Accidentally activated EPB with rear caliper off on 2021 Toyota C-HR. Piston came out. Is the caliper salvageable?
I’m looking for some advice because I think I made a pretty big mistake.
I have basically no mechanic experience and was replacing the rear brake pads on my 2021 Toyota C-HR. I removed the passenger rear caliper but left the electronic parking brake (EPB) connector plugged in. The caliper was completely off the rotor, although it was supported and not hanging by the brake hose.
While working, I accidentally pressed the EPB button. The piston extended outward, and shortly afterward the dash displayed “EPB Malfunction” followed by “EPB Unavailable.”
I tried to push the piston back in, but it ended up coming completely out of the caliper. Several ounces of brake fluid leaked out, and I reinstalled the piston by hand. The brake fluid reservoir under the hood never ran empty and still has plenty of fluid. I haven’t pressed the brake pedal since because I’m worried the piston will come back out.
At this point I’m trying to figure out the correct way to recover from this. Is this caliper likely ruined, or can it be rebuilt and reused? Should I just replace the passenger rear caliper? Will I only need to bleed that rear brake, or should I bleed the entire brake system? Also, what is the proper procedure for getting the EPB working again after something like this? Can a Toyota-compatible scan tool reset it, or is there more involved?
I’ve attached a photo of the caliper in its current state. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.