c4s warning service brake pads message

[dgc]

Hi Folks

I'm a newbie c4s person after a bit of advice/help.
whilst driving along this morning a message "service - disk pads worn" (or something very similar) was displayed.

Just wondering what the leeway time on having this done is ? does this message display when they are 80% worn maybe ? have i got a few more miles before i need to get them done ? front or rear , or both ? sounds expensive

Any recommendations on where to have this done ? OPC or Recommend a good Indy, I'm based in the midlands.

Thanks in advance folks and any advice is much appreciated

d

[flattotheboards]

you'll probably be alright for a little while with just general use maybe a month or two.

[Mousem40]

Easily more than 80% worn. While you may have a couple of hundred easy miles left on them, from now on your brake sensors will be wearing down, so the longer you leave it, the more likely you will have to replace those too, and your pads will now be performing significantly worse.

Get some pads from eurocarparts (Textar)and fit them yourself

http://www.bombaydigital.com/boxster/projects/brak...

Its a half hour job per wheel.

[Pickled Piper]

I suggest you do them yourself using original Porsche parts or have them done at an Indy. Either way you wills save significant money over what an OPC will charge.

In the Midlands you have several Indys to choose from:-

PCT in Coventry ( I use them myself - good but expensive)
Porsche Tec in Meriden
Porsche Shop Halesowen area
Two Plus Two Halesowen area

Good luck.

pp

[damiangt3]

Mousem40 said:

Easily more than 80% worn. While you may have a couple of hundred easy miles left on them, from now on your brake sensors will be wearing down, so the longer you leave it, the more likely you will have to replace those too, and your pads will now be performing significantly worse.

Get some pads from eurocarparts (Textar)and fit them yourself

http://www.bombaydigital.com/boxster/projects/brak...

Its a half hour job per wheel.

The brake pad sensors are already worn through. The indicator goes on when the sensor's wire is broken.

[Mousem40]

The brake pad sensors are located in a hole made for it at the end of the pad. The warning light comes on as soon as the pad wears through to the sensor so the sensor is now making contact with the disk. The sensors are fairly thick and will not totally wear through for around 200 miles or so.

However, as the sensor begins to wear it becomes harder to prize it off the pad, and makes changing pads a bit harder, so I'd always suggest you change pads before the sensor makes contact with the disk triggering the warning. At 80% wear the sensor will not trigger, at a guess it's more like 90% wear.

Edited by Mousem40 on Wednesday 20th June 00:58

[jackwood]

Definitely go with an Indy or DIY.

For comparison, OPC price on Cayman S is nearly £620 for all round pads change.

I bought the pads and sensors myself from the US for £180 and with no prior experience, a free toolset I got from Rapid Racking, a £19 Jack from ScrewFix and some instructions downloaded off the net, we did the whole job in under and hour and a half. It is NOT rocket science.

Factor into that, if you take it the OPC they will invariably try to stich you fr new disks (recommended to me to change disks and pads at 19000 miles! only just replaced front disks at 28000 miles and they are still only 1/2 way between upper and lower thickness limits for Porsche guidlines) and DIY or good Indy will save you a packet on a job that a monkey could do blindfolded.

Jack

[BermyAndy]

Out of interest - was this sensor an option? Will my 01 Targa have this?

MOT commented they were low - so do I wait for a warning light?!

[Pickled Piper]

BermyAndy said:

Out of interest - was this sensor an option? Will my 01 Targa have this?

MOT commented they were low - so do I wait for a warning light?!

Your car will have them. My 1996 993 has them.

Your MOT centre was being over cautious.


pp

[chris_w]

My local Indy advised I could do another 1000 miles (of day to day driving) after the light came on.

[dgc]

Thanks folks for all taking the time and effort for helping me out with this one.
I did ring OPC and they were saying on the phone "and if the disks need replacing , which is often the case....". yikes !!
I will take it to Meriden to get opinion on which or all of the pads need doing and then go from there. If I order my own pads , should i go with Porsche pads or would you go for cheaper option , Lucas or "green stuff" ? or "red stuff" ??

Thanks for all your help chaps

d

[Ballcock]

I'd say log onto www.eurocarparts.com and go for the 'Textar' pads .. they cost £57.75 (to be exact!) and brake disks , if you need em cost about double for two.

[jackwood]

Textar make the OEM pads. I wouldn't go with anything cheeper, but don't buy them from an OPC. See above link. That is a decent price for pads.

If you don't want to get skanked by an OPC or Indy on the disks, find out what the disk thickness is from new (like 28mm thickness, anybody here know the 996 disk specs?) then get a measurement for the disk on the car. Minimum thickness on Porsche disks seems to be 2mm below starting thickness. If they start at, say, 28mm, and they now measure 26-27mm, it's probably worth getting them changed at the same time.

Jack

[chris_w]

Design911 are also doing a good deal on Serbo discs and Textar pads all in, I just paid 179 plus VAT for complete front set (2 X pads, discs, sensors and all shims):

http://www.design911.co.uk/index.htm?Region=UK

[thegoose]

Your pads probably are worn but I've had the light come on on a number of cars where it was due to the sensors melting after some very enthusiastic and/or track driving. On inspection, discs & pads were fine. Sensors are only about £6.50 each.

[Mousem40]

For the C4s

Pads (front and rears):-
Dimension Approx 12.mm Wear Limit 2mm

Disks:-
Brake Disc Thickness, Front 34mm Rear 28mm
Wear limits Front 32mm Rear 26mm
Minimum brake disk thickness after
machining 32.6mm

(You will need a brake disk slide gauge to test for this)

[Wanta996]

Interesting prices from Euro-parts. So if i was to source the pads & discs from europarts and get a local garage to fit them, would this effect the warranty? The prices are less than half of what the OPC are charging.

[Pickled Piper]

I beg to differ on the subject of sourcing non Porsche parts. Textar, ATE or Zimmerman may make the original pads and discs for Porsche but this does not mean that they sell exactly the same specification of parts through EuroCarparts or other distributors.

Threads on Rennlist suggest there is a significant difference in the performance of Textar branded pads and Zimmerman discs when compared with the Porsche branded parts.

I would always source genuine Porsche parts (in a Porsche box) and save the money on the fitting cost.

Just my opinion.

pp

[Mousem40]

But when you open a Porsche labelled pad box, the parts inside are Textar with the same part number.

[richardb.jones]

Agree 100% - the Textar parts are IDENTICAL (in part numbers AND track performance) to their Porsche boxed counterparts ... - bloomin' expensive Porsche cardboard box ...

Discs from EuroCarParts ARE Porsche original boxed parts - just cheaper than a Porsche Dealer !