My front brake-pads are almost gone - how much does it cost to replace brake pads at an acura dealer?

I tried to find the answer to this on the threads, but could not so I am posting here, thanks guys!

 

local labor rates vary so call your local private shops and dealer for info

 

My shop's rate is $95.00 per hour. This is a fairly simple task to do it yourself. There's several topics currently open about it.

 

5AT or 6MT?

There can be a substiantial difference.

 

If it's a MT I just paid $590 for front pads and rotors (brembo), that's just for the parts, i did the install myself.

 

I paid $250 for a front brake job on my 03 MDX, I think labor is $95 an hour where I live. Can't speak for my TL, only has 1400 miles, but considering it has 17 inch wheels like the MDX, cost might be about that rate?

 

I paid $176 for front pads and resurface the rotors.

 

Please specify whether your TL is 5AT or 6MT.

We all know by now there could be a substantial price difference.

 

Curry Acura in Scarsdale, NY told me it would be about $310 to replace the front brakes on my 5AT.

 

so they are charging you 2+ hours for labor

the front pads cost a total of 42 bucks for both sides

 

Typically pads for just the front will be $25-$35. You don't need the lifetime warranty super plus editions. They are the same thing and in order to exchange them you have to wear them down almost completely. I usually don't get the cheapest but not the most expensive. Somewhere in the middle.

Most parts stores turn rotors. A local shop near me will do $5 a rotor.

 

I went to get my car inspected on Saturday when he told me my brakes need to be replaced soon (41,000 miles). I told him I was going to get the brakes done elsewhere. Then I asked him how much it would cost. He said about $310 to replace the pads, resurface the rotors, etc. I just told him no thank you.

 

Wow, I heard the 6MT has brembos and you must replace the rotors and pads together ($1000). Is that true?

 

Holy crap, that's a lot of money! As long as the rotors aren't warped, you don't need to resurface them. And pads such as Hawk, EBC, et al are way cheaper than what the dealers want for the Brembo pads.

There's a really good DIY written by deandorsey, I believe, that has step by step instructions with pictures. It had helped me with my 6MT brake job and it was VERY easy to replace . . . and I'm a noob to brake jobs!

 

Yeah, I almost never replace or even turn rotors during brake jobs, lol. Just slap on some new pads, usually takes about a half hour for everything if it's the standard pad swap. I'm hoping its' like that for the TL.

Here's that thread, btw:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119423

 

This thread has some horrible information. The parts for the 6mt's brembos are not 500+ dollars. If you go to AcuraOEMParts.com, the pads cost $140 and the rotors cost $135 each. Make sure you get the updated pads that come on the 07 that are supposed to reduce brake squeal. There is also a special brembo brake grease that Acuras service bulletin TSB 05-013 recomends instead of Molykote M77 to get rid of squeal. One tube costs around $35...

PS: You absolutely DO NOT have to replace the rotors every time you replace the pads. It is however manditory to resurface the rotors every time the pads are replaced. To do it properly requires an "on-car" brake lathe that you will require a professional shop like Acura to do. This means you will probably have to take it to them to get the work done. To avoid their outrageous labor costs, simply purchase two new rotors and install everything yourself...

 

Prior to your post, I think I've been the only one pushing this concept in other threads discussing brakes. Few here realize the importance of resurfacing the rotors on the car. That way, the new surface is perfectly aligned with the vehicle's front suspension and wheel spindle. All Honda and Acura dealers do brakes this way and it's THE ONLY reason I have my brakes done at the dealer.
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This is absolutely not necessary. If this was true anyone installing new rotors would have to put them on the car and have them machined before they use them.

 

So $135 x 4 = $540 + $140 = $680? That's better?

 

How long do Brembos usually last? I'm a conservative drive and have 29K on my 05 TL 6mt.

 

Actually it's $135 x 2 but my cart says $443 + tax so you're looking at around $470

 

You only need two front rotors (not 4).

Basically it's a toss-up. Doing it yourself will require purchasing new rotors. This will cost the same as having a professional do a break job, but only resurface the old rotors. The bonus of doing it yourself is that you get thicker fresh rotors with more heat capacity.

Now what bmaczo6 said really intrigues me. I would like to know if anybody can explain how cutting a used rotor off the car is any different than the manufacturer cutting a new rotor before putting in the box...

