When is a good time to get brakes serviced? (2015, mileage, engine)
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When I get oil changes for my car, a 2005 Pontiac Vibe, my mechanic does an inspection. Last oil change he said the brakes were at 30%. He said I might want to get them serviced next oil change. I'm coming up on another oil change soon (3 months, it's only been 2000 miles). When I made the appointment I reminded him of the 30% and I'd like to have the brakes serviced. He said he'd look at them and let me know how they look.
My question is, is there a good percentage to get the break pads changed? It's been 5 years since I last had the break pads replaced. So I'm thinking maybe after just 2000 miles they probably haven't changed much. I'd like to gauge when I need the work done.
The don't make any unusual sounds. When wet, they squeak. But they've always done that and I was told it's the material the pads are made out of. They did make a really loud hum when I backed out of a driveway on a hill today. But they were also wet because of snow.
You don't want to have reduced braking power during an emergency situation. I'd go ahead and have them replaced. But on a side note -- you know 3 month/3000 mile oil changes are a thing of the past, right? Cars can easily go longer than that on conventional oil these days. You must be your mechanic's favorite customer.
My car's manual says 5000 miles... So I know. Thank you for pointing it out. But I have an older car and live in a metro area that can be rough on cars. I'm not a mechanic myself so I like to bring it in every three months for a good look over oil change and top off fluids. It only costs me a little bit for peace of mind so I can know what problems might be upcoming and budget for them if need be.
Oh, and thanks for the opinion. I was wondering about just getting it done and over with. Emergency situation is a good reason.
When you find a good, reliable place, they will do a brake inspection for free. They will show you your brake pads and why they think you should or shouldn't get them changed. I don't put much stock in the recommended miles. I think those are just general guidelines.
I think something like that depends a good amount on your experience. If you know absolutely nothing about cars, changing brakes on a set interval isn't a terrible idea. You could rely on a mechanic to tell you, but I've had a shop tell me my brakes were at 60% just one month after I replaced the pads & rotors. This is very subjective. The new pads I installed were thinner than standard economy car pads, but they still ended up lasting a very long time.
If you do have more experience, you'd be able to inspect the brakes yourself or at least be able to tell when it's time to change them due to pedal feel and/or stopping distance. And most pads do have wear indicators that will cause the squealing sound when they truly are worn out and have little life.
Start with what your owner's manual states for the mileage interval and go from there.
Just depends on driving style. I replaced the front pads on the Mazda3 @ 90k, 30% would then last me about 30,000 miles or so as the pads still had some life left in them. Someone else 30% might only last 10,000 miles. 3,000 would be extreme. Perhaps track miles but I don't think any normal driving will go through a set of pads in 10,000 miles.
When I get oil changes for my car, a 2005 Pontiac Vibe, my mechanic does an inspection. Last oil change he said the brakes were at 30%. He said I might want to get them serviced next oil change. I'm coming up on another oil change soon (3 months, it's only been 2000 miles). When I made the appointment I reminded him of the 30% and I'd like to have the brakes serviced. He said he'd look at them and let me know how they look.
My question is, is there a good percentage to get the break pads changed? It's been 5 years since I last had the break pads replaced. So I'm thinking maybe after just 2000 miles they probably haven't changed much. I'd like to gauge when I need the work done.
The don't make any unusual sounds. When wet, they squeak. But they've always done that and I was told it's the material the pads are made out of. They did make a really loud hum when I backed out of a driveway on a hill today. But they were also wet because of snow.
Thanks!
Brakes are one of the most important parts of the car. Technically, you don't need them changed until the pads are squealing against the rotors.
However, they should always be changed with the rotors - when the rotors are thin (lip forms at the edge when touched with a finger) you can get them both changed. Be sure to ask your mechanic to use a reputable brand of rotor and pad (if he waivers) then just order them yourself (JC Whitney) and ask him to put them on - remember pad + rotor together.
Well, I DIY my own work, so this may or may not be of use.
I typically run my brakes to failure, because I know I can jump online, and order up a set of rotors and pads and have them here for the weekend to do a brake job. However, sometimes i'll be a little proactive and have the parts on hand ahead of time if I know i'll need brakes soon.
Typically, most pads will give you some warning before they are gone. There are usually little clips on the pads that create noise when they start contacting the rotors. That's the clue to get them changed. Some cheapo parts store pads don't have this, so the sign for me to change is when I start hearing/feeling grinding in the brake pedal. This usually means the pad material is gone and you are contacting metal on metal. I usually try to change the brakes before this point, but it happens once in a while. Not the end of the world, braking performance doesn't dramatically decrease although I wouldn't drive 3000 miles after getting to that point.
Rotors are typically throwaways. I replace them because as a DIY'er it's difficult to find someone who will cut them for me. Typically they are under the minimum thickness spec anyway and shouldn't be cut. That's why I don't mind running them til the pads start grinding.
30% life means you prob still have another 10-15K miles left in them.
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