I recently purchased a 2002 tls and noticed the brakes feel soft, mushy and some what unresponsive initially. Does any one else have this problem?????

 

I have the same problem. It seems like I have to press the brake pad down about an inch before I get any response. I'm going to have this checked.



<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by Steveb on May 05, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

Same here...

 

The TL-S does nt overboost its power brakes. Boost is not an indicator of braking power, but can give that impression.

Acura (Honda) tends to go the way of valuing progression in brakes. That is, as you press harder, the brakes linearly increase stopping power, as opposed to an initial extra boost.

Progressive braking is esteemed in racing venues because it gives the driver a very good feel for braking.

The TL-S has different pad material, and does seem to want to be "heated" a but before it grabs real well.

In a panic stop, the pad material heats instantly, so I think this is more a perceptual than a functional issue.

 

If you want to feel soft brakes go drive a Subaru Outback. We have one and pedal feels like it is going to it the floor board before the brakes grab. When i drive the Outback after the TL-S I have a major adjustment

 

My brakes felt kind of mushy for the first 200 miles. Now that I have about 700 miles on the car the feel and effectiveness has improved tremendously.

 

Thats some BS because, we have both the 2000 TL and the RL, and the freakin RL ill tell you, would GRAB instantly when your feet just barely touches the brake pedeal...like almost toooo much...so I think its just a design flaw...if you dont believe me, just go test drive an RL...

 

Note the subtle use of the word "tends" my friend - I never said all. BS as adjective tends to suggest that the writer either has no technical grasp of the subject or is lying to achieve a desired end - I assure you, that does not apply to me.

Luxury cars often have overboost just to give the perception you noted. This is fine for cars that are seldomly driven hard - it is never good for cars driven on the track or in high-perf street use. And it is not an indicatoir of ultimate brake performance, If it were, the RL would stop in a shorter distance than the RL, and be more resistant to fade. Based on what I have seen, it does neither.

 

My braking seems to be improved also. Brake/Tire is just like the engine, they need to be broken-in, too. However, I have to admit that TL-S' braking power is a bit weak, for so much HP....

Andy Kuo

------------------
'92 Mercedes-Benz 400SE
Pearl Grey/Black

'02 Acura TL-S
Satin Silver/Ebony, w/out NAV

Mercedes-Benz S-Class