[sgiitk]

Pad life differs a lot from car to car and also your driving style. ATs always wear out pads fast.

My own experience is <20k from my Santro AT, through 25k or so for the Zen AT as well as the Esteem (pre ventilated discs, and >40k for the Accent. I am told to expect 45k+ for the Civic AT.

[asethi]

Originally Posted by carboy

I had my car serviced by Carnation WOW today - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2210499

When he was cleaning the front brake pads, I looked at them - it sort of looked like it had the same amount left as what your picture looks like when you changed it - he said I need to change before it crosses 3000 kms more (My Swift VXI-ABS has currently done 48000 kms & these are the original pads).

Few questions
- He said Carnation stocks 3 different brands - TVS, KBX & Rane & they cost different - he didn't know the price. Anyone knows what is the OEM brand & which brand should I use when I replace soon - I am looking for something which is lasting & good. Also thinking of going to a Bosch service center for this - so it may also be a Bosch brake pad if they are reasonably priced. Any idea of prices of different pads?

- I had earlier talked to Premji's in Thane on the phone about replacing brake pads & he had told me that while changing they also recommending disc cutting which costs Rs.300 extra. The carnation mechanic said that cutting would be required only if the some goes wrong & mine are fine.
So, SS-Traveller & other experts - what is cutting, does it need to be done, when?

- I know very little about car brakes. Why are there only brake pads in the front of the car & not in the back? How do the back ones work?

I'm using Bosch brake pads on my Swift VDi. The OE pads lasted ~38000kms, and my car is currently 57500+kms and pads are still in good shape.
I got Bosch pads from Bosch dealer in Bangalore and cost me Rs.550/- (unbelievable, but true!) plus Rs.200 for fitting from MASS. The MASS sells Swift brake pads at Rs.3300/-. The Bosch pads are much better in terms of braking power compared to my car's OE pads, but there is one problem since the time I got them installed. They make lot of noise when brake is pressed hard, and feels like they are taking off metal from the discs! I was in doubt for many months, and got brakes checked numerous times, but everything was OK.
So now am used to it, but this sound gave me many sleepless nights thinking about what might be the problem! Barring this, the braking ability of Bosch pads is really great and am satisfied with it.

[gearbox]

Originally Posted by carboy

Changed my Swift pads today. I had phone Maruti *** yesterday asking for total cost of changing brake pads. They said it will cost around 2000 Rs. I then called Carnation. They said 1000 odd. I asked them what brand of pads they would use (I wanted TVS-Girling) - they kept transferring the phone to each other with no one knowing the brand of brake pads they use. Finally one guy said it's OM. He meant OEM, I think. Carnation has decent mechanics but their service advisors & others are totally without any clue. Finally, I went to a local parts shop & purchased TVS-Girling for 660Rs & gave a mechanic standing outside the shop Rs.100 to replace it. Anyway, my original brakes had done close to 50000kms & around 1500-2000 kms were still left.

Carboy,
Did you get TVS Girling Standard Brake Pads or TVS Girling Apache brake pads, I bought Apache ones today for my swift, I was told these are used in rallies etc, Paid 900 for the set. However, when I checked at MASS about fitting charges they said 190 per tyre, I was shocked. 380+Taxes to fit the pads? These people are ripping here in bangalore. Maruti is no more a less maintenance car. BTW, where else in koramangala can i get the brake pads replaced? ofcourse at a less fitting cost?

[carboy]

Originally Posted by gearbox

Carboy,
Did you get TVS Girling Standard Brake Pads or TVS Girling Apache brake pads, I bought Apache ones today for my swift, I was told these are used in rallies etc, Paid 900 for the set. However, when I checked at MASS about fitting charges they said 190 per tyre, I was shocked. 380+Taxes to fit the pads? These people are ripping here in bangalore. Maruti is no more a less maintenance car. BTW, where else in koramangala can i get the brake pads replaced? ofcourse at a less fitting cost?

I have thrown away away the box - but I don't think it was Apache. It was a Yellow Box, IIRC.

Brakepads are such a simple thing that any roadside mechanic can change it. I paid a total of Rs. 100 to the mechanic. I didn't bargain, otherwise the guy would have probably done it cheaper.

[honeybee]

Both my cars were pre-owned. I had to replace the brake pads on both.

M800 - Run 22k kms before I got it. Changed pads at around 70k mark. Car was around 5 years old then.
Santro - Run 32k kms before I got it. Changed pads at around 65k mark. Car was around 7 years old then.

So the pads lasted me at least 40k to 50k, worst case scenario, or 65k to 70k in the best case scenario.

[gaurav_chopra04]

With some heavy foot

M 800 - lasts for under 10k kms, all the time on brakes. Man the Rane pads costs 200, had no problem changing them even every 5k kms.

