Quote:
Originally Posted by vex
Swap out your fluid, check for rotor wear on each corner after driving it for some time. If you're able; take off the calipers and verify proper action. More to the point, I think Pad wear, Rotor wear, and close physical inspection of the calipers will give you a better understanding of what's going on.
Having your pedal go to the floor is not a good sign, but I think should be easily remedied by flushing the fluid. Note any particulates in the fluid as it may be an indication you'll need to replace lines, cylinders, or any other number of the hydraulics.
Also verify that the rear calipers are not locked or improperly adjusted e-brake, as wear may be a significant result--though if you're pads or good you'd know if your rear was grabbing too much.
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Roger all of the above. WRT the rears, take a close look at the relative thickness of the inboard & outboard pads - if they are not almost the same thickness, that's a sure sign that your calipers have been sticking. This is a common problem, especially if you live in an area that uses road salt or is humid/wet. Since the fluid has been neglected for many years, there's a good chance all four calipers will need a rebuild/replace anyway (old water-laden fluid causes corrosion) and you'll need to flush the entire hydraulics system and bleed your brakes when done.
Rebuilding the front 4-pot calipers is easy; kit from Mazda costs < $40 for both wheels. Rear calipers are a bit trickier to rebuild, especially if the sliding pins are jammed - in such cases I'd recommend just buying a rebuilt caliper from a reputable reman source to save yourself lots of time & frustration.