Hey,

Sad story short I had to get a rental. They gave me an '08 Civic...not a bad little car...it's not my TSX, but it's alright.

The thing I've noticed the most is just how smooth it is. Breaking is ridiculously more smooth, and shifting (especially out of 1st--I have an auto) is a *bit* more smooth. It got me thinking about my driving habits and whether they are causing undue wear and tear on my car.

It started with my 2000 Accord. I would engine break all the time (cuz I believe it to save the breaks), which is what I'm now believing to be the root of the problems I'm seeing with my TSX as well as my previous car the 2004 Mazda3 GT (also a great car!). Shifting in my TSX is a little more abrupt than it should be, especially for a car that's only 16 months old. Breaking feels like there are tiny bumps in the road--but not always, it's random. This was SUPER annoying with my Accord and I brought it in a few times; they sanded the pads but it never went away. On top of that is the last second "shift" that happens at about 3km/hr when breaking. The Civic is a perfectly smooth breaking experience, but my TSX does a little "gulp" just as I'm about to stop (no, it's not my foot releasing from the break).

I only have 30K on my car, and it's been happening for at least 6 months.

Have I screwed it up by driving my car hard? Is it fixable?

 

You may have warped your brake rotors if you get lots of pulses when stopping. Any good brake shop can either turn the rotors or replace them and the pads to solve the problem. Turning or refinishing is usually a much cheaper option.

 

Thx for the reply.

How would I have warped them? Is it from breaking too hard, too much, too...?

Shouldn't warranty cover my breaks if they're warping so soon?

 

Warped rotors is because of poor quality rotors, not because you're breaking too much, or too hard. If you track the car, that can cause some rotor issues, but you don't seem like you're hitting the track on the weekends. Acura rotors and pads are cheap and crappy. Many people hate them, welcome to the club.
You may have pad deposits on your rotors and just need to rebed them. Try that and see if it helps.
They're considered wear and tear items and aren't warranty covered.

 

One other item to watch is wheel lug nut torque. If the lug nuts are over-torqued, the rotors can be distorted. I believe the spec is about 100 ft-lbs. If the lug nuts are not evenly tightened, the rotors can also be distorted - resulting in uneven braking feel. I think (all) car manufacturers have reduced the weight of the rotors and this make them more susceptible to distortion - it's cheaper for the manufacturer too.

 

This would be true if the TSX had rotors with the wheel studs pressed into them (more typical on American cars), but the Hondas have rotors that are independent of the hub (that does hold the wheel studs). Oh and thank you: to Break: to snap in half, drop on the floor, etc. A Brake: the thing that stops the car.

 

Warping can occur from heavy use which is something that is more common on the track. I have had it happen even when I have not tracked the car. My theory is hard use and weather. You may be able to get a dealership to cover it with low mileage as others here have, but it usually is not covered under warranty.