Help front brakes locked up!

[x_gonz1]

hi there...unfortunately my brakes locked up the other day....and i was hoping if some one could help me out on this...on how to fix it im sure its my front passenger side calipers that is locked or seized...or does anyone know where i can get instructions on how to fix or replace it? thank you n god bless...

[PLP]

for instructions what, where, how go to KIA TECH INFO website (follow link below), register (free) and in "shop" find your vehicle.

Since you did not give more details such as year, mileage, hard to say now.
Overall, remove the wheels, inspect brakes, apply hand brake and put on neutral - try to rotate each wheel - see which one is bad.
There is a procedure for caliper removal for cleaning but I would not recommend it to you.
Many times, problems with sized brakes/calipers occur when brake pads and rotors got to thin...

So, welcome to the forum, add profile info and update the thread when you collect more data.

[ron1004]

Originally Posted by PLP

Many times, problems with sized brakes/calipers occur when brake pads and rotors got to thin...

Another typical cause of brake binding, is corrosion of the brake hydraulic pistons and cylinder bores due to moisture in the brake fluid - this happened to me with one of my cars when I left the original brake fluid in for years - since then I change the brake fluid every 12 ~ 24 months (not sure what the book calls for).
The brake fluid is hygroscopic and retains moisture which leads to the corrosion.

[PLP]

Originally Posted by ron1004

Another typical cause of brake binding, is corrosion of the brake hydraulic pistons and cylinder bores due to moisture in the brake fluid

The brake fluid is hygroscopic and retains moisture which leads to the corrosion.

Oh yes, forgot that
Let me add something to that, though.
Corrosion is one problem, but more important is lowered boiling point of the brake fluid. Water boils at +100C, as we know brakes get much hotter and brake fluid as well. In case of hot day, several braking on downhills or towing... it may happen that this moisture saturated brake fluid will start boiling what will cause feeling of not bleed brake system. In one word - no brakes. Brake pedal will travel to the floor - only fast pumping would help in this case.

For interval times for brake fluid changes - around 2 years (location dependent - hot, warm, dry states or cold, rainy...). You can do boiling test or color test - the darker, the worse it is.