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-   -   When do brake discs require replacement? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/233862-when-do-brake-discs-require-replacement.html)

Today morning I dropped my swift zdi Amt to a new service center that has come near Manyata tech park - Varun motors, for 30000 service. While dropping he quoted 4200 for standard service cost, while so far in mandovi even for 20000 I paid 2070. On asking he agreed to give 10 percent discount but said that is the revised cost supposedly from Maruti. Now I got a call where he is asking to replace both brake discs and brake pads. My car has run 20000 kms and I have never heard of replacement of discs at 20k. I have attached the photos he sent me... I have a feeling that he is trying to make some quick money. Kindly suggest if it is actually required.

I can understand pads requiring replacement, but the rotors? I would just take back my car without getting anything done from them. What is the reason given for the disc replacement? Did you have any issues? Have you been driving downhill riding on the brakes and overheating them? Do you find the brakes pulsing when you apply brakes? Very suspicious. Take it to another MASS for a second opinion.

Although the pictures are not very clear but the brake pads shown do not look like they will last for too long. They will barely do another 10k kms.

But brake disc replacement is not at all normal in a 20k kms car. We have a Swift Dzire (2013 vxi MT) with 45k kms on odo and we have only recently replaced the brake pads. Brake discs, never.

20K is too early for replacing the brake discs for a car used normally. My 2007 MPFI 800 has done 63K and still on the original brake discs. Only the pads were replaced. As suggested by others take it to another MASS.

Look at the disc carefully. It has got several lines clearly visible. This means, it requires a shimming which basically means one micro layer from the disc need to removed and the surface need to be made plane.

It is not about how many kms the car has run that is to be considered while changing the disc. It is about how is the quality of disc surface.

So, if you are sure that the photo of the disc displayed here is from your car, then please give the approval for shimming the disc. if it is already shimmed once or twice, better to change the disc.

Okay, I missed one thing - AMT, that is, automatic transmission. It is possible that you have been holding the brakes (does the AMT apply brakes by itself, not sure) to control the speed and that led to the extra wear on the pads, and it is possible that this behavior led to the pads wearing out prematurely and the metal rubbing on the disc caused the scoring as gkveda and YD14 have pointed out. You may want to have someone look at your driving style and see if you are doing something wrong, but it could just be the kind of traffic you drive in. In any case, a second opinion would be good, maybe the service centre's (Varun) advisor himself would be able to give you a good reason why the pads and rotors need replaced this early. You could claim warranty on the disc, if they allow.

A common upsell by dealerships, this is. Best to get the discs skimmed so they have a good surface again. Skimming costs a fraction of the replacement and takes time; that's why dealerships never give this option proactively. Only if you bring it up and push them a bit, then they might do it. If not, get the skimming done from a competent FNG.

New dealership so please be a bit wary. Are you absolutely sure it's your car? Or has he taken a pic of a taxi's brake assembly and sent it to you? You need to verify.

Also, as others have already said unless your driving style causes more wear and tear 20K is too soon for both brake disc and pad replacements. Pad is maybe but disc, I doubt it. Even if the disc has been scored it can be skimmed provided it meets or exceeds the minimum thickness permitted by MSIL.

Brake disc replacement at 20000 Kilometres is never heard of. brake pads may be changed due to driving habits. This is nothing other than idea to swindle money out of the customer. If the brake disc needs replacement in this time line, it shows bad craftsmanship. It must be reported to Maruti.

Just for reference, I got rotors changed for my Ritz at 1.5L kms. And that too was a preventive maintenance since the cost of rotors wasn't too much.

I had not replaced discs even at 1,33,000 km in my ciaz when I sold it, 93,000 km in my swift when I sold it.
My previous Safari Dicor's discs were replaced at 1,25,000 km, again, that's a very heavy car and hence the wear on the discs will be higher.

The dealer is trying to earn a bit from you.

Here is an informative video on when to replace brake discs.

https://youtu.be/damTONNmMWY

simple counter Q - how do you know the pics he shared are from your car ?
For major service be in the service center, and even if you are not present near your car all the time, go take a look and click photos (for things the SAs ask as additional jobs) - spare one day for your car, it happens once a year, and you will prevent yourselves from getting swindled.

I too got scammed into replacing my brake discs at about 40k km mark. The SA's approach and the sheer issue that I have to drive ~ 300 km round trip just to get to the Authorized Honda service center. Good thing I did was to bring the discs back with me. Of the four pads replaced only one pad was completely worn out, the rest had life for another 5k km. I'm not sure on how this is possible, The worn out pad was the right wheel inner pad. Maybe this pad received the maximum pressure while braking due to close proximity to the brake pedal!:confused: Hopefully someone can clear this to me!

The SA said, The car needs brake pad replacements and the discs are in pretty beaten up state. Even after replacing the pads, the cars braking wouldn't be as efficient since the disc surface is uneven and the car will shudder under sharp braking which might make the process unstable and unsafe. The SA outright refused skimming at authorized service center.
Now I have a spare Disc which needs to be skimmed, and can be kept as a spare. For now they're being repurposed as weights for lifting stupid:. What was to be a simple oil change service supposedly to cost about 6k increased to 15k for me!

To the best of my memory, I have never got my 2009 Ritz’s brake disks replaced; my car is still on its original disks. But this brings me back to the question, when should one replace their brake disks? Is there a certain amount of kilometres after which one should get their brake disks replaced or is it dependant on the physical condition of the brake disks themselves? What are the tell tale signs of wear that one needs to lookout for, to know when to get their vehicle’s brake disks changed? BTW my authorised service centre has also recommended that I replace my brake disks but I haven’t got them changed yet because I want to be certain that they need changing.