I have changed brakes pad and rotors three times

Tiny
MARK WHALEY
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO
  • 186,000 MILES
In one and a half year. Can you tell what is going on with my car? The brakes pad on the front keeps wearing down.
Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 7:00 AM

17 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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Where are you getting the brakes from?Also what brand and model are they?Have you checked for sticking calipers and caliper pins?
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Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 7:05 AM
Tiny
MARK WHALEY
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I got the parts from auto zone and I also change the caliper on one side.
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Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 7:22 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Are the brake pads warping the rotors?Also which pads are they the gold etc?I would never use those pads they tear up rotors if you use the higher end ones. If you use the cheaper ones they wear out really quick.I recomend using some wagner perfect stops or thermo quiets. Also the centric quiet stops I really like.
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Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 7:47 AM
Tiny
MARK WHALEY
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Where do I get them from?
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Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 8:50 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Auto zone only carrys there brand pads you can try oriellys advance auto iam not sure what auto parts stores are by you. Amazon also carrys the pads.
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Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 5:07 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Hi guys. Are the pads wearing out rapidly but evenly on both front wheels or always on just one corner? If one corner looks like new, I have the cause and fix.
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+1
Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 7:39 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Those auto zone brake pads are bad news my pastor at my church has a 2007 chrysler mini van put on new rotors and auto zone brake pads 5 months later his rotors were warped real bad unturnable. Replaced the pads wih some wagner brakes pads rotors over a 1yr later no issues. Those pads chewed up the rotors.
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Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 9:05 PM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
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I think the issue you're referring to happens with the hybrid Ceramics that they are all selling around $30. They cannot be used on trucks or they will warp rotors. They work pretty good elsewhere.
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Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 9:10 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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I have a friend that works for autozone been there like 15yrs said those pads do that all the time and its pretty common.I have seen it happen on cars with the semi metelic pads also.
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Friday, February 17th, 2012 AT 9:19 PM
Tiny
MARK WHALEY
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Yes on my Alero the brakes is wearing out on the driver side. That is the side that I replaced the caliber.
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Monday, February 20th, 2012 AT 3:57 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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If you find brake fluid won't flow from one front caliper's opened bleeder screw, (the one that's not wearing the pads), and that tire won't skid on a dirt road, here's a copy / paste version of the reply I post quite often:

On GM vehicles with the step bore master cylinder, imagine a teeter totter that is level, but if it moves one way, it will block the ports for two wheels. The teeter totter moves when one hydraulic circuit builds pressure and the other one doesn't due to a leak or from pedal-bleeding the system. As soon as the pedal is pressed while a bleeder screw is open, the teeter totter moves to block the ports for one front brake and the opposite rear brake. No fluid can be forced out of those two bleeders.

If the system is left like this, one front brake will wear out very quickly and the other side will look like new. People usually ask for advice when they run into worn pads on one wheel for the second or third time. The car will usually not have a brake pull because alignment angles are modified to accommodate loss of one hydraulic circuit on the split-diagonal systems.

The only way I ever found to reset the valve in the master cylinder, (that teeter totter), was to give a quick, short burst of compressed air to one of the bleeder screws that isn't flowing. Don't use so much air that it makes its way up to the master cylinder. A fraction of a second is sufficient. After that, just let it gravity bleed.

The same problem can happen even when the hydraulic system wasn't opened. After installing new front pads, the pistons must be worked out until the pads contact the rotors. One piston will always move first, then, once contact is made with the rotor, pressure will start to build up. That will trip the valve at which point the other piston will never move. Once the burst of air is given and the line gravity bleeds, pressing the pedal no more than half way to the floor will prevent the valve from tripping again.

This same master cylinder can be used with the factory "add-on" ABS system that is bolted directly to the ports of the master cylinder.

Even with normal master cylinders, you should never press the brake pedal more than half way to the floor when pedal bleeding. The lip seals will be torn on the debris and corrosion that build up in the lower half of the bores where they don't normally travel.
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Monday, February 20th, 2012 AT 4:14 AM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
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You might want to just replace the flex hose at that wheel. They cause this often.
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Monday, February 20th, 2012 AT 10:41 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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That's a common problem on a lot of Chrysler models with the metal bracket holding the middle of the hose. Rust buildup inside the crimp constricts the hose but usually that brake won't release. Opening the bracket's crimp just a little with a large pliers solves that. I never saw that bracket used on a GM product, but it's true there could be some other restriction in the hose.
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Monday, February 20th, 2012 AT 11:30 AM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
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Flex hoses rupture and swell internally all the time on all makes and models.
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Monday, February 20th, 2012 AT 11:34 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Can't argue with that. I've just never run into it so far. Could have something to do with the stupidly excessive use of road salt up here. Brake hoses, ... Heck, most cars don't last long enough probably to develop those problems.
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Monday, February 20th, 2012 AT 9:09 PM
Tiny
MARK WHALEY
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  • 5 POSTS
Thanks a lot guys for helping me out. Now I need to know how to change the oil service light once I changed oil in that same car. 2004 olds Alero
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Friday, February 24th, 2012 AT 6:30 AM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
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Turn the key on and hit the throttle all the way to the floor and back 3 times within 5 seconds of turning the key on.
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Friday, February 24th, 2012 AT 10:45 AM

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