Chocolate Brakes

Well, after the dealer passed the brakes in December,
I now find, 3 months later, that I need new pads all round
(after 50K km, fair enough)...

AND new front discs because they are now thinner that the
26mm min manufacturer's spec.


WTF?

I had to change pads + discs on the 147 due to warping. (Twice)

Now I find I have to change pads + discs on the Brera
because they've warn out!

[Mr-T]

Bad news, and I think I may be entering troubled waters with my brakes too.

When slowing to a stop, from say 10mph down to 0, I can feel the brakes biting, then releasing slightly, then biting again, and so on (all happening fairly quickly).

Are my discs warped?

The car has only done just over 13k miles.

From my experience with the 147, warped discs
are most apparent when braking up a motorway
sliproad.

You can't mistake the steering wheel judder.

Yours sounds more like something is sticking/binding.

[RomeoRaiderZ]

Originally Posted by Mr-T

....When slowing to a stop, from say 10mph down to 0, I can feel the brakes biting, then releasing slightly, then biting again, and so on (all happening fairly quickly).

Mine has done that since the day I got it - only apparent at slow speeds and light pressure on the pedal, like a slight pulsing feeling? I thought maybe not exactly warped but slight run-out in the discs?

I'm going to the dealer tomorrow over the stone chipping to the paintwork (as per the thread on that subject), so I think I'll throw this brakes query into the pot and see what comes back.

"Watch this space", as they say.

[RomeoRaiderZ]

Originally Posted by Nev

Well, after the dealer passed the brakes in December,
I now find, 3 months later, that I need new pads all round
(after 50K km, fair enough)...

AND new front discs because they are now thinner that the
26mm min manufacturer's spec.


WTF?

I had to change pads + discs on the 147 due to warping. (Twice)

Now I find I have to change pads + discs on the Brera
because they've warn out!

Must get them made by the same manufacturer as the Twinspark timing belts.
Not good though - premium marque fitted with sh*t quality parts.

[zulu ferret]

:

[Mr-T]

Originally Posted by romeoraider

.....like a slight pulsing feeling?

Exactly like that. It's only started happening recently though.

Aren't the fronts ventilated? So pretty pricey to replace?

[gmgxsr]

just replaced front discs and pads (vented) on 156.cost me £64 for discs+£31 for pads

[RomeoRaiderZ]

Originally Posted by Mr-T

Exactly like that. It's only started happening recently though.

Aren't the fronts ventilated? So pretty pricey to replace?

Rears are ventilated too! Don't want to even think about the price right now but methinks I might be trying the warranty route as although the car is nearly 30 months old, I've only had it for 6.

€460 for 2 front discs and all pads replace.

[RomeoRaiderZ]

Originally Posted by Mr-T

....So pretty pricey to replace?

If the dealer won't do them under warranty, I'll do my own. Was an easy job on my old 156 so it can't be that different on the 159, or can it?

OEM parts through the dealer will no doubt be mega-bucks so I'll be looking at an aftermarket supplier. Don't know about the quality, but these are not too bad price-wise.

:: EBC Brakes Direct Limited : Cars : Brake Discs & Brake Drums : ALFA ROMEO : Alfa 159 : 2.4 TD : 2006-

:: EBC Brakes Direct Limited : Cars : Brake Discs & Brake Drums : ALFA ROMEO : Brera : 2.4 TD : 2006-

[RomeoRaiderZ]

Originally Posted by Nev

€460 for 2 front discs and all pads replace.

OUCH! If I have to shell out that kind of money, I'll be getting these: Secure UK tuning store Alfa, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Lancia, Maserati
or if I get a couple more numbers than my best so far of 3 on the EuroMillions, then these : Secure UK tuning store Alfa, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Lancia, Maserati

[Mr-T]

Originally Posted by Nev

€460 for 2 front discs and all pads replace.

**** me!

So at approx. £1 to €1 I'm looking at a similar bill if they need replacing.

I think I'll call in at my local dealer soon to let them know about it early. That way, if they do need to be replaced, I can try the warranty route and show that it started, and I reported it, sub 13k miles.

They should last longer than that.

Agreed. After the 147 brake fiasco I thought
all was well back when the dealer checked in December.
More fool me.


Just picked the car up.

Almost bugger all braking at the mo' and they were smoking
when I left it in the car park.


