My rear passenger side rear disc and caliper are getting very hot (almost to the point of burning your finger) i noticed today when i got in from work. Whilst all other discs and calipers are only moderately warm.
I was wondering if the caliper is sticking? but never had this problem before so not sure how to diagnose/solve it! car drives and brakes fine otherwise.
That is almost certainly what it is. I’m sure you can find a guide to releasing it on here.
I had a quick look through some garage reciepts just now and it seems the rear nearside has been unseized once before in past ownership…so that seems to indicate the problem too.
Haven’t got time to look tonight, but have parked it up with the handbrake off for the time being, figured it can’t hurt.
If i left it a week or so am I likely to do any serious damage? I know brakes are serious business, but only just got the car back from the garage last week…not sure I’m comfortable tinkering with the brakes myself!
No harm leaving it for a week (park the car in gear). But you might need a set of rear discs and pads, if the hot disc has warped, in addition to whatever action the garage takes to free up the caliper. Chances are though, the garage will take the easy option, and have caliper replaced. If they do that, don’t be suckered into paying £200+ for a new Mazda caliper. A remanufactured Budweg caliper (from Denmark) is under £70 from Brakes International (on exchange).
thanks for the info. I work 35 miles from home,so got to soldier on until payday at least lol.
As an aside, the car tends to stick quite badly when left parked up with the handbrake on all day.
As far as unseizing the caliper, is that about an hours labour?
It might be; depends if its just a quick clean up of the sliding pins, or freeing up of the cable linkage, or a problem with the adjuster. Hence the garage might just say replace the caliper.
I meant no harm done if you leave the car parked up. If you continue to drive with a seizing rear brake, you will almost certainly write the disc off, not that they cost much.
…and ruin you fuel economy.
£96 a pair new - or £65 each - do a search.
I really doubt those are genuine NBK calipers. Brand new calipers from Mazda list at £203 plus VAT, each.
http://www.mazdaparts-uk.com/acatalog/Mazda_MX5NB_Brake_Parts.html
The ebay ad seems similar to the new calipers sold by MX5parts that are described as “aftermarket”:
Compared to the genuine part;
Maybe someone can point me to the manufacturer of these aftermarket calipers; I’m happier fitting remanufactured items, based on genuine castings, from a traceable facility.
I’m not sure what to make of this; this is an Autozone caliper, which seems to be a new pattern caliper for a MX5 sold in the US, probably originated China or Taiwan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgYgI6UjsvY
good to know…although hopefully it won’t come to new ones, already spent 600 odd quid on repairs this month.
The garage I’m going to is the same local one who unseized the caliper last time, according to the bill, so hopefully they will extend the same courtesy rather than trying to order a new caliper!
The car doesn’t feel like its flagging too much, so hopefully will be alright for a couple of days before i get it booked in…and at least there was no burning smell or literally red hot calipers this evening!
MX5parts sells the new genuine caliper for a lot less than Mazda. Make they don’t use copper grease on the sliding pins.
victory, garage were able to clean up and unseize the caliper, might buy me 3 weeks, or might buy me 3 months, but either way it helps. Checked when i got home tonight and no disc you could fry an egg on 
time to start saving for a pair of rear calipers and brake pads
Ive found that the '5 rear brakes can be fussy devils…
Ive also found out (in my experience) that when the handbrake sticks, its usually due to the muck and crap that gumms up the lever on the back of the caliper and stops it releasing easily. every time its happened to me, ive taken the wheel off and poked the lever on the back of the caliper and its pinged back and released. its definately more prevalent over winter with the cold damp weather for me (although rare as my car is parked underground) - just need to keep the various linkages clean and well lubed.