Brake pad changing tip: effortless piston retreat with techstream
 

1. Goal
Retreat piston so that new pad can fit in the caliper.

2. Requirements
Techstream (toyota scan program), cable, and laptop

3. Procedure
Connect to vehicle. Select ABS module. Select active test menu. There are total 12 solenoids. 4 of them are pressure release solenoid. Select one of them and start a test. The test will activate the solenoid for 2 secs and pressure will be released, making piston retreat.

SRLR = Solenoid Rear Left Release
SRRR = Solenoid Rear Right Release
SFLR = Solenoid Front Left Release
SFRR = Solenoid Front Right Release

4. Pros and cons
Pros: No C-clamp or brute force required. No need to bleed air even though pressure is released.

Cons: laptop, cable, and program required.

Happy braking!

Anyone can confirm this works?

I'd rather just use a c clamp, not that I can these days anyways (up front anyways). A c clamp is going to be quicker IMO than dealing with a laptap.

I can confirm that those are options in the Techstream active tests and that they last ~2seconds,

I cannot confirm that they retract (because i haven't tried)

I can confirm also that the logic behind the acronym makes more sense than what i was guessing at when I was playing with it last night...

Yes, but when you're doing a pad change you want to crack the bleeder and push that old fluid out and replace it with fresh fluid, instead of pushing it back into the lines/reservoir and using it again.

I just use the old pad, placed on the piston, and pull it into the caliper from the other side, one hand on each "dog ear" of the pad.

I've never done it this way. I admit I don't always bleed my brakes when I put in new pads. It would work just fine, but I don't always have a helping hand around to help with the brake bleed.

What he said. The worst fluid in the system is the burned stuff in the caliper, why would you want to force that back into the lines?

im sorry but i must be informed on why you need to bleed your brakes when you change pads? really doesnt make since to me since the system has not been opened in any way?

The post above yours dude....