[sugarwood]

My brakes work perfectly, but I've always meant to clarify this question.
Pardon the stupid question.

What exactly happens when a caliper is seized?
Do you have no brakes
or do you have brakes stuck on (wheel gets hot) ??

First, take the scenarios of "brakes are stuck on". How exactly would that work?
Brake pedal pushes the piston, pad pushes against the rotor, and then the caliper gets stuck? But, if the pedal is released, how can the pad keep applying pressure to the rotor? The pad would wear off that top layer and then be clear of the rotor.

So, I have no idea how a seized caliper can cause brake wear. Even if the caliper could only move in one direction (piston can move out, but not back in), As soon as pedal is lifted, pressure is off, piston is not still pushing the pad. If its stuck pressing the rotor, won’t the pad wear off, and then you just have no brakes?

If anything, shouldn't it cause a no brakes situation? Caliper piston is stuck inside the caliper. Brakes pedal can't move it, so no brakes. Not brakes stuck on.

Which is it?