 

I just thought I would add the link to the TSB about the updated brembo brake pads. It shows the part numbers for the pads and the special Brembo grease, as well as the old pads part number that is being replaced...

http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SB/B04-019.PDF

 

Wait OK so theres some conflict here, some people are saying its manditory to resurface rotors others are saying its not? So what if you dont resurface the rotors? Does it cause any problems? Angelo you say you just slap the pads on, do you experience any problems? My brakes are screeching like crazy and I really need to replace them. I have no experience workin on cars but brake job doesnt seem that hard. Dealer asking $300, way too much for me. I heard you need a torque wrench true? Also do yo have to rebuild calipers, check brake fluid? Anythign else besides putting pads on and (maybe) resurface rotors?

 

I've almost always turned/machined the rotors; I've heard that you don't need to if the rotors are evenly worn and not deeply grooved.
You probably won't need to do anything to the calipers (only reason to rebuild is if they are binding or leaking).
After changing the pads, you will need to bleed the brakes, which takes a bleed kit or a friend to help apply the brake pedal while you're opening and shutting the bleed valves. You should also change out all the brake fluid every 30K miles or 3 years of service.
Check the shop manual for the proper steps if they aren't posted in the 3G Garage.

 

I should probably change my brake fluid then, I'm at 32k miles now. I've never heard of brake bleeding before Ill have to look that up. Thanks for your input, one more question. Will it be ok if I go get my rotors resurface at a shop and drive it home with old brakes and then change out the pads?

 

I've never resurfaced the rotors while they are on the car. I've always taken them to a machine shop. It is absolutely not mandatory to do it on the car. If it was, it would say that in the Service Manuals.

I've been lazy the last several years, and haven't even bothered resurfacing the rotors, and I still haven't experienced any problems. I've changed the pads about 3 times on the same rotors on my other car, and I still don't have any problems with noise/performance/etc.

You don't need to bleed the brakes, unless you disconnect the brake lines, but that is not necessary to do a brake job. It even notes this in the service manuals. Some people say to loosen the bleed valve as you push the piston back, but the service manual doesn't say to do that. It even notes that fluid will go back into the resevoir, and to be careful not to spill any.

That aside tho, it is still a good idea to flush your brake fluid every once in a while. Normally after I do a brake job, if I don't flush the lines, I'll atleast suck all the fluid out of the resevoir with a hand-pump, and replace the fluid with new fluid.

 

Just got my brakes done at the dealer. I have an '04 5MT. FIRST TIME AT 38,8 MILES ON IT. Here's the breakdown......

REPLACE FRONT BRAKE PADS,
RESURFACED BOTH FRONT BRAKE ROTORS.....$263.20

PAD SET......$54.89

TOTAL......$318.09 + TAX.

ALSO, my battery had alot of build up on the terminal and it turns out that the battery was no good. It was out of the 3 year warranty so, NEW battery as well.

NEW BATTERY....$85.

LABOR.....$50.

GRAND TOTAL IN ONE DAY.....$478. w/tax!! OUCH!

 

They charged you $50 for labor to replace the battery.

 

what is the price range dealers charge to resurface Brembo rotors, labor to replace front brake set, and parts?

 

You are correct that the manual does not mention resurfacing the rotors when replacing the pads.

It does however say to always check the rotors for proper run-out and parallelism (especially on the 6MT). If the rotors are out of spec, it does say to have them cut. At this point the manual clearly states that anytime the rotors are to be resurfaced it should only be done with an "on-car" brake lathe. For whatever reason, they feel it's important to have the rotor specifically held against the cars hub by all it's lug-holes whenever cutting.

For reference check the following links:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118283
http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SB/B04-019.PDF

 

I've never had an issue with this, in any of my cars. The first car I drove was a '76 Ford Granada that had grooves worn in the rotors from the pads being worn down so far that the rivets cut into them. Sure it's recommended to resurface/replace them, but it's cheaper, easier, and quicker to just throw some new pads on.

That's an extreme case and I had no issues.
I'm sure after around 75k or so it's a good idea to replace the rotors, but I've never needed to. Might result in a minor loss of performance but not enough that I've noticed. Besides, the 6mt has bigger brakes anyway, right?