Just made a horrible discovery!
#1
01 CLS
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Just made a horrible discovery!
I was on a "private track" the other day to do one top speed run and full stop from 200KM/H, Oh my god!! I knew the CLS doesn't have to best brakes in the world but these things didn't even last 5 secs before they weren't doing anything. Scared the crap out of me!! In fact I'll go as far as saying these are probably the worst brakes I've tried in a "sport luxury car" My last 2 cars were from German Manufactures and these things would stop on a dime! Forget about cross-drilled or even slotted rotors. The only way to improve CLS braking is a big rotor kit! I can't understand for the life of me why Acura would make a car with impresssive numbers only to flaw it by giving it bloody civic brakes!
Sorry for the rant but I'm really dissappointed with the braking performance, gonna check out the brake kits just for safety sake!
Sorry for the rant but I'm really dissappointed with the braking performance, gonna check out the brake kits just for safety sake!
#4
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Yeah even with the slotted rotors, good ceramic pads, SS brake lines & good fluid, I've induced serious brake fade stopping from 125 to 60-65. Try that a few times back to back & the CL doesn't want to stop anymore. It is scary when your foot is to the floor on the brake pedal & the car doesn't slow down
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Originally Posted by fuzzy02CLS
Yeah even with the slotted rotors, good ceramic pads, SS brake lines & good fluid, I've induced serious brake fade stopping from 125 to 60-65. Try that a few times back to back & the CL doesn't want to stop anymore. It is scary when your foot is to the floor on the brake pedal & the car doesn't slow down
#6
I agree the brakes are terrible. Someone in engineering should have said hmmm 3500 lbs. and a 260 HP engine we need some serious brakes to stop this heavy fast thing. 1 piston on this car is a joke.
#7
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The only company to currently offer front and rear kits AFAIK is ROTORA. Most guys just do the front kit since that is where the majority of the braking is done and they feel this is sufficient. Most aftermarket BBK's have a 4 piston caliper w/ SS brake lines, pads, enlarged 13" rotor that is slotted or drilled or both, and then the option of a 1 or 2 piece rotor.
If you need a ROTORA BBK let me know.
If you need a ROTORA BBK let me know.
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#8
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I agree. I've test driven a few CL-S's and the brakes do not impress me one bit. Maybe upgraded pads and steel braided lines to stiffen the pedal and maybe even SuperBlu Fluid could help it a little?!?!
#9
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I think Acura really messed up with the brake department on the CLS. If you are going to build a car with these kind of hp numbers you'd better make sure the car will stop safely. tisk tisk on Acura! In fact my mates 05 TL has the exact same problem, my god man....fix the freakin brakes!! Hopefully someone at Acura's RD is reading this.
#10
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Indeed, I just experienced fade and the clunkclunkclunk the other day in the CLS. I had the same problem in my 5AT 04TL, drove the car a year or less and had the brakes redone once and remachined once or twice. Although this mostly occurs at higher speeds and more intense braking, this is when you need the brakes the most.
#11
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brakes AND Handling, are really bad in the CL, Horsepower (at least back in 2001), interior, bang for buck and comfort are the strong points. This car is def not for autocrossing, just for cruising in comfort with bursts of acceleration. Almost like a modern day Mark VIII grand touring vehicle.
#12
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Originally Posted by NightRider
Indeed, I just experienced fade and the clunkclunkclunk the other day in the CLS. I had the same problem in my 5AT 04TL, drove the car a year or less and had the brakes redone once and remachined once or twice. Although this mostly occurs at higher speeds and more intense braking, this is when you need the brakes the most.
Do the 04+ TL 6MT's have a different front brake setup then 5AT? If so I wonder if they have issues too?
#13
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Originally Posted by Dutch_RENAMED
yes! my mates 05 TL has already been back to the dealer for rotors and pads all the way round due to warping. I guess Acura is aware of the issue because they had no problem doing the repair under warranty. And to imagine the car is barely over a year old and has already had a full brake job...and my mate drives his TL like a grandma. Hopefully the new rotors will stay straight!
Do the 04+ TL 6MT's have a different front brake setup then 5AT? If so I wonder if they have issues too?
Do the 04+ TL 6MT's have a different front brake setup then 5AT? If so I wonder if they have issues too?
#14
I gotta schedule to get my rotors replaced myself. Car vibrates like mad under moderate braking and I am pretty conservative when decelerating because I downshift to slow my car down to conserve brake pads.
