[Euro] Brake fluid/pad longevity

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Originally Posted by ZEi20T

of course you can warp brake rotors. some people drive straight to 70 (or whatever ks) in traffic and hit the brakes as hard as they can. heating them up too quickly will warp them. also people that ride the brakes will overheat them and warp them. its not all that hard. i did my stock rotors on my S15 in the same way.

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Overheating the rotors does not warp them. I've tried it. I went on the track, killed my DOT4 brake fluid (turned from yellow to dark brown), glazed my pads, grooved my rotors and made them turn blue all in 1 day. I was braking from 140km/h down to 40km/h. But I didn't use the brakes when my car was stationary (I used a brick). My rotors are not warped and there is no vibration.

that blue colour is cool ay? :)

overheating rotors WILL warp them, like most cast metals - and all metals - they are affected by heat. this is why an engine block will crack if it overheats. i guess if you heat them up evenly then they should be ok.

anyway, the fact that it didnt happen to yours is a good thing. but to be safe, im machining mine before changing the brake linings. that and the fact that the surfaces are also lines

what year is your euro? maybe there WAS a rotor compound change in the years? this might be why some cars had rotors and pads changed under warranty?

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Originally Posted by ZEi20T

that blue colour is cool ay? :)

overheating rotors WILL warp them, like most cast metals - and all metals - they are affected by heat. this is why an engine block will crack if it overheats. i guess if you heat them up evenly then they should be ok.

anyway, the fact that it didnt happen to yours is a good thing. but to be safe, im machining mine before changing the brake linings. that and the fact that the surfaces are also lines

what year is your euro? maybe there WAS a rotor compound change in the years? this might be why some cars had rotors and pads changed under warranty?

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Yup, even heating is the way. The engine block/head can crack because of the coolant lines. On the coolant side, it's 90-100C, on the combustion chamber side, it's probably over 400 C.

My Euro's an 04'. So it's still the original spec without any upgrades to the brake rotor and pad materials.

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Originally Posted by aaronng

Brake rotors don't warp unless you splash water on them when they are hot.

You probably have brake deposits on your discs. Drive at the 110km/h speed limit, and when safe, brake as hard as possible down to 20km/h. Then drive back up to 110km/h and cruise for about 20 minutes without touching the brakes at all. This should remove your deposits.

Also, if you notice your brakes not working anymore after a drive in the hills, check your brake fluid. It should be a nice yellow with a slight brown tinge. If it is brown, then it is time to change it.

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.....thanks arronng, i'll try it one day. Is the brake fluid for euro normal DOT4 or something special?? I'll check brake fluid today.

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Originally Posted by my_vtec77

.....thanks arronng, i'll try it one day. Is the brake fluid for euro normal DOT4 or something special?? I'll check brake fluid today.

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read your car manual. you will get all the brake fluid specifications there. ;)

I think depending on the Rotor's construction and how its been tempered, that sometimes HEAT can warp the rotors. They just don't heat up and cool down evenly even if you do nothing wrong such as splashing them with water or resting on the brakes at the red lights or after tracking.

In fact, some aftermarket rotors crack due to construction methods and it is inevitable related to how heat is dissipated :(

So you could say heat warps the rotors although if being technical, its not the main reason. Its uneven heat. But that heat had to come from somewhere I guess :)

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Originally Posted by mastcell

read your car manual. you will get all the brake fluid specifications there. ;)

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.. oh.. i forget that. thanks.

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Originally Posted by my_vtec77

.....thanks arronng, i'll try it one day. Is the brake fluid for euro normal DOT4 or something special?? I'll check brake fluid today.

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euro comes with DOT4 break fluid

Old thread ressurrection warning:

I changed my pad yesterday to endless SS cause they started to get spongy.Low and behold my oem pads were 95%. So its not the pads. I change them anyways, and they are still spongy. The fluid is very BROWN. Im guessing it the fluid? Should I claim a warranty this??

BTW: I have some front OEM pads for sale they are approx 95%. Rears are 60%.

Of course it's the fluid. It's not covered under warranty. Doesn't cost too much to have it changed out. Under $100 I reckon, or just the cost of the fluid if you have jackstands to DIY.

I do have jackstands, but do i need them, can i just pump and bleed from each corner for a bit till it changes color or is that no good?

If your resevoir fluid is still good you can. If the resevoir fluid is black, try to suck out as much as you can from it and then top it up with fresh fluid. Then start bleeding the brakes at each corner. Start from front driver, front passenger, rear driver and rear passenger. (opposite to the older Hondas)