[RANT] So I got new brakes today for the SRi-T

[AF1R]

2 or 3 days ago the "Brake Pad" warning came on the centre display, so ok i go get new brakes on my day off.


Today i went to The Tyre Factory (Thomastown, VIC) to get a quote, $99 a pair, so ok i thought was aright, i asked if they could also JUST rotate the front 2 b/c they were starting to wear out on the insides.
The guy comes out and checks my car, "Sorry mate, ur gonne need new rotors, theres abit of a lip on ur 2 fronts, I cant rotate thos front 2 b/c there too worn out and you will have to get new tyres."
BULL SHIT, its only abit worn, nothing serious, teh rotors only need to be machined alittle, the lip isnt even that deep.


So i went off to Jax Quickfit in Epping, walked in the shop, said i need new brake pads, i guy didnt even look at my car and told me I NEED NEW ROTORS!! WTF, whys everyone trying to sell me rotors, pads, rotors, allignment all up $800. PISS ME OFF!!
They even said ill need new brake sensors also for the Warning display.


Drove around the corner to Northern Tyre something something, new pads for $85 a pair + labour. I thought sweet, lets do it, throw in wheel allignment too please. Rotors did not get machined.

Waited around for 3 - 4 hours for the job to be done, cos they had to get the brakes delivered, and teh guy told me teh brakes were a pain to take out bc the Calipers were painted.

After the job was all done, tested out the brakes, FULLY SHIT!!!! The takes freakin ages to come to a stop, the worn out brakes are probably 10x better!!! But the car now drives straighter than b4.
The Brake Pad warning is still on the display also.

Moral of this story, you get wat you pay for. If you can do it, do it urself.

Now i gotta get another set of NEW BRAKES, THESE ONES SUCK ASS!

End RANT.

[OPC]

go to HOLDEN... ;) END TIP

[xplosv57]

Umm well for one, the warning light is going to stay on till you replace the brake sensor, as it works when the pad has run low and burns off the end of the sensor, triggering the light!!!

Being a european car, they have a softer compound brakes which wear alot quicker than your average falcon or commodore!!! If more than one place said your discs were worn, then its most likely they were worn, and euro discs im most cases cannot be machined also due to their soft compound!!!

Did you replace the pads with genuines, because the cheap aftermarket pads definetely don't stop as well as OEM, if you do want it to stop well and don't want to go genuine, go with a higher spec EBC or PBR pad, the cheaper alternative are rubbish!!!

But youre right, you do get what you pay for!!!

[Shaun]

Just depend's on if the Rotors are on the Min wear thinkness. If they legally not allowed to Machine them.

As suggested take it into Holden.

Just out of interested When were the pads and rotors last changed and how many KM on the car? Also is it a Manual or Auto ?

All leading somewhere promise.

[MatsHolden]

As Xplosv says, general rule of thumb that rotors need replacing the same time that the pads do on the Opels and basically any euro car.

[OZChris]

Unfortunately, brakes are not where you should be skimping on $$$.

[gman]

if theres a lip on the rotors, the new pads might take a while to "skim" down so the remaining pad can fully engage on the old rotors. And the pads need to bed in too.

However, if the lip is to big, definately get new rotors. RDA do them for Euro cars and they aren't that expensive.

But fitting pads and disc's is easy....Shouldn't take more than 2 hours at most. I did a set of front rotors in 45 mins just the other day...

But as said previously, brakes is one area you should never skimp on...

As a matter of interest, what brand were the pads??

[blueraven]

also, pads take a while to bed in...so i would make any judgements until you have driven at least 100km.

[Vectracious]

Astra's are notoriously hard on rotors - had to replace the 1.8's rotors at 60k. whats the mileage on the SRiT? If its around 60k the places would probably know about the rotors being shot and thats why they suggested new rotors straight away.

And as Nik said, never judge new brakes when they are first put on - they almost always feel crap initially.

[AF1R]

Umm well for one, the warning light is going to stay on till you replace the brake sensor, as it works when the pad has run low and burns off the end of the sensor, triggering the light!!!


Thats extactly wat the dude at Jax Quickfit told me, i thought thos sensors were magnets.