#15
Alright apparently the rotors being warped are considered "wear and tear" from what the Bridgewater Acura dealer told me. I got my car Certified and I bought the 100k Bumper to Bumper warranty on top of the Acura Certified Drivetrain warranty. Anyone chime in?
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This was defineitly the first thing i noticed about this car. The first time i got past 100 and tried to slow down i realized it, these brakes suck. What do you guys think about upgrading to the NSX calipers? This could be a cheapers fix with some slotted rotors.
#17
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Originally Posted by JBlueCLS6
Alright apparently the rotors being warped are considered "wear and tear" from what the Bridgewater Acura dealer told me. I got my car Certified and I bought the 100k Bumper to Bumper warranty on top of the Acura Certified Drivetrain warranty. Anyone chime in?
#18
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That sucks. The brakes in the CL are horrible. I would definately look into a BBK. I saw a big difference just swapping the calipers on my CL to the NSX calipers and getting stainless steel brakelines and slotted Rotora rotors. By the way, those NSX calipers are now for sale.... :wink: :wink: :wink:
#20
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Originally Posted by GreenMonster
Yep, the CL is more of a Contempory Luxury Touring vehicle... wasn't really meant to be a racer...
Not to mention that the weight of this car is always going to make it difficult to stop when it's "flying."
#23
Tristate ViP Crew
It aint like it's something new, the first thing I did when I bought my car was tell the dealer to change the rotors and pads. 6 months later they need to be replaced again
#24
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Originally Posted by GreenMonster
Yep, the CL is more of a Contempory Luxury Touring vehicle... wasn't really meant to be a racer...
#25
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Originally Posted by CL Platano
It aint like it's something new, the first thing I did when I bought my car was tell the dealer to change the rotors and pads. 6 months later they need to be replaced again
Definately worth getting those if you don't care to keep replacing stock rotors.
#27
says "hello to my TLX".
that Buick has the same deal as the CL where it is heavy as heck and momentum has got it going hard against bad brakes. except that the Special had/has more in the go department.
#29
ive got the TL which im sure weighs more than a CL. to slow from speed.. downshift..within reason of gears/speed and sway left to right to shorten stop as well... always works for me.
#30
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Originally Posted by Tein2G
ive got the TL which im sure weighs more than a CL. to slow from speed.. downshift..within reason of gears/speed and sway left to right to shorten stop as well... always works for me.
#31
silly... no.. they do it at professional races to limit speed without using the brakes and to keep other cars back. it doesnt shift weight too much as long as your car sits low. mine is lowered 2 inches in front and 1 1/2 in rear. dead straight means longer stopping distance.
#32
Suzuka Master
Originally Posted by Tein2G
silly... no.. they do it at professional races to limit speed without using the brakes and to keep other cars back. it doesnt shift weight too much as long as your car sits low. mine is lowered 2 inches in front and 1 1/2 in rear. dead straight means longer stopping distance.
This would also be very dangerous to do on a road as you do not have a lot of room in a lane to do this and you run the risk of spinning out if your not careful. A tires grip is lessened when performing multiple tasks at once, so doing so will give you less braking grip.
#34
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Originally Posted by Tein2G
ive got the TL which im sure weighs more than a CL.
Originally Posted by Tein2G
to slow from speed.. downshift..within reason of gears/speed and sway left to right to shorten stop as well... always works for me.
#35
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since you guys are talking about brakes, yesterday my car starting making noise from the rear, everytime i brake it makes like a scratching noise and sometimes when i dont brake it still makes tha noise. plus when i reverse it sounds even louder. do i need new brakes?
#36
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Originally Posted by RTizzo
since you guys are talking about brakes, yesterday my car starting making noise from the rear, everytime i brake it makes like a scratching noise and sometimes when i dont brake it still makes tha noise. plus when i reverse it sounds even louder. do i need new brakes?
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Originally Posted by Tein2G
btw, sweet CL RTizzo.
#40
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Look into Wagner Pads...This is my second set and they are doing pretty good. Also if you do them yourself look for a gell that you can apply to the back of the pads so they dont squeek. It has like a red color and turns into a rubbery compound once it dries. Its pretty good and looks cool too I think...
Oh yea do them yourself...the hardest part is taking off the wheel and putting it back on
Oh yea do them yourself...the hardest part is taking off the wheel and putting it back on