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automobiles Auto Repair - Brakes Q's & A's Can't find a solution to your problem? Post a question in our Forums. Brake Pads|Locking Brakes|VW Brakes|Soft Brakes|Noises|Shifting Problem|Brake Light Switch Grand Prix Brake Pads I have a 1998 Grand Prix with four-wheel ABS brakes. One of the brake pads has a small ridge in it, which has created a groove in the rotor. There seems to be plenty of pad left - is this a problem? Do I need to replace the pads and have the rotor cut? I suppose it depends on how deep the groove is. Usually a ten or twenty thousand's of an inch deep groove is not a huge issue unless the rotor was paper-thin to start with. All rotors have a minimum thickness and should not be machined or worn beyond the limits specified for that vehicle application . If the brakes were done in the recent past and the rotors weren't machined or machined to the point where they were flat and straight but a groove remained, that might explain the groove and the reason the pads have the same groove in them. If you can feel the groove with your finger and it feels deep you might want to remove it and have a machinist or a mechanic measure the thickness of the rotor at the point of the score and see if it is still in spec. Most likely, there isn't an issue there but it wouldn't hurt to check. Lifetime Guaranteed Brake Pads I just replaced the pads on my van's four wheels. I bought Napa's lifetime guaranteed pads because they only came that way for the back brakes and I figured on keeping the van through its next set of brakes at least. Here is the question though... since they are supposed to last longer.. does that mean more wear on the disk?? Considering the cost of a new disk vs. the cost of inexpensive pads, would it have been much better to get the cheap ones? Or do the lifetime ones not wear the disk any faster than the cheaper ones? While the quality of the brake pad is generally better and may last a little longer. It really doesn't affect the wear characteristics to the point where they last and they burn out the other parts quicker. More often than not when you buy the more expensive a "lifetime guarantee" name brand product ,what you are buying is the best quality pad that the manufacturer has with an insurance policy. The higher price covers (their cost)on the next set, if you actually collect on the guarantee. Most people can't be bothered , lose their receipts or their warranty card or whatever and never pursue the issue and I am sure to a degree the manufacturers are counting on that too. Realistically, how could they offer you a lifetime guarantee if this weren't so,,they'd go broke in short order. The other advantage is that the garage that sells them can get to enjoy the repeat business of seeing that customer back for their next brake job and collect the attendant labour charges. They are a definite win, win for all involved; customer, garage ,manufacturer and retailers...One small item I might add ,,in the fine print on some of these guarantees, you may find that if the pads are not sold and installed by a licensed technician the warranty does not apply .I just went through this recently with someone I stupidly told to buy a specific name brand and only to find they couldn't get any warranty on their lifetime guarantee after they had used them..so beware ! Luckily.. In addition, maybe NAPA is good about it, but they don't have the fine print and figure it is folks like me doing the replacing. I should tell you about the Chevette years ago with the badly scored disk that I replaced the pads every six months.. No questions asked. THAT was worth it!

Installing Brake Pads

I have a Lincoln in need of brakes. How do you put on front brake pads? I know basics but how do you put on the rear pads ( not back brakes but the one in the inside of caliber.) ?

The calipers must be removed to access the rear or inboard pads. It would be helpful to know what year and style Lincoln you are referring to, but in most cases once the caliper is off the pads are generally installed in the anchor just by pushing them in against the anti rattle spring that is clipped onto the edge of the pad and then pushed forward till flat against the rotor.

If its a later model version then the inboard pad might be clipped into the piston with a spring and just pulled off the face of the piston with some a wiggle from side to side. Once the piston is pushed back with a c clamp or whatever method suits you the pad may be installed with the side anti rattle clip type or the spring clip type making sure all the fingers of the clip are in the piston and not getting mashed over and then caliper should be reinstalled paying special attention to the lubrication of the slide pins being lubed and rubbers being intact.

Isuzu Brake Pad Replacement

I own two 1990 Isuzu Amigos with four wheel disc brakes. I have attempted to replace the rear brake pads on both with no success. I am unable to depress the brake piston at all to allow for the greater thickness of the new pads. Is there a trick to releasing the pressure on these brake pistons. (The emergency brake is off and even using a large C-clamp to depress the piston with a block of wood on its face the piston does not budge.

Yes, actually there is a tool to wind the pistons back in. The pistons are threaded onto a shaft that is incorporated into the emergency brake if this Isuzu is like most rear disc brakes I have seen. There are notches in the piston of some type and are to be used to rotated as well as pushed back at the same time. If you have a local parts store that allows borrowing of tools with the purchase of parts I would recommend that you see if they have a rear disc piston retracting tool. If you own two of these vehicles and plan on continuing the repair I might recommend you purchase one after you see what's involved with the borrow it version.

97 Merci Grand Marquis Rear Brake Pad Replacement

97 Mercury Grand Marquis rear brakes. Is there a trick to removing the rear brake calipers and replacing the pads on this car? I am not sure how the emergency brake comes into play on this type of system. I have a 97 Mountaineer, which I'll need to do the same thing on soon.

Do the brake cables go into the back of the caliper on this model or just into the backing plate behind the rotor. I'm having a hard time picturing what is on this one as I've not seen that model with rear disc brake that I remember .

Brakes Locking Up

I have a 95 Oldsmobile Achieva with ABS and my right rear brake is locking up. What could the problem be, how can I fix it and is it an expensive job to do?

If this car was an older one without ABS, the problem area could be narrowed down quite easily and corrected with relatively little cost. With any automobile problem it's usually best to start with the basics and work from there. Correct what you know is a problem, do your obvious maintenance and then proceed to the more obscure expensive items. The basic items you would want to check would be things like emergency brake cables (sticking or seized), flex hoses kinked ,cracked or damaged allowing the brake pressure to be trapped at the wheel, something that is causing the shoe or pad to be jammed into the drum or the disc.; seized caliper piston or slide or a pad seized in the slide in a rear disc brake application or a wheel cylinder being seized in the applied position or just plain poor quality pads or shoes, distorted (warped )rotors causing the wheel to lock .

Worst case scenario being one of the ABS components malfunctioning which would require a technician to enter the diagnostics in the ABS computer and check for any stored trouble code info indicating a problem area in that wheel or in the actual unit. Thereby causing one of the actuator solenoids to stick and cause brake pressure to remain at the wheel when it is not supposed to .As far as costs go ...well as you can see because of the many variables the cost would vary drastically depending on what the problem area may be. If you're not capable of doing the repairs yourself, I would recommend that you take the car in to a shop that you trust,(key words here ) and allow them to do the appropriate repairs. It may be something as simple as a low cost brake service or as expensive as lots of diagnostics and expensive repair parts .,but at least at this point you have some idea what you may be into ..

I had a similar problem on my Ford. When I took the rear drum off one of the pads fell right on the ground. What happened was the pad broke off the bracket so this pad was floating around in the drum and the thing was probably getting jammed with the other pad causing a jerking motion when stopping. The was pretty cheap to fix I just replaced both pads on both rear wheels. That was about 2 months ago and still A. O.K.

VW Brakes

A friend has a 97 VW Cabrio. She got it inspected and it failed for brakes on the front. The inspection guy said she might need new rotors, because the brakes have dug into the rotors. My question is a 97 VW Cabrio brake pads that much different then like a GM vehicle? I have changed a few of those. Do you think I could get rotors turned since they have never been?

Well ,yes and no. I suppose the concept is the same and the parts are smaller. Most Volkswagen stuff is held on with hex-keyed fasteners. If you are well equipped with these tools by all means try it. They are not that much different. As far as can the rotors be turned ? Well that depends on how deep the groove is !It would have to be measured(in the groove) with a micrometer to determine if it can or cannot be machined. There is a specification for machine to and discard meaning there is a legal limit to which the rotor can be cut and a legal limit to which the rotor can be worn. Personally for the cost of the rotors and the money your saving doing it yourself , spoil the old VW and get the rotors .It'll be worth it in the long run. The rotors ,when thicker, can dissipate heat better and the finish on a new rotor is much better for break in and wear characteristics all around, as well as there is no concern as to whether is the rotor thick enough !!

P.S. Make sure to lube the slide pins on the calipers with a good quality silicone grease(nothing petroleum based).

1986 Ford E350 Van - Soft Brakes

Brake line to rear brakes corroded and failed. I replaced a 4' section of the brake line. Put fluid in master cylinder. Bled line at splice. Bled line at 'tee' to rear brakes. Brakes are soft; it takes 3-4 pumps to get hard brakes. Air in line? Have at the rear tee a lot; no-spitting (air). Perhaps there is air in line going down from master cylinder to proportioning valve. If so, how do I get it out?

Chances are that you have air somewhere in the rest of the system, more than likely at the wheel cylinders at the wheel .The wheel cylinders are equipped with a bleeder for that purpose. Usually bleeding the lines at the line attachments is saved for absolute desperation when there is a point at which for some reason the air will not pass easily. The bleeders are put at the highest point in the cylinder and are made that way so that the air will float up and be more easily removed when the bleeding process commences.

I would also be extremely suspect of any, and I mean any leakage at the lines anywhere first and last- but not least-the master cylinder may be suspect as the travel in which the pedal normally operates has been exceeded and now may have dredged the accumulation of sediment into the rubbers or bore that seals it causing it to leak by the seals. When dealing with hydraulics on braking systems. If in doubt, take it in to someone who knows what he or she is looking for. An unpredictable brake failure (no brakes at all) can occur if not dealt with properly.

97 Ford Mustang Brakes: Cause of Noise?

I own a 97 Mustang. The problem I am having is that while I'm driving there is a loud squeaking from the right front tire. I have had the car for about three months, and according to the dealership the replaced the brakes the day I bought it. I live in upstate New York and the roads are sandy and salty, could this have anything to do with it?

The brakes may have been replaced 3 months ago but a lot can happen in three months, something can have seized something can have broken or rusted away. For the sake of safety I would highly recommend that you have them rechecked .If when checked all is okay , maybe you can attribute it to the high sand and salt content of the roads rusting the rotors and the drums overnight,but I wouldn't dismiss anything until your sure.

Strange Brake Noise

I have a 1990 Toyota Camry. It makes a mysterious, uneven breaking sound when I break. It seems to come from the left front wheel. Sometimes it is so loud it sounds like the wheels are about to fall off. Other times it doesn't happen at all. I've had the break pads and the rotors replaced, as well as the bushings on the front wheels. Also, at high speeds the steering wheel vibrates when I break. Any ideas? Ball joints? Tire rods? My mechanic can't figure it out and says the breaks are fine. Could the frame be bent? It's driving me crazy. Help.

Well, if it shakes in the wheel when braking that is not normal. Has your mechanic experienced this vibration? Ball joints, tie rods, any of those things causing looseness in the front end could cause your vibration or even some strange noises. Frame bent? Not likely. Rotors occasionally straight out of the box can be warped even if they are new, all it takes is for them to be dropped in shipping or when they are installed they can have rust remaining on the hub to which they are attached and they will vibrate and warp.

I would strongly recommend that you have them recheck the front end and re-access the situation .A hairline crack in one of the brake pads (new or not) can cause some horrific noises intermittently (sometimes just a poor quality pad). It's mostly cosmetic but it does sound terrible. I would suggest that you take it back to the mechanic who looked at it originally and have them look again but you are more likely to have success in the repair just by taking them out and demonstrating the problems you are describing. Its a lot easier to fix something you can see or feel. The mechanic may not be able to simulate the noise and or the condition and it just requires your touch to make it do it.

93 Safari Brake Interlock

My van will not shift out of park, I have to start it in neutral and then shift into drive. It was hard to shift out of park for awhile and then it just became impossible. Any suggestions?

Found the problem, switch similar to brake light switch, came out of adjustment somehow, readjusted and works fine.

91 Lumina Brake Light Switch

I found that my brake light switch stayed in the on position overnight. Then the battery went dead but the switch melted down completely. No fire but that was a possibility. Fuse was good but did not blow. No short just stuck in on position. I replaced the switch but don't know how to adjust it. lights still stay on until I pull connector. Any advice on adjusting this switch?

Just push the switch in till the little button is completely depressed by it pushing against the brake pedal arm. Make sure you have the plugs on in the right positions as sometimes if they have cruise and you switch the plugs it will stay on all the time as one is normally open an one is normally closed switches.

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