18K miles and new pads?
18K miles and new pads?
Author
Discussion

Slaav

Original Poster:

4,375 posts

240 months

Monday 26th February 2007
quotequote all
C4, driven reasonably sedately if the truth be known (at least by me).

ANy idea of the life expectancy of pads and discs on a 2003 C4 Tip?

Just changing pads and OPC mentioned may need new discs; they will have a look and check for me. I suggested that they wont be changed at this point as cant believe discs wear anywhere near as quickly as pads for safety reasons if nothing else?

sleep envy

62,260 posts

279 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
they're trying to take the piss

say thanks but no thanks

sportsandclassic

3,774 posts

248 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
How do you know they are taking the piss ? have you seen the discs and pads ?

He may need them....just because they say he needs discs and pads doesent always mean they are taking the piss!!

Mike

sportsandclassic

911_OMG

104 posts

237 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
Discs can often need replacing even at low mileages due to corrosion of the inner faces. This is due to lack of hard enough use (I've seen it many times) and effectively reduces the vehicle's braking efficiency since the pads are only making contact with a much reduced surface area. That is why it is often recommended that the discs are replaced. However, if you don't mind being able to stop as well as the vehicle was designed to when it was new that's OK leave them as they are and carry on driving...!

Pickled Piper

6,452 posts

265 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
I've found autmatics wear pads quicker than manual cars as you get less engine braking.

Discs may have corroded as previous poster mentioned.

No reason to doubt the diagnosis other than OPCs amd almost all main dealers are overly keen to change discs.

pp

ballcock

3,855 posts

249 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
I was told at second to last OPC service that ALL my disks and pads needed to be changed 'soon as possible'. The car's just finished it's most recent service (with the same disks and padshehe and this time was told that the rears are fine but the fronts need changing (which they do...)

Get an indies opinion before getting any work done.

hartech

1,929 posts

247 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
All good information in the previous replies and yes discs can be corroded or have other faults at any mileage - but as a general rule - discs and pads - well looked after - pads last about 20K and discs about 40K - so both needed at about 40K. Yes a little sooner usually with tiptronics unless driven sedately. Check out prices - indies can be much less expensive especially if they can re-machine the corroded discs that still have enough meat left on them.

Baz Hartech

sleep envy

62,260 posts

279 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
sportsandclassic said:
How do you know they are taking the piss ? have you seen the discs and pads ?

He may need them....just because they say he needs discs and pads doesent always mean they are taking the piss!!

Mike

sportsandclassic


unless he's doing heavy track work (unlikely in a tip) I'm willing to place a very large wager that the disks won't be anywhere near the point of replacement after 18k miles

I also postulate that I've seen about as much of the disks as the OPC spanner man before he uttered the knee jerk phrase

how many posts are there on here about an OPC telling someone they need new disks during a service?

Don

28,378 posts

314 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
I managed to utterly destroy a set of discs and pads on my Box in around the 20K miles.

...and about 15 track days...

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
If they say you need new discs ask them how thick they are. I don't have the figures to hand but I'll wager a pound to a penny they're well within the serviceable life.

If you want I'll find out the tolerances.

Pickled Piper

6,452 posts

265 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
OPCs and in fact most maindealers will recommend a change of discs if there is the slightest doubt about serviceability. Isn't that why owners of olders cars still insist on taking their vehicles to an OPC rather than an established independent garage?. If you want to be ultra safe and show that you car has been maintained regardless of cost, then accept what the OPC is telling you, have the work done and pay the bill.

If you want to save money and you accept that a good independent will do a competent job and take more of a view on changing parts then take that route.

You makes your choice and pays your money.

pp

Globulator

13,847 posts

261 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
911_OMG said:
Discs can often need replacing even at low mileages due to corrosion of the inner faces. This is due to lack of hard enough use (I've seen it many times) and effectively reduces the vehicle's braking efficiency since the pads are only making contact with a much reduced surface area. That is why it is often recommended that the discs are replaced. However, if you don't mind being able to stop as well as the vehicle was designed to when it was new that's OK leave them as they are and carry on driving...!
yes

This tripped me up for two years on the Pug, they always told me there was corrosion, and I always saw the outer shiny face and thought it was rubbish. You may even fail an MOT for pads below 1.6mm, which isn't anything to do with the pads, it's the closest the new MOT tick-boxes come to saying the inside face of your disc is rusty and peeling off.

In my case the metal was literally peeling off in a 3mm thick strip over half the face... looked fine on the outside, but your local garage will be peering at the inside faces from below.

xxplod

2,269 posts

274 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
All the stealers do this. It's a real money maker for them and they play on the safety - better safe than sorry aspect.

hutchingsp

68,004 posts

240 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
911_OMG said:
Discs can often need replacing even at low mileages due to corrosion of the inner faces. This is due to lack of hard enough use (I've seen it many times) and effectively reduces the vehicle's braking efficiency since the pads are only making contact with a much reduced surface area. That is why it is often recommended that the discs are replaced. However, if you don't mind being able to stop as well as the vehicle was designed to when it was new that's OK leave them as they are and carry on driving...!


Presumably though it's surface rust so some spririted driving and braking will clear it?

silver993tt

9,064 posts

269 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
If the discs are corroded, just get them skimmed. Had mine done twice over the last 3 years and they're fine. About 80 quid for both rear discs, takes about 20 mins to do.

wetwipe

3,019 posts

243 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
rofl

my 51 C2 has just had a full set of disks and pads (the first set ever) at 51000 miles. Although the pads were shot, the disks still had life in them but I wanted to get the change done given their age.

My Boxster lasted to around the same figure

as previous posters have said, get an indies advice before you dig deep

colin996

139 posts

236 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
If all city driving you might wear them out quicker than average. For the record though, just had pads/discs replaced at 41K.

Henry-F

4,791 posts

275 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
hutchingsp said:
911_OMG said:
Discs can often need replacing even at low mileages due to corrosion of the inner faces. This is due to lack of hard enough use (I've seen it many times) and effectively reduces the vehicle's braking efficiency since the pads are only making contact with a much reduced surface area. That is why it is often recommended that the discs are replaced. However, if you don't mind being able to stop as well as the vehicle was designed to when it was new that's OK leave them as they are and carry on driving...!


Presumably though it's surface rust so some spririted driving and braking will clear it?


No. Sometimes you`ll find encrusted corrosion on the inner faces of brake discs, not just a bit of surface dust such as when a car`s been standing for a few days.

You need to see the discs in question to comment on them. Sometimes it`s a garage being over cautious, sometimes it isn`t. We change loads of brake discs in the course of a year at considerable cost and if I thought for one minute there was a better option we would take it.

Henry

rumplestiltskin

1,084 posts

252 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
My 996 Turbo is in today for an MOT, needs new front pads (light just came on) & disks.
Car has done 32k miles on original brakes so not complaining, esp seeing as the rear pads & disks have a fair bit of life left in them still.

Perhaps I should stop driving like Miss Daisy......

R.

hutchingsp

68,004 posts

240 months

Tuesday 27th February 2007
quotequote all
Henry-F said:

No. Sometimes you`ll find encrusted corrosion on the inner faces of brake discs, not just a bit of surface dust such as when a car`s been standing for a few days.


Wow!! You can tell I don't know much about how a cars mechanicals work I'm a bit shocked that can happen though.

Probably sounding like a plank here but if I were to leave a lump of iron outdoors I presume it would take a while to actually corrode vs. surface rust. So on a frequently driven car how can that happen?