Monday, October 24, 2011

I drive a 2001 Ford Taurus, is all this recommended auto work necessary?

A few days ago I took my '01 Taurus into the dealership for an oil change and had asked them to check my brakes because I suspected I needed new brake pads.



After the oil change, the auto guy called me and said that my brake pads were all down to 1mm and that I may also need to replace one front rotor.

I called a few days later to get a quote for those replacements and the gal said she would type up a quote pulling the information from what was put in my file.



My jaw dropped to the floor when all of the following was included on my quote:

-Both front brake pads (expected)

-Both rear brake pads (expected)

-Front rotors (est. $198)

-Rear drums (est. $215)

-Rear shoes (est. $58)

-Wheel cylinders (est. $104)

-Hardware kit (est. $14)

-Labor estimated to be 3.8 hrs and charge of $272



Background on my car:

- 2001 Ford Taurus SES with 89,700 miles. All new tires last fall, always keep up on oil changes, all fluid levels, etc. Last fall my rear springs were replaced and I had to replace the timing belt gasket after a leak had started prior. The auto guy on the phone this week said, %26quot;everyone was impressed at how well you take care of your car. It's in perfect condition, except your brakes are low.%26quot;

There are NO leaks of brake fluid (or any fluid from beneath the hood or from the rear).



I know that sometimes rotors warp and have to be replaced, I've read that between 100,000-150,000 miles the rear drums MAY need to be replaced, and if your brake fluid is leaking, your wheel cylinders may need to be replaced.



My brake light never came on and there are no leaks. Should all of this auto work be necessary?- really? Or is the autobody trying to take me for another $940 bill?



Please HELP if you can!! I have some driving trips coming up this summer and need to get whatever fixed as soon as possible, but don't want to be charged an arm and a leg if it's not necessary.



THANK YOU in advance!!!I drive a 2001 Ford Taurus, is all this recommended auto work necessary?First and foremost, there is no way your brake pads are down to only 1mm thick so the dude is off his rocker from the get go. Not only would the brake pad lining break up well before that point (relatively brittle stuff) but the metal studs that the brake lining is sintered (manufacturing process) around to help hold it to the metal backing of the pad would have long been exposed to the rotor and your car would have been making ungodly noises every time you hit the brake as the metal studs dug into the metal rotor face which you made no mention of in your posted question so im assuming thats not the case



-Front rotors (est. $198) - maybe, but there are two easy ways to check. run your finger along the rotor and feel for grooves...grooves being present will eat the new pads up at a much faster rate than a flat surface. Another way to check is most rotors have a minimum thickness specification cast into them somewhere. You can check this with calipers or even a ruler if need be. If the rotor is too thin, there is not enough metal present to handle the massive heat generated by braking and they are much more prone to warpage

-Rear drums (est. $215) - negative. Drum brake setups dont stop as well as discs but typically last FOREVER. You could also check the drums with the groove test I mentioned earlier. I had an 88 Bronco II that I put drums/brake shoes on that lasted 150k+ miles before they needed replacing

-Rear shoes (est. $58) - same as above...should not need replacing unless you drive like you are Mario freaking Andretti

-Wheel cylinders (est. $104) - typically the only reason to replace these is because they are leaking fluid. Take a flashlight and look for leaks on the inside face of the tire and back side of the axle flange (end of the axle housing where the rotor sits) assembly. Or does a 01 Taurus have IRS? I dont remember...either way brake fluid doesnt evaporate quickly at all so more than likely you would be able to see residue or some leftover evidence of a leak if one or both are bad. If you see fluid leaking out they need replacing. If your master cylinder stays full and you arent adding fluid, chances are they are fine

-Hardware kit (est. $14) - probably the springs and such that go with the new drum shoe setup but Im not exactly sure to comment reliably on this unless i knew exactly what it is

-Labor estimated to be 3.8 hrs and charge of $272 - sounds about right...how do they sleep at night?! :)



Good luck with your choice and hope your car lasts for many more miles!I drive a 2001 Ford Taurus, is all this recommended auto work necessary?Only authorize replacement of the brake shoes, brake pads, only cut the rotors and drums, do not replace the wheel cylinders, only bleed them, do not replace the rotors unless they are indeed not true, Replace hardware kit for drums.

you can check all the intprices at http://www.autozone.com just browse like the internetI drive a 2001 Ford Taurus, is all this recommended auto work necessary?First of all look at your quote. You are not going to have rear pads and shoes, its one or the other. Your car has rear drums and shoes.

ALWAYS replace rotors in pairs, if you don't you may get braking issues due to the rotor surfaces not being the same. If the rotors are not rusted too bad they may be able to resurface them instead of replacing them.

I have seen a lot of wheel cylinders freeze up or leak. Ask them to show you why it needs to be replaced.

Always a good idea to replace the hardware kit when doing rear shoes. If you don't you take the chance of a spring rusting and breaking that will create more problems. They may be able to resurface the drums if not under spec.

Remove the rear rotors and pads from your quote and recalculate.

any questions feel free to contact me.

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