Quick MOT question (brake imbalance) please

Padz_2

That's a really useful post cheers Joe.

Blokey 2 said that 25% was a lot! I didn't think it was which is why I opted for the clean up rather than replacement.

Will seriously consider MOTing next year at council testing station.

Joe_Horner

No problem Padz.

To be fair, a 25% imbalance IS quite big. You probably wouldn't notice it in normal driving but with a sudden stop you may well find the wheel pulling (and the car swerving) towards the "better" side, although with power steering on just about everything now you might not notice.

The other thing to bear in mind is that it means that one front brake is potentially "missing" 25% of its ability to stop you depending on the cause. Seeing as typically the front brakes give 60% or more of the total braking in an emergency, that means you ma have lost 15% of your emergency stopping power - that could be worth about 45 feet on a motorway!

s_b

abs hides the imbalance
even i get caught out sometimes
i always watch the needles at the mot so i know the problem because its not unknown for mot men to confuse left with right

mikey72

We've just bought a car, same age, there is a bit of judder when braking heavily, low mileage, the front discs are quite poor, it's probably a result of it standing about so much. I priced up discs and pads, £45 and I'll fit them myself. So to answer your question, it is possible that they are in a poor state, and 25% is a fair amount, the machine doesn't lie, and if it's a main dealer they're probably not making it up. I would shop around for a better price before giving them the go ahead, but then you won't have the goodwill if you need it, and you're have to go back for the retest again. It's not worth me compalining to the vendor, we'll keep the car for the next 10 years, so I'll be paying sooner or later, and this way I know it's right.

Padz_2

Thanks folks. I promised to update but have been busy since I left dealership and this is my first free minute.

Well surprise surprise the take apart, clean up, grease and put back together worked! It did cost £41 but that was way better than the £199.

I really appreciated the fast comments this afternoon as I was sat there wondering if I'd done the right thing and it was good to know that I had. Based on what I've read since I will keep an eye on the braking and if I start to notice anything untoward I'll book it in somewhere and have them done.

Maybe I'm being naive but I'm disappointed that bloke 2 didn't recommend a clean first instead of going straight for replacement.

I think the discs got in a state because I don't do a lot of heavy braking. I drive it like a granny to be honest as it makes the fuel go a bit further! Thirsty little car for its size but I really enjoy it and its great in the snow. So I'm going to make a bit more of an effort to brake harder every so often.

If it comes up again next year I'll definitely have them done.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

s_b

modern pads are rubbish so you need to deglaze seeing as you are a non braker like me but an anticipator
on a downhill stretch keep your right foot on the accelerator but slightly left foot brake
this deglazes and makes for everything tickety boo:)
does everything the world of good

mikey72

Padz wrote: »

Thanks folks. I promised to update but have been busy since I left dealership and this is my first free minute.

Well surprise surprise the take apart, clean up, grease and put back together worked! It did cost £41 but that was way better than the £199.

I really appreciated the fast comments this afternoon as I was sat there wondering if I'd done the right thing and it was good to know that I had. Based on what I've read since I will keep an eye on the braking and if I start to notice anything untoward I'll book it in somewhere and have them done.

Maybe I'm being naive but I'm disappointed that bloke 2 didn't recommend a clean first instead of going straight for replacement.

I think the discs got in a state because I don't do a lot of heavy braking. I drive it like a granny to be honest as it makes the fuel go a bit further! Thirsty little car for its size but I really enjoy it and its great in the snow. So I'm going to make a bit more of an effort to brake harder every so often.

If it comes up again next year I'll definitely have them done.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

It's 50/50. If the garage suggested a clean up, and it didn't work, you've be paying twice. If it fails next time round, you would be paying the £200 next year. So I can see a bit where they're coming from. Then again, if it lasts, you're quids in, so it was worth it. Brake harder occasionally, and pump the pedal a few times, keep the rust at bay.

mikey72

s_b wrote: »

modern pads are rubbish so you need to deglaze seeing as you are a non braker like me but an anticipator
on a downhill stretch keep your right foot on the accelerator but slightly left foot brake
this deglazes and makes for everything tickety boo:)
does everything the world of good

It proves how compatible we are.

MX5huggy

The greater than 25% thing is interesting, recently I was driving a car with a deffinate willingness to put you in a ditch. Come MOT time we reported this, and it passed the garage were happy to send it back as it was, only fixing the brakes after being asked to.

Padz_2

Cheers Mikey yeah I know what you're saying but I'd rather pay it next year when I'm expecting it rather than this year when in the last month I've had 2 x tax/insurance/services to find. Expensive months April and May

Sb that's a great tip about the downhill accelerate/brake bit. I had wondered how the dog would get on if I suddenly started braking hard for no really good reason! He's harnessed up but it would make him fall over a lot and that's not really fair on the poor b*gger.

Thanks again guys.