Constant Rotor issues, help please
aka FlamedAccord
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Tucson, AZ
When I had my 95 Accord which was fully customized...I had the same problem. I drove on a mountainous highway in so cali called angeles crest highway 3 days a week. After about a month of doing this my rotors would warp. So i bought aftermarket cross-drilled and slotted rotors with the pads that they recommend to use with the rotors. I sold the car before i had any warping to the rotors and that was 8 months after installing the new stuff. What was said above that cross drilled are for racers or show only is only half true. I would highly recommend you do this I feel you will be greatly satisfied.
Chidori-chan :love:
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,177
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From: So Cal
Originally Posted by as_merrill
When I had my 95 Accord which was fully customized...I had the same problem. I drove on a mountainous highway in so cali called angeles crest highway 3 days a week. After about a month of doing this my rotors would warp. So i bought aftermarket cross-drilled and slotted rotors with the pads that they recommend to use with the rotors. I sold the car before i had any warping to the rotors and that was 8 months after installing the new stuff. What was said above that cross drilled are for racers or show only is only half true. I would highly recommend you do this I feel you will be greatly satisfied.
aka FlamedAccord
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Tucson, AZ
Like I said, I would haul ass through the mountains and I never had mine crack. It may also depend on the maker of the rotors. Basically you have to do some researching to find exactly what you are looking for. And try to find a site where there are hardly any biased opinions such as here, you may just get the run around (i.e. this thread) :rofl:
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 54
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From: Denver, CO
Thanks for the insight. I am bringing my car to a brake specialty place today, just to get a third opinion on what is going on. It's free, but of course they may find something. I think with my 65 mile one way commute on Interstate 25 everyday is causing the problem. I think somehow the pads are not releasing and building up heat as I drive. I new about the hot spot theory after slowing down and since I have a 5 spd, I normally slow down, coast a few feet and then let the car sit at the light without any brakes on. I also had a very open wheel style, but that didn't dissapate heat either. So something is heating these things up. I suspect either dragging, poor equalization between front and rear, bad master cylinder, or just plain ol shitty Raybestos brake parts. After my appt today, I wil update my info to share with all who may be having similar issues with their 4th Gen.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 54
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From: Denver, CO
Update. I took my car to Brakes Plus on a recommendation from several people. I am happy to report that after a extremely thorough inspection, they discovered several issues.
1. Even though Pep Boys changed my calipers out, they did not replace the internal bushings and other hardware that goes in the calipers to allow the pads to slide in and out. So, new calipers, but still had pads sticking...damn. This happened on both fronts. So, I got words for them.
2. The calipers were still sticking causing my rotors to heat up on my commute and that explains the warping. My new Raybestos pads (3 months old) were completely burned down to about 1/4 life.
3. I was able to get the pads refunded from Pep Boys, but they told me I had to eat the labor. So, I am not satisfied with that and will be speaking with the service manager asap, whenever he gets to work. Had to speak with an assistant because it was late.
4. So, I got new (non Raybestos) brake pads with lifetime warranty from Brakes Plus, existing rotors were still in good enough shape for a cut so they turned all four rotors on the car with a on-the-car lathe, complete brake flush, fixed the sticking calipers with new hardware, retorqued wheels at 80lbs.
All for around $300 for front and rear. I am good with cars, but brakes is something I am not really comfortable with, at least right now. Plus, I don't have alot of free time to do long brakejobs. This tech was really good and to diagnose all my issues and fix took about 3 hours.
4. Bottom line. Car runs 110% better. The brakes were even sticking while accelerating. Now with the brakes free and clear, I noticed much improved acceleration and no more vibration while driving. The car was even vibrating while driving without the brakes because the pads were hitting all 4 warped rotors. I think my issue is licked. What pisses me off is the fact that Pep Boys answer to all these problems was to constantly turn the rotors. In the past year, my car has been back there 8 times. Unacceptable. Not all PepBoys are the same, but this one will not see my car for any service ever again. It's been about a day since I had the fix done, but I am hopeful that the problem has been solved. This email is long so I can try to add some input for other people having the same issues as me on my 4th Gen and frankly any older Honda Accords.
Thanks for all your replies.
1. Even though Pep Boys changed my calipers out, they did not replace the internal bushings and other hardware that goes in the calipers to allow the pads to slide in and out. So, new calipers, but still had pads sticking...damn. This happened on both fronts. So, I got words for them.
2. The calipers were still sticking causing my rotors to heat up on my commute and that explains the warping. My new Raybestos pads (3 months old) were completely burned down to about 1/4 life.