Just out of interested When were the pads and rotors last changed and how many KM on the car? Also is it a Manual or Auto ?


Pads have never been changed. My cars done 67,000K+ & manual turbo.
The lip is about 3mm deep.


Took the Astra out for a spin tonight trying to wear the pads in, had a look at the rotor afterwards and it seems not all of the pads is touching the rotor. >.<

Also the Traction Control light starts blinking and then just stays on.

Now seems like it will have to go to Holden WHICH IS WAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE INT THE FIRST PLACE, more money lost.

Tonights criuse was pretty shooking, i wont go into detail cause it may incriminate me, but that fact alone is just how bad it was. :mad:

Let that be a lesson to anyone who is thinking about changing the brake pads, dont be cheap about it.

I'll get new rotors once I file my tax return.

[PaulyJ]

Firstly I agree that you should never skimp on brakes.
Those rotors should've been machined as a minimum to ensure a maximum contact area for the new pads.
RDA are great, as suggested earlier. I've got RDA in mine, people have been in my car and seen how it brakes, so I can confidently say they are awesome.
Pads, get something decent atleast. You get what you pay for when it comes to brakes.

[OPC]

go to HOLDEN... ;) END TIP


Now seems like it will have to go to Holden WHICH IS WAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE INT THE FIRST PLACE, more money lost.

.

yeah shorty it's ur birthday go shorty it's ur birthday

[Red AH SRI T]

Astra's are notoriously hard on rotors - had to replace the 1.8's rotors at 60k.

This is true of all the Opel product Holden sell. However Typicaly we get the little girls in their Astras come in and complain that they are only getting 25-30K km out of them. They are driving Auto's of course.

[JasonGilholme]

hahaha damn only 25 - 30 out of them.

So far my car has done 170,000 km's and i've still got original clutch and possibly the original discs ( i bought the car with 70,000 on it) I changed the pads ages ago thinking they were low but they weren't.

My discs have at least 100,000 on them. I think i'm in need of some new ones soon but its gonna have to wait a while.

[gman]

So far my car has done 170,000 km's and i've still got original clutch and possibly the original discs ( i bought the car with 70,000 on it) I changed the pads ages ago thinking they were low but they weren't.

My discs have at least 100,000 on them. I think i'm in need of some new ones soon but its gonna have to wait a while.

You're obviously not driving it hard enough.... hehehehe ;)

Mine lasted about 90,000km. Changed the rotors for UK M-Tech ones and the pads to EBC Red Stuff.....

[JasonGilholme]

You're obviously not driving it hard enough.... hehehehe ;)

Mine lasted about 90,000km. Changed the rotors for UK M-Tech ones and the pads to EBC Red Stuff.....

hahahaha you don't know me then :P

The barina is the daily driver now and gets thrown through roundabouts every morning and night on the way to work :D:D lol

[JohnBu]

see my thread for options

contact GSL rally for some EBC Greenstuff $165 delivered, cheaper than OEM.

just note, when cold OEM are better than Greenstuff..

i got EBC Greenstuff + Slotted Disc for the fronts.. cost $583 fitted..

i should have got them via GSL rally, could have saved a $100 or so.

slotted are really just for cosmetics.. but they do look pretty good :)

BTW, what pads did you get?

[PaulyJ]

Slotted just for cosmetics?
I dont agree.
Proven to help keep brake temp down, and remove contact dust while driving.

[Vectracious]

Slotted just for cosmetics?
I dont agree.
Proven to help keep brake temp down, and remove contact dust while driving.

Yeah, I will be very interested to see how the rotors go on the Rex next DECA....

[xplosv57]

To be honest, they don't make that much of a difference heat or dust wise, but i guess any bit of difference is good especially on track!!! But who cares, they look better than standard discs!!!!

[Ishley]

Well i was told today by Holden that my 19,000km old brakes had slight glazing. And that it isnt covered under warranty to de-glaze them.

So i had to pay to have them de-glazed. Oh and i had to pay for them to plug in my boot light that was never plugged in from new. Apparently that's not a warranty issue....

[MatsHolden]

Oh and i had to pay for them to plug in my boot light that was never plugged in from new. Apparently that's not a warranty issue....

lol, some dealers are so full of it. Shouldn't have paid for that.

