Hot brake rotors(disks) , replaced everything, its still hot

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by ToyotaCoyotta, Jul 10, 2025.

  1. ToyotaCoyotta

    ToyotaCoyotta Junior Member

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    Haha, I am ordering one right now as we speak, just in case
     
  2. T1 Terry

    T1 Terry Active Member

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    The brake hose has an inner lining with a rubber impregnated webbing over that and a coating of rubber on the outside.
    The inner hose becomes fractured and fluid under pressure builds up behind this inner layer but retained by the rubber infused mess that strengthens the hose. This pressurised fluid will be equal with the pressure of the fluid inside the hose proper, but when that pressure is released, not all the fluid will drain back out of the space between the inner and outer hose, trapping some of the fluid under slight pressure still in the calliper.
    The normal slight amount of movement side to side of the disc between the pads, can no longer create that small gap between the disc and the pad, so you get that brake dragging feeling.

    If you watch any circuit car racing the Bathurst 1000 is a great example, you will see the driver do one press on the brake pedal, before they come into the braking zone, that is to push the pads back against the disc so when they need to stand on the brakes, they have a full pedal pressure .....

    52 yrs in the trade, you never forget the important things you learnt early on ......

    By the way, what you do to one side with the brakes, you must do to the other side, if you replaced a disc, you need to have replaced both of them, if you replaced the pads, you need to have done both sides, if you replace the hose on one side, replace the other one as well ..... they are both the same age and suffered the same treatment .... if one fails, the other one will also fail .....

    T1 Terry
     
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  3. ToyotaCoyotta

    ToyotaCoyotta Junior Member

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    I cant thank enough for your effort to share this information, thank you a lot.

    I have just tried to do the bleed screw test,

    Here’s how it went:
    1. my disks and wheel were really hot so i stopped at a leveled spot,
    2. I loosened the 5 bolts and then used a jack to lift the car (this might have took me 3-5 mins)
    I tried to spin the wheel and it definitely had some resistace, but nowhere enough the same kind of resistance i felt first time when i noticed the issue.

    I tried to spin the wheel back and i felt resistance, then I tried to spin the wheel front and it didnt seem to have resistance,

    I took the wheel off and then went for the bleed valve, I opened it and it didnt give any action at all, no air or strong pressure, only a few drops of brake liquid, I used a wheel wrench and placed between wheel hub bolts and tried to spin it, actually I cant really tell if there is any resistance now, spinning it both ways felt the same,

    Now im sitting and thinking whether it wasnt one of the times where the brakes was locked hard enough for me to do the test or it just loosened over the 5 mins i took before I got to the bleed valve or I needed to try and spin wheel hub before opening bleed valve for a short time.

    Even today before doing the test I stopped the car and put it in Park, which means the brakes should have been released. But when I listen closely to the front left wheel, I can hear a faint noise, like the brake pads are still slightly dragging on the disc. It’s a kind of subtle friction sound, as if the car is trying to move but the brake is still holding it back just a little. I can hear this sound even while the car is stationary in Park, as

    I guess I will try this test again to make sure when rain ends
     
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    In my gen 3, I can reach the front and rear bleeders with the wheels/tires on and the car on the ground. That required trying a few different angles the first time and I wasn't sure I'd be able to, but I was. The fronts have the advantage that you can turn them from side to side. (I can still reach them pointed straight ahead, but turned is easier.) I can't reach the rears without lying down behind the car.

    If you can figure out a way to reach the gen 2 bleeders like that, it can save you time and effort.

    Of course you still need to raise the corner you want to try to spin. (In which case, if reaching puts you beneath the car, use a jackstand.)

    You can spin either rear wheel just lifted independently. To try spinning a front wheel, you also need the other front wheel lifted, or to be in Neutral instead of Park.
     
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  5. ToyotaCoyotta

    ToyotaCoyotta Junior Member

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    good advice on the steering wheel angles for better access, I can still spin the wheel when in gear just only a small amount, before the gear stops, when i tried to spin wheel first time ever, I couldnt move it at all, was dead blocked
     
  6. ToyotaCoyotta

    ToyotaCoyotta Junior Member

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    I couldnt get the brake to drag today, Ill try again tomorrow…
     
  7. T1 Terry

    T1 Terry Active Member

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    The balloon effect in the hose will bleed back down, so the test needs to be fairly close to when you stop. Can you do the test at a good mechanics shop with the car on the hoist drive and brake a few times with the wheels off the ground, then get the mechanic to see if both wheels spin freely, repeat the driving and stop and get them to crack the bleed nipple on the side that is dragging and see it any pressure releases.

    The fact some fluid came out when you cracked the bleed nipple, even after 5 mins, says there is a problem, there should not be enough pressure remaining in the brake line to cause any fluid to be released when the nipple is cracked open.

    T1 Terry
     
  8. T1 Terry

    T1 Terry Active Member

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    Another thing I meant to put in the last post. The square section rubber in the brake calliper is designed to distort as the piston is pushed through, when it returns to its normal shape, it pulls the piston back, ever so slightly .... it might be worth replacing the seals in both front callipers anyway, just to be sure all bases have been covered .... but replace both of those front brake hoses, that is a brake failure just waiting to happen ......

