Brake pads and disc change

[Belfastjoe]

Hi - new member looking for some advice!

I have a 14 plate A Class that has done 22000 miles. At the last check the garage told me it needed new brake pads and discs. Been looking round the independent garages and they are telling me that neither really need doing. The pad wear light has triggered intermittently.

Is it normal for them to wear out that quick? The garages are stunned that a 14 plate car needs this work doing so early in its life!

Does the distance warning thing have an effect on the brake wear?

Thanks
Colin

 

[Martyn_n]

I would say that it may need new pads after 22k, dependant on your driving style, but unless the pads have worn down to the metal and damaged the discs they should definitely not need replacing after one set of pads.

 

[markjay]

I drive mostly in Central London (i.e. frequent use of brakes) and a set of front discs typically last 20k-25k miles.

I suppose that if you do regular Motorway driving you could easily double that figure.

But also keep in mind that many backstreet garages replace discs based on visual inspection only, i.e. if the discs are not badly grooved and don't have a very deep 'lip' they won't replace them, while a proper garage would check the disc thickness using caliper gauge and advise replacement once they are near their minimum thickness.

So you might very well end-up with discs that looks fine on visual inspection, but in fact need to be replaced due to borderline thickness.

 

[spinaltap]

My auto A Class required new front discs and pads after 12k miles - as did my previous A Class.

 

[Belfastjoe]

My garage said that there was at least 5000 miles on the pads and the discs could go for another 15000 before they needed changed!

A Mercedes con???

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

What IS normal: Your discs and pads are worn above the limit, would you like us to supply and fit them while we have the car for the price of a 17 year olds first car? - why yes Mercedes, crack on and replace them, shall I pull my trousers down or are you doing it for me?

 

[markjay]

...A Mercedes con???

...or an incompetent specialist?

Impossible to tell without examining the discs....

 

[geraldrobins]

14000 miles seems a very short life to me unless you drive and brake hard. I am still on originals at 50k and nothing reported at last service at 46k.

 

[markjay]

14000 miles seems a very short life to me unless you drive and brake hard. I am still on originals at 50k and nothing reported at last service at 46k.

It's not just how hard you brake... but also how frequently.

Most of the roads around where I leave have speed bumps every third house or so... this means driving on a straight stretch of road yet constantly using the brakes. Same goes for traffic lights etc.