Some how gone through multiple sets of brake pads in one year?

[wezzel98765]

Hello there guys!

I have now been driving for just over a year

I am driving a Renault Clio 1.2 8v (1999)

When I first of all got the car, I had new brakes put on all rounds as the brakes already on the car had worn down. Shortly afterwards (4000 miles) the front pad on the left hand side was worn completely. My dad fitted a new set. Now we have just had a check because the car has been making a knocking sound (bushes under car?) and so we took the wheel off to have a look, and the brake pads are low on both sides!

This means that I will be on my THIRD set of brake pads in 1 year (18k miles covered)

Anybody have any idea what is causing this?

I don't think it's my driving style as I usually use the engine to slow the car down

Regards! :boring:

 

[alexbleubolt]

sticky calipers ? too much brake fluid in the resevoir ? your resting your foot on the brake ?

 

[ClioChloe.]

Are you riding the brake? Or braking very sharply? Calipers could also be sticking as above. What brake fluid are you using?

 

[White16valver]

Do you have big feet and are driving with your foot on the brake as well as the accelerator? lol

 

[Lewb]

Sounds like a sticky caliper(s) but i'm sure you would have noticed it when braking. Could just be due to hard braking - 6k miles per set of pads isn't too unachievable if you drive enthusiastically my record is 1500.

 

[@Spoonie]

I'm still on the same pads and discs from new, 45000 miles. They are fucked.

 

[matt|H]

I'm still on the same pads and discs from new, 45000 miles. They are f**ked.

Do they spark when you brake? :/

 

[@Spoonie]

Do they spark when you brake? :/

Nope, there still pad left, just not as effective as they once were. Plus I drive like a grandad.

 

[kev1]

do you use the gears to slow down, or just the brakes? what make of pad are you fitting?

 

[wezzel98765]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys !

How would I diagnose a sticky caliper?

I don't ride the brakes at any point whilst I'm driving, only use them when I need to slow down

I use the gears to slow down as well as brakes, I try to use the gears more than the brakes though

The make of brake, not a clue, but they are costing around £12 a set from Euro Car Parts...

Thanks for suggestions!

 

[kev1]

@ £12 a set i would say thats there budget ones, IIRC they sell pagid pads which are meant to be good. either that or go to ajays and get some ferodo premier pads (i work at the ashford branch) these are pretty good pads, we sell ferodos budget SL range too but the premier ones have a harder compound so they should last longer..

 

[DrR]

Get EBC greenstuff they never wear out.

 

[kev1]

these are the ones you need if you try ferodo

http://www.fmecat.eu/section/Butt08...DlNrIn=62&Var_99=Car&TsVer=1252099522435&NG=1

 

[wezzel98765]

Thanks for the help guys

do you guys think that these budget ones could be budget enough to wear out so quickly?

the pads are either Eicher or Bendix

 

[kev1]

not sure TBH, do you bed them in for long enough (usually a few hundred miles of gentle braking)? due to the way money is ATM, our transit connect at work has got the budget ferodo ones on it, wearing well after about 10,000 of stop-start driving (in about 6 months that is). i would say they are about half worn..got the same front brake set-up as the focus st170 IIRC...

 

[wezzel98765]

Im not sure about the bedding in, I usually only bed them in for sort of, 50 miles or so.

Would this lead to premature wearing?

I have seen elsewhere on the net that the cheap rubbish Eicher ones don't bed in and are rubbish

 

[kev1]

that could lead to premature wear, not saying it will but it might. i would spend a bit more £ for a better quality set, bed them in for longer and see how they go from there

 

[wezzel98765]

Okay, thanks for the idea mate!

You live quite near to me btw

I'm from Deal, near Dover !

Well I want to sell my car, so I might just get some cheapy brakes and get them fitted and tell the new owner they need to bed them in?

 

[Henry]

does sound like lazy/sticky caliper pistons. can you spring the fronts freely whilst they're up in the air?

something must be up for pad wear like that

 

[wezzel98765]

sorry to sound like a complete numpty, but can you elaborate on what you mean by "can you spring the fronts freely whilst they're up in the air? " please?

Yeah, I am pretty sure something is being a problem for it to be like this

 

[Henry]

sorry - that's a typo - should have read 'spin'

 

[MarkCup]

You should avoid using engine braking to slow the car, [IAM] engine and gears are to go, brakes are to slow [/IAM].

How much is a new gearbox/clutch? How much are new brake pads/discs? I know which I'd much rather pay for and get changed!

As far as getting through pads so quickly, (sticking calipers aside) really try to focus how often your foot moves to the middle pedal, often you can/will do it without thinking or even being aware that you're doing it.

I followed someone in traffic yesterday for about 15 mins. I saw their brake lights 38 times while I didn't have to brake once. Driving too close to cars in front kills pads.

 

[kev1]

engine braking will not damage the clutch, gearbox or engine proving then engine revs are matched to the gear your in. if your the sort of driver who comes off a motorway at 70mph and stands on the brakes without using the gears to help then you should'nt be driving imo - just using the brakes is'nt safe imo

 

[wezzel98765]

Hey guys!

