palette

96000K bought at used car dealer, who replaced front wheel pads only with ceramic aftermarkets, without replacing rotors. Claims to have cut rotors and can't cut any more. Dealer offers no remedy. Acura dealership (where I had bought my '96) offered free five point inspection. Told them of this Whoosh (a winding down noise when braking for a stop). They said all rotors need recutting and had enough metal to do that. Dealer says no safety issue is involved with things as they are. Priced replacement for all four wheels at $600. Don't know who to believe.
All tires are new Fuzions.
Not eager to spend $600 more. Should I wait until pads and rotors really need replacing ,or is this braking Whoosh a symptom to worry about? What if anything is getting worn out? Should rotors always be replaced when pads are? I am not car-savvy, just love RLs.
Many thanks!

jaMezBOI

iTrader: (3)

When it comes to your brakes dont go cheap.

IMO, if your brakes need to be replaced or will need to be replaced in the next 2000 miles, id say dont spend the $600 towards getting them machined, and just get a whole new pair of pads and rotors.

You wont regret it.

Edward'TLS

Could be the tires causing the noise.

High performance (HP) tires tend to be noisy. The OEM all-season touring tires are the quietest.

I was using HP summer Michelin Pilot Sport before, and whenever I braked to a stop, there was always this loud roaring road noise winding down in volume as the speed dropped.

The current HP summer BridgeStone RE-01R were quiet when new, but are also starting to generating the same roaring road noise when coming to a stop, after the tires have worn down a bit.

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

^ I had tire noise to with my old Michelin Pilot Sports. It sounded like there was a band of tape around my tires and they were peeling off the road. I've replaced them with all seasons and they're a lot quieter.

jaMezBOI

iTrader: (3)

If the sound was coming from the tires it would occur while driving/accelerating. If the sound only occurs while he is braking, it is his brakes.

FirePR2002

^^not true.

jaMezBOI

iTrader: (3)

What's another explanation for the sound to occur only when he is braking?

Even when I switched to my small sidewall, the tires were a little bit louder compared to stock but they did not make a "Whoooosh" sound when braking. If the tires are louder than normal only when braking, unless they are flat, they will not make a louder sound.

hANDYcaptd

iTrader: (5)

High performance tires are stickier. Weight transfered to the front tires under braking make them noisier than normal driving.

Edward'TLS

I don't know about his case, but in my case, the roaring noise only happens during deceleration but never in acceleration.

Why I know it's not the brake is because the "roaring noise during slowing down" disappears after I have switched to my winter tires. Two different brands of winter tires : Pirelli Winter 210 and Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3.

Even though both sets of my winter tires make noise on wet roads and painted pavements, they never make noise during braking to a stop.

jaMezBOI

iTrader: (3)

My mistake for false imformation.

palette

Thank you, everyone. I posted also on the Tires, Wheels, Forum because I didn't know what category my question fit. This forum is giving me the most replies.

My tires are FUZION HRi: Here's the description:
"High Performance All Season Radial
The Fuzion HRi is Bridgestone/Firestone Corporation's follow up to the highly successful Fuzion ZRi. It is a high performance, all season radial aimed squarely at the sport coupe and sedan market."

The other tires I considered were the Bridgestone Turanza with Serenity Technology tires "Bridgestone's Grand Touring All-Season tires" because in other forums I found many good reviews of them for the RL. And a very quiet ride matters to me. But the Fuzions were cheaper and had good weather tractions. I"m in New England. I can still return the Fuzions.

For those who think it's the the pads and rotors, please advise which combinations of the two are the most reliable for a 2001 RL. Some posters have slammed the OEMs for these parts, so I don't know what to think!