3. I was able to get the pads refunded from Pep Boys, but they told me I had to eat the labor. So, I am not satisfied with that and will be speaking with the service manager asap, whenever he gets to work. Had to speak with an assistant because it was late.
4. So, I got new (non Raybestos) brake pads with lifetime warranty from Brakes Plus, existing rotors were still in good enough shape for a cut so they turned all four rotors on the car with a on-the-car lathe, complete brake flush, fixed the sticking calipers with new hardware, retorqued wheels at 80lbs.
All for around $300 for front and rear. I am good with cars, but brakes is something I am not really comfortable with, at least right now. Plus, I don't have alot of free time to do long brakejobs. This tech was really good and to diagnose all my issues and fix took about 3 hours.
4. Bottom line. Car runs 110% better. The brakes were even sticking while accelerating. Now with the brakes free and clear, I noticed much improved acceleration and no more vibration while driving. The car was even vibrating while driving without the brakes because the pads were hitting all 4 warped rotors. I think my issue is licked. What pisses me off is the fact that Pep Boys answer to all these problems was to constantly turn the rotors. In the past year, my car has been back there 8 times. Unacceptable. Not all PepBoys are the same, but this one will not see my car for any service ever again. It's been about a day since I had the fix done, but I am hopeful that the problem has been solved. This email is long so I can try to add some input for other people having the same issues as me on my 4th Gen and frankly any older Honda Accords.
Thanks for all your replies.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 253
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From: Southeast Iowa
Originally Posted by sibiryk
Here is a theory that I heard.
When a car stops and driver keeps holding a brake pedal, hot a brake pad sits on a same spot of a disc. This cause unequal cooling for disc and as a result it gets wrapped.
To avoid this after a complete stop just let a car move very slowly at least for couple feet. So I resurfaced discs on my and my wife's cars and I started to apply this theory in my driving. In result, my discs were fine and discs on my wife car were wrapped again. After I resurfaced discs on her car I told her to do same thing when she stops.
Since that problem is gone. I didn't replace discs. They still the same.
Of course it depends on disc's quality. If it's an aftermarket junk nothing will help.
Also, I thought that puddles might be a reason of wrapped rotors.
When a car stops and driver keeps holding a brake pedal, hot a brake pad sits on a same spot of a disc. This cause unequal cooling for disc and as a result it gets wrapped.
To avoid this after a complete stop just let a car move very slowly at least for couple feet. So I resurfaced discs on my and my wife's cars and I started to apply this theory in my driving. In result, my discs were fine and discs on my wife car were wrapped again. After I resurfaced discs on her car I told her to do same thing when she stops.
Since that problem is gone. I didn't replace discs. They still the same.
Of course it depends on disc's quality. If it's an aftermarket junk nothing will help.
Also, I thought that puddles might be a reason of wrapped rotors.
Even driving on the freeway..the constant drag will heat up the brake rotors, so when you exit the freeway and come to a complete stop and stay in one spot for more than 30 seconds... you'll warp your rotors. Always leave room (and momentum if you drive a manual) to creep forward before you come to a complete stop.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
My rear rotors will warp before my fronts and they start to drag after 25K the pads get replaced about 50K.
(I sued Honda over this and oil leak in under the lemon law.) They usually get cut once then warp again. After the new pads I notice a few mpg increase! They were last changed out at 75K. Now I was loosing MGP again 100K so it hit me Hmmm the rotors are hanging up? (went over this with the rep a few times no good) Greased everything really well this time and put in ceramic pads at 100K. The ceramics are suppose to give heat up better and maybe this will help. When the rotors warp again I'm going to slotted rotors. I think the problem is in the screwing in of the caliper piston. Once it gets so far out I think they hang there.
Don't know just my .02 cents and that ain’t worth too much.
Joe
02 Coupe V6 Auto
(I sued Honda over this and oil leak in under the lemon law.) They usually get cut once then warp again. After the new pads I notice a few mpg increase! They were last changed out at 75K. Now I was loosing MGP again 100K so it hit me Hmmm the rotors are hanging up? (went over this with the rep a few times no good) Greased everything really well this time and put in ceramic pads at 100K. The ceramics are suppose to give heat up better and maybe this will help. When the rotors warp again I'm going to slotted rotors. I think the problem is in the screwing in of the caliper piston. Once it gets so far out I think they hang there.
Don't know just my .02 cents and that ain’t worth too much.
Joe
02 Coupe V6 Auto
