avalon Brake Inspection[s]

There is one way to tell if brakes need replacing, look at them.

Well, there is another way. Drive them until there is metal on metal screaching noises, then replace them.

Brake wear has more to do with how you use them than it does with how many miles you have gone. If you do 30,000 miles in stop and go traffic, such as an urban freeway in rush hour, then you are very hard on the brakes and may need them at 31,000 miles. If you do 30,000 miles on the open road and seldom apply the brakes, then you might not need them until you get to

100,000 miles. It's all about HOW MUCH they are use, not how far the car has gone.

If you use them heavily, then they go fast. If you use them lightly, then they last a long time. If you want to be proactive and replace pads before you destroy the rotors, the only way to do that is look at them. If you can see through the spokes on the rim, then perhaps you can look at them without taking the tires off. Usually, the tires have to come off though. You can easily see what needs to be seen to judge if the brakes are worn, or not.

A little more information would be nice, for instance where are you, and when was the last inspection and what was done? One thing is pad and disk wear, you most likely need to take the wheels off to inspect that. There are minimum thicknesses for pads and disks, and look for groves in the disks, but most likely all is well. If the inner and outer pads are very unequal in thickness some sliders are stuck and need to be freed or changed. How old is the brake fluid ? That should probably be changed too, because of age. Not only driving habits (and pad type) but also the climate affect the lifetime of brake parts (incl. fluid).

Asbjorn

My ex-wife could wear out a set of brakes in 20,000 miles. My sister drivng the same type of vehicle wouldn't wear the brakes out in 100,000 miles. Who drives, where they drive, and how they drive has more to do with brake (and tire) wear than what they drive.

I always look at the brakes when I rotate my tires. If you pay a shop to rotate the tires, then ask them to look. Chances are they will look whether you ask them or not since they'd like to sell you a brake job (unless you go to a place like Costco for tires).

Ed

How long do you get between oil leaks?

The SO and I were chuckling about the next door neighbors. They have four vehicles - one of those new Prosche SUV things (perhaps the stupidiest vehicle on the planet), a giant Mercedes Diesel SUV (way up there in the stupid idea index), a BMW 3 series convertible (I lust after it), and a KIA SUV. I noticed the other day that there was carboard under the Mercedes SUV. Turns out it is leaking oil (again) and the owner is trying to protect their prisentine concrete driveway. Of course both the Porsche and BMW are regualrly in the shop for something or other. Thank god they have the KIA. Otherwise we might have to give them lifts to get the over priced German crap out of the shop. I love the way German cars drive and the interior room etc., BUT it terms of reliability they are crap. I've never owned a US built car as bad as any BMW I have personal knowledge of (which admittedly is only

6 or so). And despite how attractive I find certain VW products, I just can't imagine buying one (well unless I have lots of money and a couple of spare cars). I would love to have the neighbor's BMW, but only as a weekend car. I'd never trust it as a daily driver.

Ed

I'm not sure I would ask somebody that sells brakes to tell me if I needed brakes.

I took my kid's Tacoma -- she took it, actually -- for service at the Toyota dealership once. They told her the brakes had some low percentage of the pads remaining. She declined the repairs and came home with brake pads for she and I to install -- she actually knows how to install brake pads. Anyway, the old pads had fully 70% of the material that the new pads had. She did not need brakes at all.

So, asking somebody that sells brakes if you need brakes is a pretty good way to find out that, yes indeed, you need brakes -- even if you don't.

I have a '94 325iC with 145k miles, and it is perhaps the most trouble free car I have ever owned. I've had it for 7 years, almost 8, (and put 40k miles on it) and the O2 sensor went out in the past year. I replaced the Coolant Level Sending unit a few weeks ago. The rest of the service I have done is replace the rotten convertible top, replace the lower control arms to get new balljoints and bushings, replace shocks and struts, and replace brakes. My BMWs (I've had 4, and still have 2) have been very trouble free.

I have to say, in the grand scheme of things, the BMWs I have owned demonstrate excellent engineering and design.

thanks all,

I hope to have the tires rotated soon, so I'll have them look at the brakes then.

Interesting point about who looks at them. If the person wants to sell brakes, then...

I'm very easy on the brakes, I think. I'm in Las Vegas, and I don't know when they were looked at last. The brake fluid is original, I think. Is 8-9 years too old for fluid?

thanks, marc

You've almost worn that convertible out. You should send it to California, where it can retire peacefully along the Pacific Coast Highway, enjoying the sun in San Diego.

I'll take care of it for you, and you don't even have to pay me.

And the brakes REALLY work fine, on all wheels, with 8-9 year old fluid ? I don't believe you (or you really must live in a very dry climate), and I am glad I'm not going to get in your way. Common brake fluid absorb water, from the air, and the brake pipes and calipers oxide (rust) from the inside, pipes burst and pistons get stuck. And when you drive carefully and never brake hard, the rear brakes are hardly used, they never move and eventually get stuck, both inside and outside. Would'n't it be nice to have them all working the day you really need them ?

Good luck :) Asbjorn

I do live in a somewhat dry climate. Las Vegas is similar to living in the desert.

I guess I'm driving with front brakes only. I'll look into changing the brake fluid. It does make sense though, 8-9 years old. Isn't the brake fluid system semi-sealed?

marc

The brake fluid reservoir is vented to the open air. Air passes in and out of the reservoir top as air temperature changes (under the hood) and when the pedal is pushed. Proper changing of brake fluid involves heavy bleeding of the brakes at all wheels in order to get all the fluid changed. That is easier when the new fluid has another color. Hope your bleeder valves are not rusted stuck.

This may be much more important in my climate than in yours, but have you ever heard of service intervals ? In the service manual you should find what are to be done at what intervals. And that is for the safety of you and your passengers as well as of all the others you may approach. Pardon my language skills.

Asbjorn from Norway