CSI V6 1999 Auto 185K (Aus).. Morning Brakes.

[ednik]

Hey,

After leaving the car parked overnight I start her up in the morning, drive about 600m and apply first brake of the day approaching junction.

At this point braking feels especially soft, not spongy, and grip feels soft. Next braking at 800m all feels fine and thenthroughout the remaining 50km drive.

Any ideas if this is normal or the start of something big ?

Any ideas appreciated.

Thanks.

Nik.

[ednik]

hey.......

I forgot to mention that I had new pads and had the discs milled by a local Auto garage too, about 1 month ago... could this be why ?

Thank!

Nik.

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by ednik

I forgot to mention that I had new pads and had the discs milled by a local Auto garage too, about 1 month ago... could this be why ?

Yeh think? What were the pads, and more importantly, their rating? Not all pads perform well cold.

[ednik]

hill8570,

Thanks for responding hill.

Hey, not sure man, I didn't think of asking the Autos about the pads I just asked if they done a mill on the discs to which they replied, yes.

Do you think this could be a symptom of a future brake mess ?

Cheers.

Nik.

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by ednik

Hey, not sure man, I didn't think of asking the Autos about the pads I just asked if they done a mill on the discs to which they replied, yes.

Do you think this could be a symptom of a future brake mess ?

I don't think it's going to be an issue, but if it were my rig I'd want to know for sure. I like my cold stopping to be at least an "E" rating (equivalent to OEM, at least in the US)...C and D make me nervous. A lot of folks prefer more "bite", something like a "G" rating. Unless they're complete idiots, the shop should be able to tell you what they installed.

[73sport]

I think the greater issue is the sponge affect! Sounds like they need bled to remove air bubbles.

Did they mention bleeding, flushing, replacing the brake fluid? If they didn't, it might explain the mush pedal. Overall it sounds like they put a full metallic pad on which only work well when warm.

HOW many miles on it since the brake job? Town or Highway?

In laymen terms they usually go by "OEM". Which would effectively replace the Original Equipment Manufacture with a near equivilent replacement.

I run Bendix ceramic and love these pads over anything else. Minimal change from hot to cold or when they get damp from humidity or rain.

Great pads and they look nice too, but may be wearing a tad fast. Better them than the rotors! >> http://www.bendixbrakes.com

[JohnGD]

If you had this done a month ago, and you drive 50 km each day, then the pads/rotors would have already "broken in". That is, they worn into each other and should provide consistent longer term braking performance.

So besides the pad material that doesn't work as well when cold, I would also ask if the brake fluid has been flushed in the past two years. You can get air in the system from moisture boiling or oil fluid deteriorating. (And we're not talking about leaks yet.) In Aus I'd use Castrol GT LMA (low moisture activity fluid). Castrol is a formerly British Petroleum brand, so should be easier to find in Aus. In the US Valvoline Synthetic is good too.

There really is no reason to turn the rotors unless you have problems, as it shortens their service life. But many shops do them to get a known working surface and avoid customer come backs. You should be able to specify Akebono ProAct ceramic pads or Hawk HPS there.

Toyota OEM may give you cheap NBK pads, depending on the lowest bidder of the batch. I personally do not like NBK so would rather specify aftermarket Akebonos just to be sure. (Or you can go to the dealer and look for "AK xxx-xxx FF" markings on the pads.) These are FF friction rated pads.

With that many miles I personally would also rebuild the calipers with new rubbers. Dealer should carry rebuild kits, in the US about $30USD per axle online. But this may not be as cost effective if you can't do your own work in this area or if you have corrosion problems with the calipers.

Originally Posted by ednik

hey.......

I forgot to mention that I had new pads and had the discs milled by a local Auto garage too, about 1 month ago... could this be why ?

Thank!

Nik.

[JohnGD]

So how many miles are you getting out of the Bendix? How hard do you brake?

Originally Posted by 73sport

I run Bendix ceramic and love these pads over anything else. Minimal change from hot to cold or when they get damp from humidity or rain.

Great pads and they look nice too, but may be wearing a tad fast. Better them than the rotors! >> http://www.bendixbrakes.com

[73sport]

^ Up there . . .
Its a daily driver getting 240 miles per week (rough 12,000 per year) stop and go and freeway. I looked at the pads last weekend and they looked to be about 50% after two years. I shift the auto trans down for braking and control constantly so light use is less, but I don't brick the pedal on take-off or stop, I'd call it moderate to hard braking.

These pads do squeak when cold maybe the first stop or two and then they'll be quiet all day.

I'll get another set for certain.

[JohnGD]

2 years * 12K miles * 2 = 48k miles. Not bad.

Some Bendix offer one free set of replacement pads provided they wear evenly down to something like 3/32 (?).

Originally Posted by 73sport

^ Up there . . .
Its a daily driver getting 240 miles per week (rough 12,000 per year) stop and go and freeway. I looked at the pads last weekend and they looked to be about 50% after two years. I shift the auto trans down for braking and control constantly so light use is less, but I don't brick the pedal on take-off or stop, I'd call it moderate to hard braking.

These pads do squeak when cold maybe the first stop or two and then they'll be quiet all day.

I'll get another set for certain.