[Ishley]

lol, some dealers are so full of it. Shouldn't have paid for that.
Agreed.

I also have an issue where sometimes when i start the car it will stall. Or sometimes it wont start at all, you can turn the key and the stereo will come on but the engine wont turn over.

They have ordered a new SIM for rectify the problem. So i will have to ake my car back in about a week for them to install it.

[MatsHolden]

Agreed.

I also have an issue where sometimes when i start the car it will stall. Or sometimes it wont start at all, you can turn the key and the stereo will come on but the engine wont turn over.

They have ordered a new SIM for rectify the problem. So i will have to ake my car back in about a week for them to install it.

they might try to charge you for it... :p

[xplosv57]

Well i was told today by Holden that my 19,000km old brakes had slight glazing. And that it isnt covered under warranty to de-glaze them.

So i had to pay to have them de-glazed. Oh and i had to pay for them to plug in my boot light that was never plugged in from new. Apparently that's not a warranty issue....

Well the brakes i can understand as they are considered a consumable and therefore aren't covered by the warranty!!

But the boot light, that's a joke, how much did you have to pay?? That shouldve been noted at the pre delivery inspection and is the fault of the selling dealer!!!!

[Ishley]

Well the brakes i can understand as they are considered a consumable and therefore aren't covered by the warranty!!

But the boot light, that's a joke, how much did you have to pay?? That shouldve been noted at the pre delivery inspection and is the fault of the selling dealer!!!!
Im not sure, it wouldnt of been much. I cnat be bothered, they tried saying it was because i have aftermarket speakers and that they must have pulled it out when they were put it.

But none of my wires go anywhere near the boot light.

It is a case of there word against mine, i cant be bothered with argueing.

[EL BURITO]

why did you not plug it in your self?

[Ishley]

why did you not plug it in your self?
Couldn't be arsed checking.... And i thought it would be covered under warranty seeing it has no worked since the day i got the car.

They did all the work on the car without calling me to approve the work to be done. Can't get them to undo it to save me some money.

[EL BURITO]

Couldn't be arsed checking.... And i thought it would be covered under warranty seeing it has no worked since the day i got the car.

They did all the work on the car without calling me to approve the work to be done. Can't get them to undo it to save me some money.
thats ileagal ............

[blueraven]

Well i was told today by Holden that my 19,000km old brakes had slight glazing. And that it isnt covered under warranty to de-glaze them....


Your kidding right? you paid them? getting rid of a little glazing is merely a matter of a few stomps from high speed, followed by normal driving etc. Glazing is caused by lightly riding the brake, mostly from doing it around town. Or you can glaze them from excessive heat eg: ripping it round a track.

either way even if they are REALLy badly glazed, you just pull them out and give them a few swipes with 800grit sandpaper and they are fine again.

[Ishley]

Your kidding right? you paid them? getting rid of a little glazing is merely a matter of a few stomps from high speed, followed by normal driving etc. Glazing is caused by lightly riding the brake, mostly from doing it around town. Or you can glaze them from excessive heat eg: ripping it round a track.

either way even if they are REALLy badly glazed, you just pull them out and give them a few swipes with 800grit sandpaper and they are fine again.
I didnt know what the problem was. I dropped the car off at lunch time. Listed the problems for them to look at under warranty. I even said when i booked the car in, that i am booking it in for some warranty issue's.

I was picking the car up at 5. At 4:45 service dept. rings. Tells me the problems and the way they solved them. Then at the end of the phone call informs me it will cost me $83 when i come to pick it up....

[blueraven]

at which point you should go banana's and say nobody called you abou tdoing any work that needed to be paid for!!! and tell them to stick their $83.


for future reference :)

[PaulyJ]

at which point you should go banana's and say nobody called you abou tdoing any work that needed to be paid for!!! and tell them to stick their $83.


for future reference :)

I agree.
They are not allowed to do any work on your car without your consent.
Go back there and rip thru them!

[Dave]

Mine lasted 65ish, and they were metal on metal, well one of them were atleast........... which was wierd, close to half a cm left on 3 of the 4.............