53000 km and i hear my brake wear bar, normal?

[TunedOut]

Hi all,

i have been hearing a loud squeek coming from the wheels in the front. it sounds like a brake wear bar but isn't it a little early to replace the pads already? i searched the forum last night briefly and found some threads where people commented the brakes should last much much longer than 50000.

I do not ride my brakes and i dont think i am hard on them. they still work great and do not feel worn. the noise is constant (not only when i turn the wheel) and it goes away after a certain speed.

does the Hyundai warranty cover brakes for a certain amount of time?

thanks in advance

[OkieRich]

Brake pads are a "normal wear" item, and as such I'm not sure they fall in the warranty program after a certain time period. Consult your owner's manual.

Reputable brake shops will give you a no-cost inspection and evaluation. You don't have to agree for them to service the brakes. I'd start there. Unless your dealer offers coupons for brake replacements, expect him to be considerably higher than other shops.

I'm wondering if the brake pads are available on the private market, yet. They may be a dealer only item. Research can tell you.

[someguy]

How do the pads look?

[fegue2]

Well it depends on the driving habits of the driver regarding the use or abuse of the brakes , however my personal experience on my 2008 Elantra I replaced them at 65000 km, and on my 2012 which is already at 54000 km they are still good for a few thousand km more .

Whenever you can get it check ,could be something else or indeed the brakes as you suspect .

[Don67]

50k is a bit early for pad replacement, however with enough stop-and-go driving (or a seized pad) anything is possible. I would check the pads without delay. If they're worn it'll cost you $100 plus labour, but if you wait too long you'll score the rotors and that's a whole 'nuther world of financial pain.

Let us know how it turns out.

[TunedOut]

Hi all,

Thanks for the input.

What do I want to look for if I do it myself? I am capable of taking a look myself as my father has a huge garage with tonnes of tools and I would like to know how to check it out myself (what to look for mainly)

Also, I was told by a co-worker that they normally replace roters when they replace pads nowadays? this is only true if you wait and let the wear bar or bad brakes scratch up and rub on the rotor right (like Don67 mentioned)? If you get them replaced a little early you can save the rotors?


Thanks

[Xion]

My 2007 Focus had 70 000 Km when I traded it for the Elantra and the brakes had never been changed.

[OkieRich]

If the wear indicator has cut a small groove into the rotor, its possible the rotor can be "turned" at a machine shop. This is usually done to remove small imperfections on the rotor. Torqueing your wheel nuts will help insure the rotors so not warp under normal brake heating and cooling.

Jack the car up. Crawl under and spin the wheels. Listen for the scrape. Check the rotor wear with a flashlight. Also the pad wear is visible. You could spin the wheel while someone presses the brake pedal inside and see if you hear the sound.

I'm really interested to hear the final evaluation as to what the problem is.

[TunedOut]

Originally Posted by OkieRich

If the wear indicator has cut a small groove into the rotor, its possible the rotor can be "turned" at a machine shop. This is usually done to remove small imperfections on the rotor. Torqueing your wheel nuts will help insure the rotors so not warp under normal brake heating and cooling.

Jack the car up. Crawl under and spin the wheels. Listen for the scrape. Check the rotor wear with a flashlight. Also the pad wear is visible. You could spin the wheel while someone presses the brake pedal inside and see if you hear the sound.

I'm really interested to hear the final evaluation as to what the problem is.

Cool,

I might head out to the country tonight :P and visit the rents/get dad to check out the brakes with me. I will post what I find. If not tonight, it will be sometime this week.

[Spiffyguitar]

Checking and replacing brake pads isn't too hard. If you do a quick search on the internet, you will find a lot of write-ups on the subject. This short video will give you a good idea of what it involves... this car is slightly different from what you will find on the Elantra, but will give you a very good idea of what you need to do

You Tube

You Tube

Replacing the pads isn't too hard and not too expensive if you do it yourself.. if your pads still look good, perhaps you can use a little brake grease on the back of the pads where the contact points are. I do that every time I change a set of pads.