I recently got my rear brake pads, calipers and rotors replaced due to the calipers freezing. I was told my front brakes were fine and nothing seemed wrong. A week later, on the way back from the beach, my grandfather was driving and said he didn’t have brakes. The brake line broke on the front-left, and the fluid leaked all over. My grandfather, who is also a mechanic, says they didn’t bleed the brakes correctly, and now I run the risk of having to spend more money. How can I tell if it was their fault? – Evelyn
Even though you only had your rear calipers replaced, most shops will bleed the air from all four corners. Thus, the timing of the failure would suggest that this is more than just a coincidence.
A broken brake line leads me to believe that the repair shop may have removed and serviced your vehicle’s front calipers, perhaps damaging a rubber brake-flex line during the process. Keep in mind that the removal of the front calipers is not required to complete the repairs you have described. I would need to see the invoice to be more specific.
If nothing in the front was touched other than a simple bleed, chances are the shop will dismiss any responsibility. If they did service the front brakes during your previous visit, most reputable shops will view the breakdown happening shortly after their repair with uncertainty, favouring to make the situation right with you and save the relationship.
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I have a 2008 Honda Accord with a TPMS [Tire Pressure Monitor Sensor] problem. I’ve had a sensor replaced, but it’s been back in for service for this same issue several times. I am not able to find the infamous reset button on the left side of the steering wheel. After they reset, the TPMS is off, then after a 100 km/h run for about 15 kilometres, it turns back on again and will not go off until I take it back in.
I am at wit’s end. I have been told that I can try again by disconnecting the car battery. blowing the horn and connecting the battery again. This really sounds like a put-your-finger-on-your-nose-and-turn-around-three-times thing. Any ideas? – Walter
You are obviously frustrated when you shouldn’t be, as it seems apparent to me that the service station you have been using is misinformed.
While there are Hondas that use a reset button on the lower-left dash, yours is not one of them. What you are experiencing is most likely due to an aftermarket sensor with an incorrect frequency having being installed, or your service centre does not have the correct TPMS programming tool.
These tools have to learn and program each wheel sensor’s identification number into the car’s module using radio waves in the UHF band. The Honda original TPMS sensors have come down in price recently, so if you can’t find a local shop that confidently knows your Honda, take it back to your dealer.
Lou Trottier is owner-operator of All About Imports in Mississauga. Have a question about maintenance and repair? E-mail globedrive@globeandmail.com, placing “Lou’s Garage” in the subject line.
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