ChinozTL

Just wondering when the brake pads wear out approximately. I have 17,000miles on the car right now and the brakes dont seem to hit as good anymore and the steering shakes alot when braking hard.

pianoman41

The shaking of the steering wheel when braking is a sure sign of warped rotors. The pads may or may not also need replacing depending on how you drive. I've seen people need new front pads at 20,000 miles (especially if they autocross or take it to the track), and some can get upwards of 50-60,000 miles on front pads. Your pads have an audible sensor that tells you when the pads are worn to the point they need replacing. If you hear a faint audible metal scraping sound when you are driving and *not* pressing the brake, then you need new pads. Scraping sounds when applying the brake pedal can be something entirely different.

First things first though. It definitely sounds like you need your rotors turned, which will get rid of the shaking. And it can be covered under warranty. I, like many others on this forum, had my rotors turned under warranty. Mine was on my '02 TL-S at 14,000 miles. Some have had higher mileage than you and also had the service done under warranty. Just ask nicely at the dealership.

carswell

hello...

i have a 1 year old TL...the steering wheel shakes when I brake at fast speeds...what causes warped rotors? wear and tear?

i thought the shaking was due to bumpy roads...sometimes, the shaking is less severe...

thanks

Severin

HEAT. Heat warps rotors. Warped rotors have been problematic on all the new TL's. I had my rotors turned at 20K, and again at 40K; both times for FREE by the dealer (the second time was tough).
There is a TSB that tells the dealer to change to a different new factory pad and turn the rotors; push this on them.

To lessen the chance of warping your rotors don't ride your brakes down hills and don't use them hard at highway speeds; don't wash your wheels when your car has just been driven and don't drive through flooded roadways..

TLover8888

when you hit the car in front of you

t-rd

Heat is the secondary factor, the first factor is uneven cooling, not heat. Rotors can get very hot and yet stay true flat as long as even cooling is applied afterwards. Of course, if you brake hard suddenly, it causes excessive heat; then you come to a stop with your caliper clamped on a part of the rotor. The part of the rotor that's clamped doesn't get cooled, while the other surface area gets cooled. Other factors:
- get a car wash after a hot day, long drive
- spray water directly onto hot rotors after driving
- run into a pool of water in bad weather condition and rotors get cooled too fast

To almost 95% eliminate the chance of rotor warpping, you need to cryogenically treat the rotors. There are places that offer this service.