Swift - lasts 20k kms plus with some moderate and some heavy driving, again Bosch pads costed Rs500.

Cedia - mostly heavy driving - both front and rear lasts over 25k kms, costs over Rs 3.6k (TRW, front and rear). MMC OEM pads costs about Rs. 7.5k (again both front and rear) and lasts over 35k kms.

[srishiva]

My Swift has run 61K without needing brake pad change. No perceptible deterioration in performance too until now.

[SAS]

My Alto ran 60k on the original pads. I however changed them since it was 5 years old and wanted to play safe. I'll change the existing set when I reach around 130k kms

[dhanushs]

The shortest life I got from a pad is - KBX. Just 10k kms. It had great grip, but wore of pretty quickly.

The longest I might have got is from a defective TVS Grilling pad which even at 20k kms was as good as new, only that it was the disc that was wearing off.

[sj_koova]

I have a difficult situation now. My CEDIA has done 47000km on stock pads and disks.

The brake pads have life left for at least 2k km (as of yesterdays inspection during 50k service).
Since I missed on regular skimming on the disks, it has developed deep circular lining.

The service guy says, now the disks are beyond skimming as it take 3mm depth, so it needs to be replaced.

All four disks costs around 17k on CEDIA and pads another 7k, so a total of 24k on brakes.

During all the previous service, I kept asking the state of the brakes and they did not suggest me a skimming.

I never heard a squealing as well. So I had no reason to suspect the pads

Now my question, it it normal for the disks to wear so badly even when the pads have life left?

Also they suggest not to change the pads until I change the disks as the new pad will wear out very quickly due to the damaged disks.

How often do you guys do skimming?

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by sj_koova

... Now my question, it it normal for the disks to wear so badly even when the pads have life left?...

Yes. Sometimes, the brake pads come in hard compund which makes disc skimming and replacement of pads necessary. I had a defective TVS Grilling pad which refused to wear out, but then it was the discs which were worn.

Originally Posted by sj_koova

... Also they suggest not to change the pads until I change the disks as the new pad will wear out very quickly due to the damaged disks.

How often do you guys do skimming?

Hey sj_koova, 1st of all, I would not advise you to run this far on pads. Change pads NOT when they are completely worn out, but change them a few thousand kms before. Very Dangerous to be running on end-of-life pads.

2nd, AFAIK, if you change brake pads at regular intervals, and use decent quality pads, then disc skimming is rarely necessary, like say in 1 lac kms.

Also, regarding the pads, I'm sure you can get better/same quality pads aftermarket for half the price. 7k sounds too much at the A.S.S.

P.S - My Humble Advise: Owning a car like cedia, and having an A.S.S like HM, do find a reliable outside mech for works like these. I'm sure you can save a wad and also get decent, sometimes better service. It should be easy, assuming you are in Bangalore.

[gaurav_chopra04]

Originally Posted by sj_koova

How often do you guys do skimming?

The A$$ here in delhi shims discs atleast 2 times till 60-80k kms and then measures the discs. If they need replacement, they replace it, if not, they shim it once more.

This has been discussed quiet a few times here, so dont want to be repetitive. You may want to check a few posts. Links below.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2333854

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post1426681

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ml#post2339497

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ml#post2264253

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ml#post2264716

I'd suggest you consult a good independent garage/mechanic. If the discs are beyond their minimum recommended depth, better change them.

[sj_koova]

Thanks Gaurav and Dhanush.

I am visiting Red Rooster Performance this week as I plan to take pads from them. I will take opinion from them on the state of disks. Told the same to service guy and did not allow him to change the disks in the last service.

RRP does not sell or skim the disks, so I will have to get it examined by them and take the car once gain to HM service center. It is 250 per disk at the HM service center.

By the way RRP has CEDIA pads for Rs.10,xxx. The brand they are offering is Mintex. It it work spending this extra 4k on pads?

[gaurav_chopra04]

Originally Posted by sj_koova

It is 250 per disk at the HM service center.

Thats damn cheap for an A$$, the one in delhi charges 800 per disc.

Originally Posted by sj_koova

By the way RRP has CEDIA pads for Rs.10,xxx. The brand they are offering is Mintex. It it work spending this extra 4k on pads?

I personally dont think so, the stock pads are sufficient for the power that stock car has. If one ups the power, definitely, the mintex pads will be worth it. I think they will be carbon ceramic??

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by sj_koova

By the way RRP has CEDIA pads for Rs.10,xxx. The brand they are offering is Mintex. It it work spending this extra 4k on pads?

Like Gaurav mentioned - not worth it, if car is running stock. Also, I get a feeling these performance pads might not last long as OE pads.

Well, not from RRP, but then you should get OE quality pads at half the price aftermarket.