Not surprised, there are several ways calipers can stick, and you've got one. Replace the calipers, the seals and slides are maintenance items.

 

This was a problem even years ago, check that the pads can move freely in the calipers and be sure the caliper slide pins are free and can move easily. Lastly verify that the caliper pistons aren't stuck.

In rare occasions this sort of thing can be caused by the inner lining of the rubber brake line failing which can make the line act like a one way valve so it will either prevent fluid from getting to the caliper (usually causes a pull to one side or the other under braking) or it can cause the caliper to "lock" on by not allowing fluid to escape from the caliper when the pedal is released.

-Steve

 

Thanks you'se guys, ummm... since the same symptom occurs in both piston/caliper assemblies I would assume the problem is occurring 'upstream' of the two of them such as, (a) return spring(if there is one) in the master cylinder or (b) an air bubble in the rear brake pipe(s) that takes up the return spring function...
if the spring is good the peddle should return, yes?
I had an old car once that used a bungee to ensure the return. My peddle does return to the 'stop' though.
(b) the rear brake pipe repair was recent so a bubble there wouldn't surprise me much.
Waddayathink?

 

Start at the calipers, seriously. Same order as I posted above.

-Steve

 

thanks steve n'spotty
Sliders are good and silicone greased, pistons go in and out(with a clamp and maybe not perfectly...) pads are new.
Of course i'm hoping to avoid replacing the calipers if they(two of them) are not the problem, i'm assuming that it would be one or the other but not both... but ya never know, it could.
Also with the crappy cndn dollar and living out in the bush I was trying to eliminate any easy items first.( its twice as expensive out here and about a weeks wait, if yer lucky)
Thanks

 

The C-clamp pushing in on piston test is arguable at best, some small force is fine but more is an indicator of bad caliper seal to seize the piston up. The slider pins and sliding surfaces must be lightly greased as well. Some amount of heat is perfectly normal as the disc rubs slightly even when brake is off. Real hot though can be a problem. If you jacked car up to run it but did NOT jack under the LCAs to level them up you risked damage to CV joints as they are out of the normal running arc with the wheels hanging in space. A DEFINITE no-no there. There is a very small pinhole right next to the slightly bigger hole in the top of master cylinder that if clogged will drag brakes as well. The 'compensation port'...............................

9 times out of 10 I fix this issue with no parts bought at all.

 

9 times out of 10 I fix this issue with no parts bought at all.

So what do you do 9 times out of 10 to fix it without parts? The seal in a caliper is what retracts the piston, and rubber seals go bad.

 

Great responses here, thank you
part of the puzzle is I had replaced the rotors and pads, on installation they seemed tight.
I had never replaced the calipers and they have 230,000 on them, and prior to shoving them back in they had been fully extended as the rotors were 'cooked'.
So now with the pistons near fully 'in' they may be at the worst(best) chance of corrosion induced hang up. I may be replacing them then... poop.
while running the gear I had the LCA blocked to ride height, thanks tho, there was troubling noise from the diff in the transmission... another post another time, sometime after that blows up, I guess...
The compensation port has me wondering too.... which part of lazy am I, do I buy calipers or dive into the master... decisions, decisions...
Also with the ABS light being on, all the time, I think I may have bought rotors or drums that aren't ABS parts... my OBD2 doesn't do brakes.(cheaped out back in the day)
since i'd done the parts replacements the car has sat for about 3 years so my memory is, well, worse. I know, time ta shuddup. thanks everybody.
Next I will pull back the boot on the calipers to see if any ugly is there and obvious...

 

The ABS system has sensors, and the magnetic pickups are in the bearings

 

Loosening up the calipers and lubing pins often fixes them. As well the piston seals don't really go bad so much as corrosion builds up in front of the seal to start locking the piston down. Meaning dust seal is bad. But you can take them apart and fix with no dust seal if dead budget and they can still last for a good while. Original disc brake bikes came with no dust seals at all, the 'seal' was a layer of grease just in front of the piston at the seal. They could go for years like that if not in a monsoon country. Poking that compensation port out to be working again costs nothing as well.

I am pretty safety conscious but I DO use brake parts over again commonly. I just flex them all over looking for cracking rubber, any cracking or hardness and new parts time. I commonly rebuild wheel cylinders at least once too using same parts and get another 5 years out of them, depends. Same with master cylinder, as long as the rust issue is not super bad they will go back together and work fine.

I have recovered pads and shoes that had brake fluid all over them too to then run fine and for years till they wear out. The same with petroleum distillates used to clean brake rubber parts. Done it a bunch and no problems as long as you think it out. A lot of the brake system no-nos are not quite true, you can think your way past most of them and no brake problems from any of it. You got a brain, use it to make money out of thin air I say. I have never replaced a caliper in my entire life on my personal stuff. That's a long stream of cars there. I' was always able to rebuild them but that ability is disappearing fast with no kits available now.

The ABS sensors ARE the mag pickups, the bearing is only the magnetic track. You can use analog voltmeter hooked up to the sensor output leads and spin wheel and read the pulses made there to tell if the sensor is working. The brake rotor and drum people while I was in parts were always at war with themselves as to ABS or no.......they would make parts with and without then all would be with to make you buy more expensive part even if you didn't need it then back to the cheaper ones again. We changed out lines of brake parts every other week at times it seemed. No way can you tell where your parts actually come from any longer, most parts in a branded box are not that brand when you take them out to look at them.

 

Yaaaa, this is great...
when the wind dies down I'm gonna get back out to the shed and dig-in, have a look at'er.
where the line of grease from original there may be corrosion that will tell the tale fer sure.
The ABS sensor tells the story of 'what the heck... how much?' that ensures the economy goes round and round, can't really blame them, business is business.
For the time-being i'll drive it as i'm 20 kms from the first stop sign and then another 20 to the next, I've been carrying the mini-sluggo to whack the caliper when things get hot, works but inconvenient. I have to go to the big city for Christmas and I expect they want the brakes to work when navigating the metropolis... better stop yapping and get something done.

 

Rebuilt calipers for the MK1 Focus are really inexpensive. You should be able to find one for around $50. I think the last one I got was about $39 USD from Rockauto.com, including the core charge, since I wasn't going to ship my old caliper back to the States and just dropped it off at Canadian Tire.

First step with the ABS sensor would be to check the connector and make sure the contacts aren't corroded or damaged. Also check that the wire hasn't been damaged, particularly at the ends/connectors. Replacement sensors are pretty inexpensive, and as mentioned unless you changed the wheel bearing there's not much chance of a problem there. Getting the old sensor out without breaking it is pretty much impossible on an older car driver in Canadian winters.

 

... also, if it's one of the rear sensors that is bad, I have two of them on my toolbox that I probably won't ever use

 

After watching some of the youboob viddys of diagnosing the frozen/fudged up caliper or restricted flex pipe I could tell fersure the caliper was struggling.(had to whack it while clamped to push it in so quite frozen i'd say.) The pads there too had cooked and worn about 90% in less than 500 kms.
after confirming the pipe was OK,
Swapped in the new caliper, new pads and have noticed much happier vehicle.
now just have to find someone with a reader to tell me where the ABS issue is coming from... I did notice that I had changed out both front bearings in 2011, couldn't remember doing it but had had a head injury back when I took the old grl off the road so lots of things got missed back then.(long story no time here fer that one)
Thanks fer everybodies input.... i'lll be back, fare warning.

 

Glad to help.