Brake calipers matter - and their condition can make the difference between a properly functioning brake system and one that creates problems down the road.

This morning , Motormouth takes a close look at brake calipers: what they do, what needs to be inspected, what tells us a caliper can be cleaned, serviced and reused, and the warning signs that mean it's time to replace it.

A caliper may look perfectly fine from the outside while problems are developing where you can't see them. We'll talk about corrosion, piston operation, slides, mounting surfaces and the things that need to be checked before simply putting an old caliper back into service.

And Monday, we'll continue the brake discussion with the parking brake- because contrary to what some people may say, having an automatic transmission does n ...