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Comments
it is also possible that indeed, the master cylinders are failing early, because they were rebuilt to be bargains, not to be master cylinders.
in either event, you need to see somebody else and have a thorough inspection and bid prepared. you are potentially in for a noticeable bill, and might want afterwards to take all your papers and head for small claims court. the first mechanic is missing something and is either being fooled... or is easily and frequently fooled.
In fact, considering the importance of brakes, you are well advised to get that extra opinion and take action from there.
My first place to look would be the rear drum brakes if so equipped, that's the most likely.
I got the brake pads on the rear disc brake changed as well ask the mechanic to bleed the system twice but there is still 2 inches of free play.
He is a Honda mechanic/technician. And gives excellent advice on this message board.
I think he said to have a mechanic check the length/adjustment of the master cylinder link rod (or something like this).
I definitely would have this done.
Before thinking about any of the other advice you are getting on here.
P.S. My advice - stop going to the mechanic that did this work. If you've returned several times and you still have a low brake pedal, it's time to give up on him......
Unlike this approach, Reybestos has some pictures in it's site, they classify original equipment and their rotors as composite and 3rd party manufacturers' as full cast rotors. It appears to be that they promote composite rotors. I am very puzzled. Any comment on this issue?
go away - it hasn't. I have an appointment at the dealer to get this problem rechecked but I'm afraid they are going to give me their standard, "It's probably because you didn't use Volvo parts". Additionally, I have replaced the tires since this all began so I'm pretty sure it's not a tire issue. At first I thought it might be a warped rotor except the vibration doesn't occur every time I apply the brakes. Also, when the vibration does occur I can ease off the brakes and then reapply them without the vibration occuring. When I set the appointment I made them aware that this problem was occuring even when I had Volvo brakes. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might be the problem?
Thanks.
Just a couple of things to look at
Thanks.
Having intermittent vibration due to rotor warpage is not uncommon, and just the description you provided, "When I'm braking and the vibration occurs I can let up on the brakes and then reapply them and the vibration goes away" is not unheard of. It's to complicated to discuss warped rotors being in phase or out of phase here, but the phase relationship varies constantly since the rear wheels rotate independent of each other.
Also, don't count out other factors such as a tire being out of round or worn rear suspension (shocks or struts). The dynamics at work change when braking and a smooth ride can get bumpy fast.
A sticky caliper could possibly be the cause, but usually the only result of this is uneven pad wear, i. e. the inboard pad wearing out faster than the outboard pad. This will vary with brake design. When you changed the pads did you notice any abnormal wear between the pads from the same side? Some is normal, but here again brake design has an effect. I'm not sure if your Volvo has dual piston calipers. If the problem was there before changing the pads and no abnormal wear was noticed on the pads you removed, then the calipers become less of a culprit.
The 2nd problem is with the electric door locks. this vehicle is less than 2 years old and I had both the drivers and passanger door locks replaced TWICE. Both times the dealer said the actuators went bad. Again is this normal or does the manufacture have a problem.
Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated
Thanks.
if there wasn't a trick, the cable would never stay connected. the clever part is determining the trick they are using. could be a clip, a z-bend that fits through a hole in an actuator, a bulb on the end of the cable that you slip up from the narrow end of a long hole to the wide end and pull out, screw and nuts on the end, magic airhooks, little scandihoovian elves holding the cable, or any combination of the above. there could also be cable dressing clips that hold down with screws, foldover onto a rail, or other guide gizmos involved ahead of the system.
the book leaves the informed sleuthing up to you, oh Sherlock. bloody rotten of them, right? that's part of the experience that the pros charge for. you have to make up for it by looking closely, tweaking slightly and seeing what happens to the part and surrounding parts, and figure it out.
not a bad idea to take a good close-up picture (polaroid or digital preferred for immediate access) and/or draw the linkage and disassembly steps in the margins of the manual which fuzzed the details on you.
I removed the wheel and found no leaks or other apparent problems.Any ideas?
The replacement calibers are dry. So when you hooked up the brake lines to them you have air pockets at each replaced caliber. So you have to open the little valve at the new caliber, pump the brake pedal and get the air out. Since you loose brake fluid when you do this, you have to add brake fluid to the reservoir in the master cylinder (in the engine compartment).
I know the rotors/runout problem will require a new rotor(turned once before-20K ago).
Thanks
any suggestions?
I just need to be reassured that the brakes are reliable. I guess I have become a little paranoid and scared that the same thing could happen again...and that thought gives me nightmares!
Thank you for your replies.....
Thanks.
Does anyone have any input?
Sometimes, but not always, the steering wheel vibrates when braking. It normally happens at high speeds, e.g. 60+ miles per hour. The brake pedal does not vibrate, however.
I was wondering if this might be due to the rotors being warped. I kind of understand what burdawg was saying earlier about rotors being in phase or out of phase, and I guess this may explain why the problem is intermittent.
My question is how likely is it that the rotors are warped? Also, is there a downside to driving like this - e.g. is the shaking going to get worse over time, and is the braking compromised?
Also, I've heard some Maxima owners complain that the lug nuts were too tight from the factory. This might be the cause or at least a contributing cause, if indeed the rotors are to blame. Are the brakes strictly a wear item even in this case? How easy is it to determine if the brakes are warped?
I am quite puzzled by this, as I've never had this problem. Not even on cars driven daily in heavy traffic.
always, always, check your manuals first to see what your recommended octane/fluid/maintenance is before picking any old chemical off the shelf to do it yourself. these outfits change from year to year, model to model, as to what is necessary in a particular vehicle based on the equipment in THAT car.
then when buying, insure that "Misfire Motors standard 666" or whatever is clearly listed on the label of the product. otherwise, you're playing bottle roulette with your warranty and your ride.