I am new and have recently had a brake service experience with my '17 Camry SE that has led me to join this site and seek insight.
For a while I experienced an intermittent issue of vibration from the front right side of the car, especially on hotter days. That tire would have several PSI more than all the others and my fuel economy was down. I figured I had a wheel balancing or alignment issue, so I took it to Tires Plus who told me it was a sticking brake caliper (at 69k miles!). Thankfully my pads and rotors weren't worn down from it so they just replaced the caliper, though now I am wishing I had just done it myself. I wanted it to just be done though so I willingly paid more than I knew I had to.
The other thing is that they insisted that they needed to change all the brake fluid in case that heat damaged it. Now whenever I've brought a Toyota to a dealership or anywhere everyone wants to change brake fluid and I never let them. This time I felt like I had no choice, and I had a feeling that when I got the car back, the braking was just not going to be the same, like my old '96 Buick Century or my sister's '03 Corolla: not poor, but not like a newer car, you know what I mean.
I had to have my mother pick up the car for me because I work nights. Evidently the shop was still wrapping up the work after their closing time. I got in the car to go to work the next day and sure enough it was like pressing the brake on my antique. Twice the amount of pedal was needed; no more of that immediate grip with a feather touch, almost too touchy (which I read in another thread was considered an issue on these?).
Disheartened and angered I immediately got it into a dealership to have them properly bleed the whole brake system, including the ABS module and master cylinder. When I got it back from them they told me that brake performance was restored and the bleed was successful. My evaluation is that they brought it from 75% to 85-90% of what it was. With the same brake application used from muscle memory I still barrel forward, only slowing down very gradually, definitely inadequately so I need to press harder.
What I wonder is am I chasing a fantasy and being too fussy? It doesn't brake poorly or dangerously; I would say it brakes okay as far as cars go, but before it braked exceptionally well. I don't know what else can be done if they truly bled all the air out, and the dealership's estimation was that this is normal performance. Is it impossible to get that back once the system is opened up like that? Is that touchy performance actually a flaw and abnormal and this is the true normal? Any insight or experience is greatly appreciated.
For a while I experienced an intermittent issue of vibration from the front right side of the car, especially on hotter days. That tire would have several PSI more than all the others and my fuel economy was down. I figured I had a wheel balancing or alignment issue, so I took it to Tires Plus who told me it was a sticking brake caliper (at 69k miles!). Thankfully my pads and rotors weren't worn down from it so they just replaced the caliper, though now I am wishing I had just done it myself. I wanted it to just be done though so I willingly paid more than I knew I had to.
The other thing is that they insisted that they needed to change all the brake fluid in case that heat damaged it. Now whenever I've brought a Toyota to a dealership or anywhere everyone wants to change brake fluid and I never let them. This time I felt like I had no choice, and I had a feeling that when I got the car back, the braking was just not going to be the same, like my old '96 Buick Century or my sister's '03 Corolla: not poor, but not like a newer car, you know what I mean.
I had to have my mother pick up the car for me because I work nights. Evidently the shop was still wrapping up the work after their closing time. I got in the car to go to work the next day and sure enough it was like pressing the brake on my antique. Twice the amount of pedal was needed; no more of that immediate grip with a feather touch, almost too touchy (which I read in another thread was considered an issue on these?).
Disheartened and angered I immediately got it into a dealership to have them properly bleed the whole brake system, including the ABS module and master cylinder. When I got it back from them they told me that brake performance was restored and the bleed was successful. My evaluation is that they brought it from 75% to 85-90% of what it was. With the same brake application used from muscle memory I still barrel forward, only slowing down very gradually, definitely inadequately so I need to press harder.
What I wonder is am I chasing a fantasy and being too fussy? It doesn't brake poorly or dangerously; I would say it brakes okay as far as cars go, but before it braked exceptionally well. I don't know what else can be done if they truly bled all the air out, and the dealership's estimation was that this is normal performance. Is it impossible to get that back once the system is opened up like that? Is that touchy performance actually a flaw and abnormal and this is the true normal? Any insight or experience is greatly appreciated.