Thanks for more responses to my topic !

I try to use engine braking as much as I can , which, you say is not necessarily a good thing. I like to think that I do not actually use the brakes that much, for example, when I'm in stop start traffic, I use only the clutch and 1st gear to move forward and press on the clutch to stop.

I just find it frustrating that I do not drive any more 'brake hungry' than any people that I know and yet I have got through 3 sets of front pads and they haven't replaced theirs. Also, I haven't even got through half a set of rear shoes...

 

[MarkCup]

engine braking will not damage the clutch, gearbox or engine proving then engine revs are matched to the gear your in. if your the sort of driver who comes off a motorway at 70mph and stands on the brakes without using the gears to help then you should'nt be driving imo - just using the brakes is'nt safe imo

You are so so wrong!

How does that work then? Brakes aren't safe for slowing cars down? Agreed you shouldn't stand on them at 70mph...squeeze on and ease off is what you should be doing...

You should not use the gears when slowing a car - 99.9% of the motoring populous have no idea what rev-matching means let alone being able to finesse a down change with a blip so as not to put undue wear and strain on the clutch/gearbox.

One hazard = one gearchange, and you only select that gear once you know you're good to accelerate again having negotiated the hazard. Until you've done that you don't know what speed you're doing/what gear you need, so any interim down-changes are a waste of time and achieve absolutely nothing on the road except wear your clutch/gearbox out.

 

[wezzel98765]

just to point out Mark, when I change down gear, I always 'blip' the throttle to rev match, always a nice smooth down change

 

[richy22]

Don't use greenstuff...mine were shocking for road use, the decision was finalised when someone pulled out in front of me last week and they just didn't bite!

Changed to OE Mintex ones yesterday and they are much better already! They actually stop me

 

[kev1]

You are so so wrong!

How does that work then? Brakes aren't safe for slowing cars down? Agreed you shouldn't stand on them at 70mph...squeeze on and ease off is what you should be doing...

You should not use the gears when slowing a car - 99.9% of the motoring populous have no idea what rev-matching means let alone being able to finesse a down change with a blip so as not to put undue wear and strain on the clutch/gearbox.

One hazard = one gearchange, and you only select that gear once you know you're good to accelerate again having negotiated the hazard. Until you've done that you don't know what speed you're doing/what gear you need, so any interim down-changes are a waste of time and achieve absolutely nothing on the road except wear your clutch/gearbox out.

point taken. but at what point did i say 'brakes aren't safe for slowing a car down'?

 

[barnesautos]

Kev 1 quality reply i agree

 

[barnesautos]

i been down changing,engine braking,rev matching in my little renault 5 van for 13yrs and i still got the gearbox no probs so far

 

[kev1]

like i said - point taken, don't want to start an argument - thats not what i joined for and i hate forum arguments.

 

[Munson]

Get EBC greenstuff they never wear out.

That's because they don't do anything

 

[Munson]

engine braking will not damage the clutch, gearbox or engine proving then engine revs are matched to the gear your in. if your the sort of driver who comes off a motorway at 70mph and stands on the brakes without using the gears to help then you should'nt be driving imo - just using the brakes is'nt safe imo

What? If the speed is matched, there is no engine braking? Engone braking brakes the car, slows it down, s***s the weight. Engine braking.

Within reason it's fine, but it does wear the clutch and it does wear the gearbox. The standard brakes can easily handle the odd extreme stop from 100mph, so I don't see the issue on the road.

 

[richy22]

I'm confuzzled! :S

I travel on backroads on the way to work and there's a big hill on the way. Everyone brakes constantly down the hill yet I just drop down into 4th at about 55/60 and don't have to touch the brakes at all. Or am I misinterpretting????!!

 

[richy22]

That's because they don't do anything

Indeed! Got shot of mine this weekend and I can actually feel my brakes working now

 

[TimR26]

Is the wear even?

 

[wezzel98765]

I believe that the wear is even Atouba

First set of pads I got through, the wear was uneven though. This time, the wear seems to be even

Regards

 

[wezzel98765]

update:

Just had my bonnet done because of the Renault recall and they did the 25 point check for me

Apparently the brake fluid is well below minimum

could this be the cause?

They couldn't check all the main stuff because they didn't have a ramp available

 

[Henry]

so long as the fluid's well above the bottom of the reservoir, no

if you'd run out of brake fluid, you'd know about it, as you'd have no brakes))


lift the front end up and check that the wheels spin freely. if they're binding, you'd expect the front wheels to give off a lot of heat after a run, and performance would be stunted. it's difficult to offer suggestions without looking at it really

 

[Darren S]

update:

Just had my bonnet done because of the Renault recall and they did the 25 point check for me

Apparently the brake fluid is well below minimum

could this be the cause?

They couldn't check all the main stuff because they didn't have a ramp available

FLOL! Sounds like Renault. Book you in and then there's no ramp available?! :S

D.