Ceramic Brakes on used 997 Turbo. Reliability?
Discussion
The PCCB really are superb and very highly recommended, well worth buying a car with them as opposed to steel brakes- especially if buying used for me it would be one of the first things I look for.
I've had my 997.2 Turbo S for nearly two years and the brakes have been fantastic. Never tracked the car, but when really pushing on, on a nice empty road you can really feel the difference (compared with steel brakes I have had before in previous Porsche).
The discs can be refurbished to a high standard at a small % of the cost of replacing. It depends on condition but most PCCB discs can be restored to new at a reasonable price. Mine are at 18k miles only so not something I think about at all, but just pointing it out for those interested.
Apart from the mentioned company there was another UK based place, name escapes me at the moment but I looked at their site last year out of interest.
I've had my 997.2 Turbo S for nearly two years and the brakes have been fantastic. Never tracked the car, but when really pushing on, on a nice empty road you can really feel the difference (compared with steel brakes I have had before in previous Porsche).
The discs can be refurbished to a high standard at a small % of the cost of replacing. It depends on condition but most PCCB discs can be restored to new at a reasonable price. Mine are at 18k miles only so not something I think about at all, but just pointing it out for those interested.
Apart from the mentioned company there was another UK based place, name escapes me at the moment but I looked at their site last year out of interest.
Cheib said:
That sounds quite scary! Which manufacturer developed that tech where the car applied the brakes get very lightly to keep the discs dry in wet weather ? BMW maybe.
Mercedes :https://www.zungfu.com/S-Class/Saloon/safety.shtml
"And finally, the brake drying function provides a further boost to safety: In wet conditions, short braking impulses, unnoticeable to the driver, ensure that the water film which forms on the brake discs in wet conditions is removed and the response time of the brakes can be considerably shortened".
As many people have already pointed out, PCCB's, and more specifically the rotors can last a lifetime or, they can be destroyed in one trackday. This is all down to heat cycling from what I can understand - I know people who have done numerous track days, but warmed the brakes up before going hard and cooled them down before coming in to rest. If you do this then they'll last ages. If you go out and stamp on the brakes repeatedly from cold then they'll start to delaminate and break up.
I recently bought a 997.2 Turbo S with high miles. I had the same reservations as you so I had them inspected. My car has done genuine motorway miles which is obviously very light on the brakes and even when used they're cooled again quickly afterwards. Anyway, the rotors still look brand new. What you want to look for are small wear circles on the discs, and you want the surface to be shiney. When the rotors start to break up and delaminate you can see it very clearly. There is actually a good example of this on a car for sale at the moment - a 997.2 Turbo S in Black with lots of modifications. I know a couple of people have seen the car and said it needs the rotors replacing all round. You can even see the rotors clearly delaminated on the photos on the dealers website. Take a look and you'll know what to look out for and avoid!!
Hope that helps!
I recently bought a 997.2 Turbo S with high miles. I had the same reservations as you so I had them inspected. My car has done genuine motorway miles which is obviously very light on the brakes and even when used they're cooled again quickly afterwards. Anyway, the rotors still look brand new. What you want to look for are small wear circles on the discs, and you want the surface to be shiney. When the rotors start to break up and delaminate you can see it very clearly. There is actually a good example of this on a car for sale at the moment - a 997.2 Turbo S in Black with lots of modifications. I know a couple of people have seen the car and said it needs the rotors replacing all round. You can even see the rotors clearly delaminated on the photos on the dealers website. Take a look and you'll know what to look out for and avoid!!
Hope that helps!
Gassing Station | 911/Carrera GT | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff