Brake and tread wear
#11
07-09-2009, 06:38 AM
Re: Brake and tread wear
Yes, your dealer is full of crap. I drive stop and go traffic most of the time and typical life of my break pads on normal car is 20-30K. At around 60k I went for electric steering fix and my dealer lied to me I need new breaks. I took the car apart myself not trusting the dealer and my front was something like 8mm and rear 6 or 7 don't remember exactly but plenty of life left. However you do want to watch those pads since very often they will wear more on inside pad (the one hard to see) than outside, also they may wear more on the bottom than top, so depending how you look you may see 2-3 mm on one side and riding metal to metal on the other (I had that on my older Honda Accord). So your break pads are worn little more than they should, me think. By now I'm close to 70k and I think I would need to change my original Michelins before winter for sure, but I just had my car inspected couple days ago and passed so my breaks and tires are within specs still. You should check if your breaks are not grabbing (for example warped disc?) as not only pads will wear faster but also your MPG will suffer.
- The brakes see little use (typically only in panic stops and below 7 mph) so the rotors can develop surface corrosion. This can be cleaned by putting your car in neutral (to disable regenerative braking) at low speed and lightly stepping on the brake a few times.
- The disk calipers need to slide on pins to equalize the inside/outside pad pressure. These pins should be periodically lubricated to allow proper operation.
#12
07-09-2009, 07:35 AM
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,051
Re: Brake and tread wear
How often do you do the 'neutral' brake cleaning? Monthly? Annually?
Is it possible that the tech guy's instrument was not really accurate or he didn't do a good job reading it? (yeah, I know, tough to answer)
Is it possible that the tech guy's instrument was not really accurate or he didn't do a good job reading it? (yeah, I know, tough to answer)
#13
07-09-2009, 02:28 PM
Re: Brake and tread wear
I do it on every tire rotation. At just over 40,000 miles I have just under 9 mm on the rear and 10 mm on the front.I understand that the TCH has brake pad wear indicators also. the brakes will start to squeak before they actually hit any metal. I don't know the exact thickness at which this starts, and could not find it printed anywhere.
#14
07-10-2009, 05:55 AM
Re: Brake and tread wear
I do it whenever I think of it. I am reminded to do it when backing out of my garage in stealth mode. If the brake rotors are dirty I hear some extra noise from the brakes.
JeffD
JeffD
#15
07-11-2009, 01:13 AM
Re: Brake and tread wear
I just did my 20,000 mi service. Owned my TCH for 9 months.
Front pads 10mm, rear 9mm. Tread depth 8/32".
I tend to use the 'B' mode to slow down the car a lot.
Down grades, approaching stops, slowing down at right
turns.
Averaging 40-41 mpg (80%freeway).
Front pads 10mm, rear 9mm. Tread depth 8/32".
I tend to use the 'B' mode to slow down the car a lot.
Down grades, approaching stops, slowing down at right
turns.
Averaging 40-41 mpg (80%freeway).
#16
07-11-2009, 02:53 PM
Ridiculously Active Enthusiast
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Coquitlam BC, Canada (Greater Vancouver area)
Posts: 729
Re: Brake and tread wear
"I understand that the TCH has brake pad wear indicators also. the brakes will start to squeak before they actually hit any metal. I don't know the exact thickness at which this starts, and could not find it printed anywhere."
Just measure how far the wear indicator edge is from the base of pad. FWIW, those wear indicators tend to be like min. tread bars on tires: by the time they start squealing you're really in need of new pads. Also, at least on Honda's, the wear indicators are copper tangs. While slightly softer than steel, I wouldn't want that hitting the disks for any length of time.
Just measure how far the wear indicator edge is from the base of pad. FWIW, those wear indicators tend to be like min. tread bars on tires: by the time they start squealing you're really in need of new pads. Also, at least on Honda's, the wear indicators are copper tangs. While slightly softer than steel, I wouldn't want that hitting the disks for any length of time.
#17
07-15-2009, 04:44 PM
Re: Brake and tread wear
What about changing the brake fluid? The maintenance guide doesn't mention brake fluid at all. I thought a fluid change every 3 years had become a standard for ABS brakes.
I know if I ask the dealer, they'll strongly recommend it. Hard to believe it's good for the life of the car, but then coolant is now good for many years.
I know if I ask the dealer, they'll strongly recommend it. Hard to believe it's good for the life of the car, but then coolant is now good for many years.
#18
07-16-2009, 12:09 PM
Re: Brake and tread wear
What about changing the brake fluid? The maintenance guide doesn't mention brake fluid at all. I thought a fluid change every 3 years had become a standard for ABS brakes.
I know if I ask the dealer, they'll strongly recommend it. Hard to believe it's good for the life of the car, but then coolant is now good for many years.
I know if I ask the dealer, they'll strongly recommend it. Hard to believe it's good for the life of the car, but then coolant is now good for many years.
I would do the brake fluid anytime that bleeding is required, like after a caliper repair, or at 100K intervals if no brake system maintenance (other than pads and rotors) over that period.
RFB
#19
07-18-2009, 05:40 PM
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