Still reckon the ABS/VDC/TC are to blame for premature brake wear.

[ptcoll]

The brake discs on modern cars are treated as disposal items just like the pads i.e. they are expected to wear out. I have had to replace brake pads and discs on a Ford at 30,000 miles. Honda ones weren't much different.

Pete

[Commanderfish]

Originally Posted by Nev

€460 for 2 front discs and all pads replace.

How many miles did they do before you had to replace them mate?

Almost exactly 50K km. Didn't even last longer than the pads.

[Mr-T]

So since first contributing to this thread a couple of weeks ago my brake problem has got noticeably worse and as I type the car is at my local dealership being looked at.

I had a call from them a few minutes ago with a progress report and although they can feel the shudder they can't detect any warping of the discs but there is some sort of unusual blackening to the inside faces of the front discs and the associated pads that they could only describe as 'glazing'. They've not seen it before.

They've spoken to Alfa who have stated that although this problem started at as low a mileage as 13k they won't even entertain any work under warranty.

£474.00 to replace discs and pads.

I don't think so.

The car is on PCH and I always intended to hand it back around November time this year. Maybe I'll hand it back a bit earlier now and live with it until then. Not my problem after that.

Cheers Alfa.

Not good, but no surprise to me really.

They have never coughed up for discs for me.
Each set gone before the first set of pads
were finished.

That's 3 sets of front discs on 2 cars in 8 years.

I got these at another place (Midas France the only
chain garage to use in France ) because I was
buggered if I was going to give AR any more money.

[Pud237]

Don't blame you Mr.T, but stay safe.

Maybe try ringing around the breakers, see if any of them have a set of part-worns from a crashed Brera or 159? You'd get them for pennies, no-one ever buys second hand brake bits. You could swap them over yourself or get All Things Alfa to do it for you.

[C H Strikes]

The service performed on my vehicle in December (before i had it) stated that the pads would 'soon' need renewing. I had a look myself with a friend who is a (proper!) mechanic and they are probably 60-65% worn! Mine car is currently at 36k so I'm probably looking at a change at around 45k.

I'm just going to use it as a chance to upgrade to some cross drilled ones as someone has already said! No way will I be paying the dealer to do it. What would the benefit be? When I put this past me my dealer they said if the work was not done by a main dealer they would simply not cover any of the brake parts under warranty, such as a sticking caliper which they probably wouldn't cover anyway!

One thing I am consoling myself with is that over the last three years I've had three bmws (spit) a 320d, 335d and a 320i and they all had new pads and discs fitted at around the 30k mark!

[twissler]

In my experience warranties aren't all their cracked up to be. My last car was Ford Focus. The dipstick pipe split in half and the bracket that holds the exhaust manifold in place snapped. Ford Uk's response...Neither are covered under warranty as they are both classed as trim. What would happen if the engine spat out all its oil and the exhaust fell off? Didn't think trim was THAT important.

[Mr-T]

I'm not concerned with what my warranty does or does not cover.

My problem is that Alfa won't show any goodwill to someone who has bought five brand new Alfas since January 2003 and is expecting me to spend £500 rectifying a problem that started sub 13k miles on a car that is still less than eighteen months old.

I won't do it and I'll remember such treatment for a long time.

[2ndtimearound]

Just over 1 year per car? Wow...

[RomeoRaiderZ]

Resurecting this old thread (sorry, ), my 159 now stops like it always should have done, but never did.

OK, it's a big, heavy car but I always felt that the brakes were a bit 'soft' and didn't have the same bite that the ones on the 156 V6 had, . Then, there was that niggling slight pulse through the pedal as mentioned previously in this thread.

Things came to a head during and after the AO European Run. They were worked very hard, , on some of the challenging roads that we tackled, so much so that on several occasions the pedal travel was getting longer and longer with each successive corner, . The pulsing at the pedal turned into a shudder through the steering wheel so I knew that the discs were now well and truly shot, confirmed 2 days after my return when it just scraped through its MOT with an advisory that the front brake balance was on the limit.

So I had these Brake disc – Sport Japan | Tarox and these Brake pad supplied and fitted by independent Alfa specialists, CP Garage Services in Dundee, for less than the local dealer could just supply the 'original equipment' standard parts. I realise that most of the improvement (and what an improvement, ) in the brake feel and performance is down to the uprated Fast Road pads, but for less money I've also got some looking discs.