Can ABS Cause Caliper To Stick? Find Out Now

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The ABS( Anti-lock Braking System) is a mechanism that is purposely designed to prevent you from mistakenly locking up the brakes of your vehicle, or even applying too much pressure to the brakes such that the axle and the wheels themselves could stop turning altogether.

The ABS is purposely designed to make sure that drivers retain control of their vehicles even when they brake very hard. On a general note, the ABS is a security feature meant primarily to prevent the wheels of your vehicle from seizing.

Therefore, even while the car is still moving on the same small area of its tires, you could lose traction significantly. This can cause the car to skid, no matter in what direction its tires may be facing. Thus, the ABS prevents the wheels of your car from locking up unduly, which will allow you to maintain total control of it.

Notably, ABS rarely cause your brake caliper to stick unless certain conditions prevail. Usually, it can cause your brake caliper to stick only when the fluid in the braking system is either old or dirty, such that it clogs something up in the braking system.

Although this might not be the fault of the ABS, it can still be the ultimate victim or accomplice. Most notably, the ABS is specially produced to prevent the wheels of the vehicle from locking up especially when you are braking heavily.

Therefore, should the ABS module fail, you are most likely going to notice it when braking heavily. In addition, a malfunctioning ABS module can behave erroneously, thereby making the brake system lock up even under ideal or normal braking. (Read Also: 6 Best Brake Pads For Dodge Cummins In 2022)

Commonly, the ABS will disable the entire braking system and also turn its light on, and your vehicle can function just like it would if it were a non-ABS vehicle.

Similarly, if the ABS fuse is removed or gets blown out, you should still have enough reg power brakes left, but the brakes will most likely not drag or stick as could be expected.

The most common causes of brake caliper sticking are its piston and any malfunction in the brake hose. To guard against sticking, the brake piston is equipped with a kind of rubber boot on its surface which both protects and lubricates it.

However, should this rubber gets either damaged or worn out, it can lead to dirt, debris, or rust forming inside the brake caliper. When this happens, the sliding functions of the brake piston are likely going to suffer significantly.

In a nutshell, the ABS can cause your brake caliper to stick, but mainly when the brake fluid is either dirty, old, or both.

Table Of Contents

What is an ABS?

Simply put, the ABS is a safety feature provided in modern vehicles which guards against the seizing of the wheels of any vehicle.

Should the wheels of the vehicle get seized, you are most likely going to lose traction, with the possibility of skidding no matter the position of the wheels.

When the ABS prevents the wheels from locking up, you will still retain appreciable control of the car, and its wheels will continue to rotate and move in the desired direction.

The ABS was first used several decades ago as an anti-skid mechanism in aircraft. However, subsequently, it came to be used in cars like Ford and Chrysler.

Now, it is a standard provision on all new cars, particularly those sold in the United Kingdom from around 2004 to the present.(Read Also: Can Brake Rotors Cause Vibration?)

What is the purpose of an ABS to the caliper?

The ABS mechanism monitors the sensors on every tire of the vehicle and its braking system. Consequently, if the ABS detects any sudden and significant pressure on the brakes, it will relax the brakes such that it can prevent them from locking.

Therefore, the ABS will monitor and detect any changes in the wheels of the vehicle, and by so doing, it will enable the brake pads housed in the brake caliper to effectively function in stopping the car without much delay. (Read Also: How Many Times Can Brake Rotors Be Resurfaced?)

In summary, the ABS controls the function of the brake caliper, without which the braking system will not work entirely.

Why does the ABS cause the caliper to stick?

The ABS is an integral part of the vehicle’s electronic stability control( ESC) which helps to guard against issues especially those that involve oversteering and understeering, and is also connected to the engine control unit(ECU); a sort of brain to the vehicle.

As a result, the ABS monitors the sensors in the wheels of the car such that it enables the braking components to function when it is required to stop the car.

Therefore, whenever the ABS fails to communicate and control the braking system as it is meant to, for whatever reason, the brake caliper may be caused to stick.

In some instances, the ABS may wrongly interpret the data from the sensors and consequently respond wrongly too. This misinterpretation can cause the brake calipers to stick by not relaxing the brakes, and consequently, the wheels will be prevented from locking up. (Read Also: Do Black Brake Discs Stay Black?)

How do I prevent the ABS from causing the caliper to stick?

We are aware that the major means through which the ABS can cause your brake calipers to stick is when your brake fluid is either old or dirty from commonly available contaminants.

Therefore, if you want to prevent the ABS from causing your brake caliper to stick, make sure that you routinely change the brake fluid when due.

To be able to do this satisfactorily, you should inspect your brake fluid regularly, and if you notice any odd appearance, texture, or density in the fluid, you should change it even if it has not served for as long as it should, more so if you consider the fact that your safety (and the safety of others as well) is much more than the price of brake fluid.

Additionally, after starting the car, the ABS light is expected to come on, but after checking and making sure that everything is working well, this light will go off immediately.

Therefore, whenever it fails to go off, your ABS might have developed an issue. Make sure that you get it checked immediately or it can cause your brake caliper to stick. In summary, always fix ABS malfunction to prevent your calipers from sticking.

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What would cause brake calipers to stick?

Brake calipers commonly stick when there is a problem with either the brake hose or its piston. Although, there is still another cause of brake caliper sticking, which involves either dirty or old brake fluid due to its concentration of contaminants.

Sometimes, your brake caliper can also stick when the ABS itself develops a malfunction, in which case you should expect anything such as your caliper’s sticking.

Frequently asked questions(FAQ)

Should brakes be hot after driving?

Whenever your brake pads come around the rotors, they will slow it down, thereby making the car reduce speed.

This activity generates a lot of friction, and by extension heat too since friction causes heat. This is what makes your brake discs very hot after braking for a long period.

However, the heat should not be too much as to be injurious, more so if we consider the fact that an overheated brake is more likely to fail, particularly when it begins to generate smoke.

So, yes, your brake can become hot after driving especially for long distances and time. Be that as it may, they shouldn’t be so heated to the extent of giving out smoke.

What causes a wheel to get hot?

When you press the brake pedal, a chain of reactions follow, and eventually, the brake pads are forced against the brake drum or rotors.

As a result of this, a lot of friction is generated, and it is also known that friction causes heat. Therefore, as you continue to drive, it is expected that you will intermittently need to use the brakes too.

As this process continues, the wheels may become progressively warmer, and after a long time, they may even become hot.

However, no matter what, and under normal conditions, your brake system should not be so hot as to give out smoke, but if they do, then, you may have a braking system malfunction, which has to be looked at without delay.

Can ABS Cause Caliper To Stick – Conclusion

As should be expected, the braking system comes under significant stress regularly, which can make it hot. On the other hand, the ABS itself may fail to function as it is supposed to by misinterpreting available data and consequently giving out wrong instructions to the braking system.

All these can cause serious developments in the brake, the most grave of them being entire brake failure. Fortunately, these are complaints with easy solutions as long as you know how to approach and fix them, facts to which the article has devoted enough time.

All in all, you should regularly inspect your brakes to forestall any eventuality, and in cases where you are less informed, it will be advisable to meet specialists on such matters.