[Sol]

Agreed. They make special tools to retract the caliper piston but the old pad & c-clamp combination works fine. I have done it that way for years and even glued a small pad to one of my c-clamps to make it a dedicated tool. Saves the effort of holding the pad in place while tightening the clamp.

 

[Sol]

Found a PDF service manual on Reddit, and it looks like it does require the HDS to put it in maintenance mode. From the way it sounds, though all maintenance mode does is use the EPB module to fully release the pressure from the caliper rather than doing it manually with the module removed. If done manually, it also recommends you replace the two mounting screws and the o-ring when reattaching. To adjust the EPB, apply the parking brake, press the pedal down, and the release it.

Here's a link to the Reddit thread with the PDF: https://www.reddit.com/r/HRV/comments/akond2 Rear brake procedure starts on pg 1435

Thank you! This is a great resource for those who do their own maintenance.

 

[Sol]

Thanks for sharing. I can't seem to download it or even get it to load completely on my phone or laptop. They're both pretty quick and so is my internet. It hangs on chrome and Microsoft edge browsers on the PC and Opera browser on my phone.

I had the same problem. Just be patient. It is not a particularly large file (132MB) but is almost 6000 pdf pages so maybe that is why it takes so long. I think the speed issue is on the server side.

 

[Sol]

I just wanted to update this thread with an alternative solution that I recently came across.

Autel is one of the biggest names in the game when it comes to automotive diagnostics.

They sell this obd tool for $62US on Amazon called the AP200. Also available on Amazon.ca for $100CAD. There's currently a 10% coupon on Amazon US so make sure to apply that to make it $55.80.

Using the tool and their phone app, you can put the electronic brake calipers into maintenance mode - just like the dealer. There's a review on Amazon from someone who said it worked on their 2016 civic and I confirmed with their customer service that this feature is available for our HRV.

https://www.amazon.com/Autel-Scanner-Diagnoses-Functions-Diagnostic/dp/B07Y8K6XZF

There are a few catches:
You get to register only one free car manufacturer when installing their phone app so we'd select Honda. If ever you change phones, you lose the registration and will have to pay $21.99/year

You can also use it with other car brands that may be compatible but that'll cost $21.99/year since you only get one free registration per device.

As long as you don't change phones, the registration will remain free for life.

If interested in all the other things it can do and all the brands it's compatible with, select "AP200M" from this list: Vehicle Coverage | AUTEL


View attachment 31045

I have 3 different models of Honda (HR-V, Pilot, and S2000). Will one registration work for all 3?

 

[Sol]

Yes, one registration will work for all 3 Honda models.

I checked the compatibility list and Pilot / S2000 are on there.

Thank you Michael613. I just ordered one from Amazon. I have a couple of basic OBDII readers but this one looks very useful at a reasonable cost especially since I can use it on all 3 cars.

 

[Sol]

@Sol, when you give it a test run - could you please check if it's capable of showing the CVT temperature?

I thought the cheap OBD readers were able to do it but I was wrong.

I received the AP200 OBDII scan tool today and tried it out on my HR-V and Pilot. The user interface of the app is not quite ready for prime time so it will take a bit of getting used to. Overall I would say that this device is worth the investment and will come in handy. It is certainly the most comprehensive scan tool that I have and measures every parameter imaginable, including CVT temperature. Attached is a file of the live data that I recorded today. The car was cold sitting outside in freezing temps for the past few days and the readings were taken after 5 minutes of idling so the CVT temp was colder then normal. The brake bleeding function looks interesting and I'll it out in a few months when the weather is warmer.

 

[Sol]

I received the AP200 OBDII scan tool today and tried it out on my HR-V and Pilot. The user interface of the app is not quite ready for prime time so it will take a bit of getting used to. Overall I would say that this device is worth the investment and will come in handy. It is certainly the most comprehensive scan tool that I have and measures every parameter imaginable, including CVT temperature. Attached is a file of the live data that I recorded today. The car was cold sitting outside in freezing temps for the past few days and the readings were taken after 5 minutes of idling so the CVT temp was colder then normal. The brake bleeding function looks interesting and I'll it out in a few months when the weather is warmer.

Today I changed the front and rear brake pads on my 2016 LX AWD. At 31,500 miles the pads seemed to be 50% worn. The AP200 OBDII scan tool was useful for retracting the electronic parking brake mechanism without removing it from the rear brake caliper assembly. After the job was done, I used the scan tool to re-engage the parking brake. Other than that, the brake job was the same as any other disc brake replacement I have done on other Hondas. I also changed the brake fluid but did not use the scanner function since I bought a vacuum brake bleeder from HF Tools that worked very well. Also used that tool to suck out the fluid from the reservoir instead of using the turkey baster.