This should be a No Brainer but...

We bought a used 2009 Accord EX about two years ago and I'm still learning it. This past weekend I was rotating the tires and was examining the brake pads while the tires were off. Unless I'm doing something wrong, I can't see the inboard pad thickness through the inspection window in the caliper. I can see the outboard pad just fine. Since the purpose of the inspection window is to inspect the pads quickly and easily, it seems like a pain to have to loosen the the caliper bracket bolts and rotate the assembly upward to see the inboard pad. Do all of you share the same frustration or am I missing something obvious? Any advice?

 

Bump

 

Do you have any noise when braking? The reason I ask is because if you are not able to see the brake pad thru the inspection window, it is a chance there isn't much pad left.

 

There should be plenty of pad left because the previous owner, my father-in-law, had the brakes done at a shop a few months before we bought it. The outboard pad on both sides has a lot of life left in it so I assume the inboard pad is the same. There is an inspection window but to me it doesn't line up quite right and shrouds the inboard pad. Thus I'm wondering if I'm the only one who is experiencing this. If I am then maybe something is wrong. But, the car drives just fine (other than the oil consumption which I mentioned in another post).

 

I haven't experienced this issue as I remember but an easy way to partial remove the caliper would be to remove the lower bolt and rotate the caliper upward. I hope that helps in this situation and as for the oil consumption post i will have to check that out.

 

Correct, I know I can rotate the caliper bracket up by loosening one of the slide pin bolts but I "should" be able to see both pads through the inspection window. This technique works well on all the other Hondas I have owned except for this car.

 

I literally just went thru this last weekend. I could see the outboard pad but not the inboard pad. I figured since Im going to go thru the hassle of taking a wheel off and then the lower bolt, I may as well just replace the darn pads and be done with it. $50 and 30minutes later I have new pads on the front of my 12 lx

 

Yeah, it's bizarre to me that I am unable to see the inboard pad thickness when the wheel is off. I could do this on every Honda I've ever owned except this one which makes me think something is wrong.

 

For the 8th generation Accords, Honda use two different front caliper types depending on model trim.

The service manual show for Nissin type calipers, to check both front pad thickness, one slide pin bolt is removed and the caliper rotated up to check.

For Akebono type caliper, it has two separate inspection windows to check the inner and outer pads.

 

tech8, that's interesting. We have an EX model and if we have the Nissin calipers then that would explain it. I don't have a shop manual for the car yet but am planning on buying an OEM manual soon.