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My 2012 Mazda 3, which has 44,300 miles on it now, is still on the original tires and brakes. Recently I took my car for an oil change, and was told, "Your brake fluid is pretty low; your car is going to need new brakes within a month or so." Is that really the best way to tell?
Also, the tires generate a lot of road noise; this has only been in the past year after they were rotated for the first time (oops, I forgot to have that done when I'd get oil changes). I don't even know how long the tires are supposed to last, but I have a bad habit of bumping into curbs when I park, because I don't have the best depth perception. I'm sure an alignment is needed at the very least.
I'm happy about one thing, though... When I had my 2002 Corolla new brakes were needed at only 24,000 miles. Either the Mazda has better brakes or I'm a safer driver. Either way, I'll take it!
I don't do a lot of driving - mostly to work and back, and my commute is only twenty miles a day round trip. Can anyone recommend tires that would be safe and improve handling without being too much for what I need, please?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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As your disc brakes wear, they adjust themselves, and that releases more fluid into the calipers pistons. The result is that when they are worn out, the fluid is low. It's not the best way to tell, but is a good indication, though low fluid could also be from a leak. The best way to tell is to remove the wheels and inspect the pads and rotors. Light cars like yours are much easier on the brakes, but I'd say that 44,000 miles is great longevity for brake pads. Good tires on a small, light car can last 50,000 miles or more, but it's easy enough to inspect them and see how much tread is left, and whether they are wearing evenly. Simply insert a penny into your tire's tread groove with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. If you can see all of Lincoln's head, your tread depth is less than 2/32 inch and you should to replace your tires. If you find more wear on the center, edges, or one edge then you should have the alignment checked, though it could be a problem with air pressure, bad shocks, or other suspension/steering parts. Shocks and steering parts such as ball joints rarely go bad at that age, however.
My 2012 Mazda 3, which has 44,300 miles on it now, is still on the original tires and brakes. Recently I took my car for an oil change, and was told, "Your brake fluid is pretty low; your car is going to need new brakes within a month or so." Is that really the best way to tell?
It is a good way to tell if on the original brakes.
As the pistons extend outwards as the pads wear, that space draws in extra brake fluid, so the level in the master cylinder drops.
So when you start seeing the red BRAKE light flash on during hard stopping or accelerating, instead of topping off the brake fluid, people should check the brake pad level and see if they are nearing replacement.
When I do brake jobs on my cars, I usually bleed the brake fluid anyway and then adjust the fluid level to be in the center of the min.max range. Then, as the pads wear, the light will come on indiciating I should check them out
At 44K on the factory tires, I would get new tires. For your safety and those around you. Brakes are harder to judge, but at that point in the cars life new pads are likely needed.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it can absorb moisture from the atmosphere. Not typically a problem in a desert, but in most environments it is advised to flush and replace the brake fluid every two or three years. As brake fluid absorbs moisture, under heavy braking the water can boil and your brakes stop working.
Also, front and rear brakes rarely wear at the same rate.
Some car makers have different maintenance requirements for cars sold in the US and elsewhere, and Mazda gives no change interval for brake fluid in the US but for Mexico it has to be changed every 24 months or 40km.
It should be easy for you to check the outer brake pads by just looking through the holes in the wheels and maybe shining a flashlight on the brake calipers, but you really want to check the inner pads as well because sometimes the inners and outers wear at very different rates, especially when a caliper can't move freely on its sliding mounts. Most brake pads have a device to give an audible indication of when they're almost worn out, but the sound is high pitched, so you may have to drive with the window opened to hear it.
I took my car to a local tire shop. The brakes are fine, but there was dry rot in the tires, so I had them replaced. Thanks for the advice and feedback, everyone!
I took my car to a local tire shop. The brakes are fine, but there was dry rot in the tires, so I had them replaced. Thanks for the advice and feedback, everyone!
I can guarantee you didn't go to Midas, they would have told you you need a complete brake job including new rotors and a master cylinder.
I took my car to a local tire shop. The brakes are fine, but there was dry rot in the tires, so I had them replaced. Thanks for the advice and feedback, everyone!
I just recently went for a tire rotation and ended up with all new tires. They pulled my rear tires and the insides were cracked and dry rotted. The tires weren't old and the guy warranty prorated them out and I ended up getting 7 new tires. (The 7 tires were six on the truck plus a spare
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Either way, I'll take it!
The advice is much appreciated, especially the part about checking tire tread with a penny.
