How does the mechanic at the dealer find a sticking caliper?
rotate wheel by hand and compare sides??
Some other way?

 

Perhaps depress the brake pedal to verify that the pistons move?

 

pad and rotor wear

 

Or I'd take it for a light drive then check the temp of each caliper.

 

Drive it about a mile at low speeds, <30mph, the feel the temp of the wheels. Sticking caliper=hot wheel.

Don't reach through and touch the rotor... sticking wheel+touching rotor = huge badass blister on fingertip.

 

Depends on how bad it is stuck. If it is bad it will be noticable right away the rotor will have hot spots on them blue and gold. If them pad is worn more on one side than the other. I seen the wheel lock up completely and be towed in.

 

yup...the rotor that's blue and grooved is your busted caliper. basically look for the rotor that's worse than the other ones.

 

I just did that last year. Whoops. A blister about 3/8 of an inch long. I don't even know why I did it. I knew that caliper was sticking already.

 

no it was a serious question as in your rotors warp - how do you rule out that a caliper piston sticks just a little and heats up the rotor?
does the mechanic turn the tires manually and compare?

 

my piston was hard to push in, really really hard, its not suppose to be, so i would say thats how to test it.

 

These were serious responses. That is how a mechanic will check.

 

heh, you thought these guys were joking......but we're really serious.....i guess it sounds kinda funny......but its true

 

My story: I had purchased my Max from South Tacoma Honda out in Tacoma, WA. Well under warranty I had them replace the brakes since the car had horrible breaking. So they do w/e and end up turning the rotors and cleaning the pads and throw it back together.
Well I get about 4 miles towards my house and the whole way I'm smelling this nasty burning rubber type smell and I'm thinking its this car I had been tailing the whole way. So I get to a stop light and happen to look back and all I see is white smoke coming out of my rear driver side tire well. Anyways, I call up the Honda dealership and they tow it back, all this while i'm pissed off and glad the thing wasn't on fire. So they resurface that rotor and replace all of the pads with new ones and I finally get it back a day late.

Question though. When I finally end up putting on the brembo rotors and hawk pads, should I replace the calipers with new performance ones, new oem ones or keep the ones I have?