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-   -   When Do We Know it is the right time to change the brake pad (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/6921-when-do-we-know-right-time-change-brake-pad.html)

I gave my car for sevicing today it has done 72k kms
i have never changed the brake pads... but today i got a call from the guy saying he has replaced the brake pads ... i went there to surprise him and see the brake pads for myself... they were pretty rugged out
now my question is i never experienced any braking problems ever ... so when will i know its time

In the case of the honda - they start making a screechy noise (as stated in manual ) and the warning light comes on

based on the problems that i have faced,here as some ways of knowing brake problems.

when your brake oil in the reservoir starts getting lower .,check brakes
slight drop does result from normal lining wear.,but an abnormally low wear indicates a leak.in such cases,chek the entire system and replace the defective part


not enough braking force


brake oil leakage
disc /pads strained with oil
overheated brakes
worn liners
defective wheel cylinders
faulty caliper
or air in the system



brake pulls

drum mabbe out of the round
wheel cylinders
check brake pipes
caliper




noise(squeal type)

front liner worn



if pedal travel too much

insufficient brake oil
air in system

rear brake not auto adjusted]

also bent brake shoes
worn rear brake shoes




dragging brakes
(light drag in all disc brakes when pedal is released)



master cylinder piston
weakened or broken return springs inthe brakes
parkingbrake cables faulty
caliper /cylinder ticking




pedal vibrates


damaged wheel bearings
distorted rear axle
excessive disc runout,

rear drums out of round




braking sound

foriegn particle in linings.
glazed o rworn linings
front wheel bearings

Holy mother of god, no pad change in 72k kms! You are really cheating-death!

However, chances are this got taken care of in one of your earlier ("free") services and you werent aware of it.

There are basically two ways that i know of that the brake pads say they need a change.

1. There is a metal peice that makes contact with the rotor once the pad is worn past a certain degree, and makes a metallic screeching sound indicating the need for a change. (Not to be confused by the intermittent screeching that happens when you have dirt in your brakes during the rains etc (usually from the drums at the rear).

2. The more upmarket cars have a sensor instead of the piece of metal, so when that gets triggered a brake warning indication appears on your dash.

cya
R

Guys i have a screeching sound from the front brakes, even when they are lightly applied. What could that be, the car has done just 15k kms.

Rehaan this is not taken care of ever i have all my bills and free service records .... i havent ever changed the pads....... i saw the pads today itself it had a quite a bit left in it... the service guy told me it would run for another 15 days or a month ... ihave a screeching sound in my 800 which is in a very bad shape

Man I'm amazed!! 72K Kms!! Thats crazy
As rehaan said, you did cjeat death or drive with a light foot on all the pedals!
What car is this anyway.

i had run a change on my Matiz brake pads at 25k & abt 55K kms approx if i remember correctly. But thats also my driving i guess & my paranoia. I have to change pads, coz i know i will be using the brakes hard !! In any case i did get a slight screeching the first time around and slightly uneven wear the secong time, so i replaced them.

i suggest you keep a much closer eye on Yr brake pad wear and not at 72K clicks!!

People who do mostly highway driving get long life out of the brakes.

i know its like big time but i guess its advisable to change now ..... i have a accent tornado

Thanks satya, that was nice guide. Recently my zen's (odo 60k) brake pedal was squealing when pressed , pedal movement was not smooth, there was a lot of travel as well. One day a drove a Santro for while noticed the difference immediately. Santro (25k) braking was effective smooth.
When I got my zen checked in a garage next day, that guy opened all four brakes cleaned them , bled and refilled the braking fluid. He said no need to change the brake shoes or pads , even while I suggesting to do so. He pumped some lubricating oil near brake pedal also.
Now the squealing not is gone and travel is reduced. But the smoothness of pedal movement is nowhere near to that of Santro's. Braking is now little more effective but not as good as Santro's either.
What shall I do improve ? Please suggest.

drive another zen and see if its different than your car.

well i was searching for brake oil change..but could find this the closest topic..
anyway..i wanted to know when should one get the brake oil changed/filled? ive no clue about what it is though..but yeah in a new car i heard that one should get the brake oil changed at 5k or 10k? aint sure about that either ..please help

I am really surprised that you have used the original brake pads till 72 K!!!!!!!!!!:Shockked:

As far as my experience is concerned brake pad generally gets worn out between 25 to 30K kms under normally driving condition.

As far as when to change the brake pad is concerned, you actually don't need to worry about it much if your car is being serviced regularly. By just keeping a watch on the brake pads everytime you service your car you can easily conclude how much more days will the pads survive. But do remember, by driving your car with a worn out pads can severely damage the disc of your car.

Regards
Sumit

Is this why the honda city's brake pad set costs 3500 bucks??

Is waiting to hear the screeching sound from the brakes a scientific and accurate method of concluding brake-wear? I am guessing it is as technical experts have confirmed this.