I changed all the brake pads once before on this car without a problem but today I can't seem to get the rear brake caliper compressed enough to get it out over the new brake pads. I am so close (maybe an 1/8"). I used a C-clamp to get them so far but they will not budge now. Do I need to crack open the bleeders possibly? I didn't need to do that the last time. I've got it jacked up in the garage so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Scott

 

Got it. Found on a previous post that I needed to spin the piston while pushing in. Down off the jacks and back on the road.

 

Glad you got it.
Keep an eye on the handbrake. Compressing with a C-clamp might have damaged the handbrake auto-adjust mechanism.

 

I do notice some "free play" now in the handbrake. Seems like it doesn't start to activate the e-brake right away when pulled. It still works but seems a little "sloppy" for the first inch or so of pull. How do I attempt to correct what I did?

 

Auto-adjuster can begin taking that up. You can help it along by pulling the handbrake 100 times or jabbing the brake pedal a bunch of times.

If you damaged it, it won't self-adjust. In that case you'd normally get a new/rebuilt caliper, or rebuild yours if you have the tools & parts.

 

It's not self adjusting at all. In fact it has gotten looser and the e-brake barely holds the car even with the handle fully activated. I crawled under the car following the cables to where they disappear into a shield below the console. The cables are protected by a conduit or sheath of some type. I could actually move the one on the driver's side with my fingers. The passenger side one would not budge. By manipulating the cable back and forth an inch to an inch and a half I could hear the e-brake handle moving in the car. Could something have unhooked? Sure enough when I checked the handle it was standing part way up in an activated position. Are there tensioners under the console? Is the cable stretched? Do i need to rebuild the caliper? How do I trouble shoot this?

 

There's a one-time adjuster under the rear end of the console; but the automatic self-adjusting mechanism for the handbrake is inside the rear caliper.

 

Thanks. Can I get at the one-time adjuster by removing the console or do I get at it by removing the metal cover on the bottom of the car where the cables actually disappear into? I'd like to at least check the one-time adjuster out and see if something may be amiss.

 

you should be able to get to it by removing the square panel in the bottom of your center counsel under your armrest.

Pry the panel up with a flat head screwdriver, you will then see the adjustment nut.

 

Thanks a lot crispin and JB. Wife took daughter to softball practice with it so I'll dig into it when they get home. hoping that all I need to do is adjust that nut.........clockwise or counter clockwise to increase tension? Probably clockwise since lefty=loosey and righty=tighty.