Hello everyone,
I am looking for help because I have been throwing lots of money at some brake problems and I am quickly running out of ammo. I have been doing repairs on a 1996 Mazda 323 constantly since buying it used a few months back. I'm in the Philippines and I am not sure if this car is available in the USA.
The problem started with a leak at the caliper piston seals. There was also a ring of corrosion on the pistons and we spent a while looking for new ones. When we didn't find any at the local parts shops, the mechanic told me it would be ok to simply sand the pistons. I paid the mechanic to use a rebuild kit and the leak was fixed.
After repairing the seals, the brake pedal felt very soft and went down almost to the floor. I was assured that the brakes had been bled and the mechanic told me I needed to repair the master cylinder. Again, I got a repair kit and had the mechanic do the labor. Still, the pedal was soft and went all the way to the floor. Instead of bleeding the brakes again, the mechanic adjusted something at the power brake booster.
After his adjustment, the brakes felt very firm. They were actually too firm. While road testing the car the brakes began to smoke and the car started to get slower and slower. Finally, the mechanic bled the brakes and readjusted the power booster. The problem has not recurred until today but the car has always seemed to have less power since that day.
Today, maybe a month later, the car began to slow and the brakes began to smell like burning again. The pedal was once again very firm. I couldn't press down on it at all. I could apply the brakes, but the pedal didn't move any noticeable amount. I wondered if the pedal was stuck down and I tried to lift it a little with my foot but it didn't come up at all. It was as if the pressure in the brake lines was suddenly much higher than before.
This occurred after braking very hard to avoid a motorcycle rider with a death wish. Since today was a very warm day, I figured that maybe the problem might have something to do with heat. I pulled over to a service station and even though there was no mechanic on duty, there was a man with a hose. He blasted the wheels with water to cool them down and finally I could press the brake pedal down again.
Of course, I went straight to my mechanic and asked him what was going on. He told me that the corroded piston was sticking(but is ok now) and I will need to go to Manila to get some new pistons. It seems entirely possible, but I hesitate to pay for the repair.
Since I am now skeptical of this mechanic and there is a severe language barrier between us, and since Manila is several hours away, and since I will likely have to go back without my own transportation if they give me the wrong replacement part(it has happened several times to me so far), I am seeking some insight before I commit the time and energy to this repair.
Do the symptoms I experienced seem consistent with a sticking piston? My mechanic suggested that I use water again if the piston sticks again. I am confused about why heat would aggravate the corrosion problem. I didn't experience pulling to one side, and wouldn't the pedal come back up if I pulled it with my foot if it were really the caliper piston? I also wonder how he can be certain that the piston was sticking if it actually is ok now and no longer sticking like he said.
Thanks for your advice, Joseph