a constant drip. The driverside seemed almost none dry when I popped the hose off. I don't get it, there's plenty of fluid while bleeding.

redlinetuning

That could be a sign of a bad proportioning valve

Misfit2613

I'm not sure if your familiar with the ep3 brake set up but there are two lines coming out of the master cylinder. Those two lines go to the electronic abs module. Then four lines come out of that. One for the driver front, one for the passenger front and two go to the prop valve then two come out of that to the rear calipers. The front lines don't go through the prop valve they come straight from the abs module.

v4lu3s

Afaik on ABS cars the proportioning valve is integrated into the abs modulator. That thing you call the proportioning valve is just a junction.

I suspect a blockage somewhere, either in the line to the front caliper that is a problem, or in the modulator.

Tyson

^^ agree.

not a prop valve. thats all in the ABS.

if OP says he tried replacing EVERYTHING but the ABS, then the ABS is the next likely problem...

i have no idea if the ABS is even serviceable, flushable, or what. seems easy enough to research... most likely just replace, would be my guess.

Misfit2613

Ya I'm going to the junk yard Friday to pull one off of an rsx since ep3s are impossible to find around here. Dealer wants $1200 for one new.

Misfit2613

I found the problem with my brakes!!!!!!

I want to thank everyone who took the time to give thier input, I really appreciate it.

Ok so Today before I left work I pulled my abs fuses just to see what would happen. The brakes felt a lot better than with abs I can tell you that.

Got on the hwy came up to some stop and go traffic and within minutes the brake pedal got rock hard and the brakes started sticking, like bad. While trying to do 65 mph, I put my foot under the brake pedal and lifted up and... Boom. INSTANTLY unsiezed. Built up pressure again and tried it one more time and good to go.

So now I just need to figure out why the pedal isn't returning to where it should.

I'm going to swap the calipers and rotors back out for new ones since these have been extremely hot numerous times, over the course of two weeks and driving 137 miles a day round trip to work.

Now on to the next project. My coilovers are supposed to be here Wednesday. While I have everything apart I figured I would just start replacing stuff. I got new front lower control arms, cv axles, wheel bearings, ball joints, sway bar end links, front caliper brackets, rear rotors and pads. Thinking about going ahead and replacing the clutch while I'm at it, the throw out bearing is kinda noisy.

Tyson

Misfit2613

Ok cool, I'll look into it. Thanks