A couple months ago i started hearing squeaky sounds from my front brakes...usually when im going in reverse on an incline, and also from braking from high speeds. so i took the car to the dealer yesterday and they said the brakes were fine but if i wanted to get rid of the squeaks then i could replace the rotors? i was thinking that maybe i would need to replace the brake pads but they said that its still okay...not sure if i should believe that. i've been tricked by them before probably because they feel like i wouldn't know anything about cars since i'm a girl...and really, i don't know too much =/ . but i'm really skeptical and i feel like they just want to make this into a big major service problem in the future.

i drive an 06 tsx and it has about 48,000 miles.
i've already replaced the rear brakes so i just think its so strange that the front brakes are fine...even i know this is a front wheel drive car -_-

any help or suggestions i would really appreciate it!

i'm also new to this forum =)

-lynn

 

Hey Lynn,
People love to fib on brakes, seeing its a pretty important piece of equipment, they can get away with telling you that its time to replace them.

without actually measuring the rotors and pads, we cant determine if they are shot or not. I would suggest to get it diagnosed from a couple of independent mechanics to determine if you really need to change out rotors.

at 48K miles, I would not think so.
Is your driving style aggressive?

 

Welcome Lynn. I hate hearing this kind of a story. Why some of these people think that women might know less than men is, well, annoying at least. Anyway, I don't know why they're telling you it's the rotors, but I'd go for a second opinion. The TSX seems to have an appetite for rear brake pads. Having them need replacement early and/or before the fronts is not uncommon. Also, as with most cars, brake pad life is directly related to the kind of driving you do. For instance, my wife does around 95% highway driving. 140 miles a day, all highway. I recently replaced the rear pads, and the front pads still have quite a bit of life in them (I checked them just the other day while I was changing over to the winter tires). This is with over 100K miles on the car. But there are plenty of stories here of much, much shorter pad life. Anyway, you may or may not need front pads, but as a rule the TSX brakes are pretty quiet (though the pads do have wear indicators that start to squeal when the pads need replacement), so there may be something going on. One thing you could try on your own is to clean off the rotors. The TSX seems susceptible to pad built up, which is brake pad residue on the rotors. Try 4-6 hard stops (if possible, brake hard to the point where just before the ABS would engage). This should clean them off (and it's good practice anyway to get a feel for when the ABS might kick in). But.... don't do this in the rain, and/or stay out of any standing water as the rotors will be hot and one or more could warp. Pad build up most often evidences itself with vibration while braking, but it could be the cause of the noise I suppose. And.... it sounds like maybe you need a new dealer if they really have been less than honest with you in the past. Maybe there's a Honda dealer in town with a good rep. They can do most of the service work on the TSX if that would work out better for you (and sometimes they're cheaper too). Otherwise, maybe a local shop that specializes in brakes. Another resource is the Tire Rack's database of installers (tirerack.com, look for "installers"). There you could find someone local that does brake work (as well as tire work) and read reviews from other's that have used a particular shop. Good luck.

 

first: welcome-even tho our cars are front-wheel drive the rear brakes wear faster than the fronts. I do not know what kind of driving you do but sometimes dirt deposits get on the brakes. Did they clean them. That might help. My 06 tsx still has the original brakes after almost 118,000 mostly highway driving. The dealer I go to is excellent and does not try to sell me unneeded service. Oh I am also a girl. I do know how to change a flat tire, check the oil and tire pressure.

 

I wonder why the rears eat more than the fronts.....
sorry im unfamiliar with the tsx.

 

This is a good question that has never really been answered here (maybe there isn't one). There are a few theories though. One is that the proportioning valve consistently applies extra force to the rear brakes because of the extra weight (and corresponding weight transfer under braking) on the front of the car that results in the front brakes working harder. This results in accelerated pad wear in back. I'm inclined to think it's a rare engineering misstep by Honda (in other words, the rear brakes are too small), but since it wasn't really addressed (in other words not much changed) with the 2nd gen car, that theory is losing steam even with me. So..... who knows. But, pads are cheap (especially for those of us that can do it yourself) and the car is worth this minor annoyance in my opinion.