    T1 Terry
     
  9. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Some fluid will leak out, and will continue to lead out, because of gravity.
    If only a little leaked out, then stopped, I would suspect the rubble brake hose.

    Just to check, you are resting your foot on the brake pedal are you?
     
  10. johnHRP

    johnHRP Active Member

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    Your brake is completely jammed. Your mechanics is 100% to be blamed not checking nor test drive the car after such big brake jobs
     
  11. ToyotaCoyotta

    ToyotaCoyotta Junior Member

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    I went to a service, they didnt find anything except that the caliper bushings were greased wrongly, previous mechanic used ceramic grease, so they changed it, I drove 5km and one side was still hotter than the other, So I went with brake hose changing, at some poimt my car didnt get as hot anymore, I changed the hoses and now my car seems to have returned to normal, my fuel consumption returned to normal. not sure what helped, ir could be the bushings it could be the hoses, and it could be that something changed in the brake caliper mounting, because none of the mechanics cleaned it aparently, anyways I’m gonna drive now while it seems good, I will return to this thread when something happens or when i change brake pads to inspect wear and clean brake pads fitting on the mounting for brake caliper
     
  12. T1 Terry

    T1 Terry Active Member

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    And they ask why technicians are leaving the trade in droves ..... everything is the mechanics fault :rolleyes: Never mind, it won't be all that long before you will either be forced to learn how to do the perfect job on the cheap, get a second job so you can pay for the repairs, or simply realise that the humble mechanic was doing his best in a difficult situation, no doubt being pressured by the business owner to get it done in a shorter time than a proper job allowed, yet attempting to have some pride in the job they had done.

    Be thankful you don't live in NSW Australia, all mechanics are licenced and under strict profit guidelines while guaranteeing the job was top level and any safety element missed, was on the technician and business owners head. This had both financial and possible jail time in the case of gross negligence.

    The result, that job would have been 2 new discs, two overhauled callipers, either in house or purchased from a licenced brake reconditioner, or simply new genuine callipers, just to cover everyone's butt, new pads, a well known brand with ratings that match the type of driving the owner does, so the life expectancy was better than 12 mths and the brake feel was acceptable.
    The hoses would be replaced and depending on the workshop, if the rear brakes were just inspected, cleaned and a report, or completely rebuilt no matter what .... and the rear brake hoses changed, the master cyl inspected and replaced if the fluid looked like it had been too long since last changed, a full brake fluid flush and inspection of all the steel brake lines .... if the slightest bit of damage or rust, all replaced, not just reported, the technician is the expert, not the owner .... the wheels didn't go back on until the job was paid for, this constituted the completion of the job and the vehicle could not be held for simply nonpayment ..... Once the invoice was paid, the wheels were refitted and torqued to spec and the diagnostics technician road tested the car ......

    A vehicle could be booked in for an inspection and quote, but the vehicle could not be reassembled and made driveable if anything that was safety related was detected ...... this was the reason for the diagnostic technician position being developed ..... it was up to that technician to determine if there were any immediate concerns and the vehicle would be marked as a safety concern and paperwork generated requiring the owner to accept that an unsafe vehicle diagnosis had been made and they were responsible for any related problems that involved an accident and financial and/or bodily harm to any person ..... so basically, every vehicle driven by the diagnostics technician had something unsafe listed :mad: can you see why so many technicians are walking away from the trade they love ..... not to mention the crap pay rate and time pressures involved .....

    T1 Terry
     
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    I had a “professional” Honda dealership brake fluid change done about a decade back, they lost half the bleed screw caps, and handed back the car with the brakes on one rear corner (drum brakes) completely inoperative. The car was a menace. I raised hell.
     
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  14. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    And those bleed-screw caps aren't just frippery—they make the difference between bleed screws that are easy to open next time and ones that can be so nightmarish it's easier to replace the caliper.
     
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  15. johnHRP

    johnHRP Active Member

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    Yes, some mechanics are angels, but I have no good luck with my local dealerships.
    Neither Sears autocenter. Asking for $40 brake fluid flush, they don't do that and said it was replaced. But all bleeder screws are untouch, so I claim the money back. Another occasions, they want to replace the pads, I said, no, I can do that on my own, only need brake fluid flush from them. No flush, nothing, waste of time.
    Get back home, 2 studs are broken, my honest mechanics told me that the last guy install the lug nuts so tight with impact gun caused that. I think they are pissed, did not get money from easy brake jobs.
     
  16. Carlos Repairs Ridge

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    If your brake rotors are still overheating even after a full replacement, it could be due to caliper issues or improper installation. At Carlos Auto Repair, the experienced team can accurately diagnose persistent brake problems and ensure your system is functioning safely. Their trusted service in Brooklyn helps drivers get peace of mind—especially when critical parts like brakes are involved.
     
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  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    long drive from lithuania, :p reported.
     
  18. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. :eek::eek::eek::eek:o_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_O:rolleyes::rolleyes::whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle: