new auto car break pads

what_car

hi

have a new auto car ( my first) whats the average service interval for changing the brake pads? i know it depends on driving style ,, whats average?
accord 2.0 auto...

DublinDilbert

what_car wrote:

hi

have a new auto car ( my first) whats the average service interval for changing the break pads? i know it depends on driving style ,, whats average?
accord 2.0 auto...

I typically get about 40K/50K miles out of a set..

but an auto would be much harder on them, as you do not get any engine breaking when slowing down, so i would say maybe about 35K max??

Also typically with an auto most people don't use the hand brake and put the car into "park" when stopped at traffic lights, so your front discs warp at very low millage. The reason is the disc heats up when the car is slowing down, when you come to a stop part of the warm disc is clamped between 2 equally warm brake pads, the rest of the disc is exposed to the cold air, this leads to uneven cooling on the disc, and the disc will eventually warp.

Henry Ford III

Brake pads (how many people mispell that?) should be changed when they are worn.

That interval varies enormously from car to car and from driver to driver.

galwaytt

Henry Ford III wrote:

Brake pads (how many people mispell that?) should be changed when they are worn.

That interval varies enormously from car to car and from driver to driver.

....isn't there a light on the dash, for this very reason...........? (presuming the Honda would have one, in that class ??)

what_car

Henry Ford III wrote:

Brake pads (how many people mispell that?) should be changed when they are worn.

That interval varies enormously from car to car and from driver to driver.

you didnt read the question.

whats the average?

TomMc

30 (min) - 40K (realistic) would be the norm if a car is driven sensibly.

I would be more concerned with getting longevity from your tyres.

nialler

I'm looking at around 20k miles on a an S320. So it does vary enormously.

Anan1

what_car wrote:

you didnt read the question.

whats the average?

He did read the question, and he answered it. There is no 'average', there are just too many variables. Just change them when they're worn.:)

centreofmotors

Have a mechanic check them. Replace them when they are worn
SIGNS squeeking when you brake
Light on dash


You should replace your brake fluid every 2 years

Esel

DublinDilbert wrote:

Also typically with an auto most people don't use the hand brake and put the car into "park" when stopped at traffic lights....

You obviously know a lot about driving an automatic....not.

DublinDilbert

esel wrote:

You obviously know a lot about driving an automatic....not.

I lived in Canada for 5 years, and owned 2 automatics there. I also hold a full Ontario license. I know about driving and maintain automatics. 99% of people don't use "Park" at traffic lights, they simply leave it in drive, and hold their foot on the brake pedal.

This is common practice in Ontario ( and the rest of Canada / US ), and exactly how i drove on my driving test and passed with flying colours.

I was just trying to be helpful to the original poster, which i believe i was in explaining why front discs warp more easily on automatics.

Why did you post such a silly post?
Why do i not know about driving automatics?
What is wrong with what i said above?
Care to elaborate further? or apologise?

Can the mods please look at the above, if this is the attitude of people here i'll stop contributing to the motors forum... I've always been helpful to people here and shared my experience in Automotive Electronics and General Car maintenance.

ninty9er

From my experience of auto drivers Dilbert is 100% correct, my uncle nearly always drives one and friends' parents drive them...some taxis I've been in. The vast majority of auto drivers dont "N" or "P" the car at lights or in heavy traffic...this is also noticable when behind one in traffic with cars pulling noticably every time the brake lights flicker

nialler

From what I've read about this on a mercedes forum that I contribute to when putting it in N or P at the lights causes more stress and wear on the torque converter, now they say if you're going to be stopped for a while then YES certainly do that but at the traffic lights NO. This information is coming from engineers and guys that have been fixing these things most of their lives.

Personally I'm a foot on brake man, if you were to D & N it every time you stopped you'd wreck the gearbox in dublin traffic.

ninty9er

I had thought it was the correct thing to do to put the car in "N" at lights anyway whatever about traffic. ????

Esel

DD, you said:

DublinDilbert wrote:

Also typically with an auto most people don't use the hand brake and put the car into "park" when stopped at traffic lights, so your front discs warp at very low millage.

Not very clear, when what you apparently intended was "...or put the car...".

The meaning I got was that most automatic drivers put the car into 'park' when stopped at lights, which prompted my comment.

As you are apparently so sensitive, please accept my abject apology in this instance.

Never heard that keeping car in D with foot on brake at lights caused discs to warp. If it did, surely the knowledge would be widespread and there would be a lot of advice against doing so. I have also never heard of anyone, ever, putting the transmission into Park when stopped in traffic. Why should they?

I have heard of discs warping (regardless of type of transmission) if brakes are held on after a sudden stop, such as after emergency braking.

:rolleyes: Mods, please don't ban me - I promise to be more sensitive to DD in future! :rolleyes:

DublinDilbert

esel wrote:

DD, you said:

Not very clear, when what you apparently intended was "...or put the car...".

The meaning I got was that most automatic drivers put the car into 'park' when stopped at lights, which prompted my comment.

As you are apparently so sensitive, please accept my abject apology in this instance.

Never heard that keeping car in D with foot on brake at lights caused discs to warp. If it did, surely the knowledge would be widespread and there would be a lot of advice against doing so. I have also never heard of anyone, ever, putting the transmission into Park when stopped in traffic. Why should they?

I have heard of discs warping (regardless of type of transmission) if brakes are held on after a sudden stop, such as after emergency braking.

:rolleyes: Mods, please don't ban me - I promise to be more sensitive to DD in future! :rolleyes:

No probs.... sorry see where the confusion arose, i may of over-reacted a little, i like to think that i give correct advice to people here...


Back to the issue of discs warping, in places like Canada brake discs will only last 20K miles or so, before they need re-skimming or replacing.. the reason for this is differential cooling of the disc during the winter, and the fact that the disc cools unevenly ( as part of the disc is clamped in between the warm brake pads at lights )...

There the discs on a manual will last much longer, although probably not as long as a set of discs here... For example in ireland the front dics might be changed once or twice in the life of a car, but there its every 2/3 years...

Anan1

DublinDilbert wrote:

Back to the issue of discs warping, in places like Canada brake discs will only last 20K miles or so, before they need re-skimming or replacing.. the reason for this is differential cooling of the disc during the winter, and the fact that the disc cools unevenly ( as part of the disc is clamped in between the warm brake pads at lights )...

There the discs on a manual will last much longer, although probably not as long as a set of discs here... For example in ireland the front dics might be changed once or twice in the life of a car, but there its every 2/3 years...

Would this be as true here, where temperatures are never really that low? Remember, the discs on an auto will always wear faster anyway, due to factors such as the lack of engine braking and higher average weight of automatics. Personally, i'll just let my discs warp - the whole point of an auto is to save on work.;)