# Money saving tip re: Brakes



## Sasquatch (Jan 28, 2012)

I had done a complete brake job on my Mazda truck in Nov 2013 where I replaced pads, rotors ,shoes, drums, rear brake cylinders and lubed everything.
I had noticed recently that my brake pedal went down further and further when I braked as well as the handbrake having more and more slack before grabbing hold. 
I know that this is mainly caused by wear of the rear shoes which affects pedal travel and handbrake lever travel.
So I was getting ready to take off the rear wheels and adjust the shoes and handbrake lever, if needed. Not a pleasant job in a cold garage.
Then I thought of the supposedly "self adjusting" rear brake shoes and figured it couldn't hurt to follow the procedure for the self adjustment, which is very simple.
Drive backwards at a fair clip and apply the brakes firmly...... do this several times.
I picked an empty parking lot and did just that and what do you know...... the pedal came right up just like I had new brakes and the handbrake grabs again where it should( 2 to 3 clicks) 
Most folks, like myself, never or hardly ever apply the brakes sharply when backing up at a good clip, which is needed to activate the self adjustment of the brake shoes.
From now on I will do this once a month or so!

Take note that this procedure will only work if 
1. you have rear drum brakes
2. your self adjusting mechanism is properly lubed, enabling it to move.

I would guess that in over three quarters of all vehicles on the road this mechanism is frozen up because of a lack of proper maintenance (lubrication).

If I would've taken my truck to a garage for this, I would've probably looked at anything between $ 150.- and $ 350.- depending on what they would replace (whether needed or not)

Just thought I'd share this !!


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

Great tip. I did that when I had drums, but I had never thought to do it on a scheduled basis. 

Another money saving tip is to get a K&N Reusable Air Filter. I clean my air filter at every oil change, so after 2 oil changes (less than a year) it has already paid for itself.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

Good tip although I think there are very few cars with drums still remaining on the roads.


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## PoolAndRapid (Dec 3, 2013)

Sherlock said:


> Good tip although I think there are very few cars with drums still remaining on the roads.


Lots of pickups still use drums in the rear. GM even switched back to them for the 2007 model years after using discs for a while.


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## CPA Candidate (Dec 15, 2013)

I'd like to suggest the real money saver is not paying to get brake work done, it's really quite simple to DIY.

I did my first brake job 15 years ago. First time it was pretty painful and slow, but since then I have always done the work myself. Nowadays, changing pads is like a 30 minute job, maybe 60 if I have to replace the rotors too.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

CPA Candidate said:


> I'd like to suggest the real money saver is not paying to get brake work done, it's really quite simple to DIY.


Yea 30-45 mins no rush even with silly pad sensors. The dealer's price for the pads is hilarious too! You can get the exact same thing or much better for far less.

Cleaning the calipers and greasing the glide pins while you're at it also extends the life of the rotors I imagine. By the look of people's rusted rotors I don't think many mechanics bother.


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## Brian K (Jan 29, 2011)

I too have been doing my brakes for years. The other thing that should be done at least every 2 years is to bleed the brake lines. This is really easy to do and saves a lot of money rather than having the dealer or Midas types do it. You tube is a great source of how to's.


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## Sasquatch (Jan 28, 2012)

Brian K said:


> I too have been doing my brakes for years. The other thing that should be done at least every 2 years is to bleed the brake lines. This is really easy to do and saves a lot of money rather than having the dealer or Midas types do it. You tube is a great source of how to's.


Why do you bleed the brake lines every 2 years?
The only time they need to be bled is if you're replacing a brake hose or a caliper or brake cyclinder.
As long as you don't touch the hydraulic system there is no need for any bleeding!


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

With brakes it really depends what conditions they are used in.

Many manufacturers recommend to change the brake fluid annually. I do this, but I also put my brakes through a lot more than getting groceries.

Same with manual transmission fluid. You never really have to change it. If you ever drive hard, tow, or live in a cold climate you probably should.


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## Brian K (Jan 29, 2011)

I change the brake fluid every 2 years because brake fluid is hygroscopic - it absorbs water. Years ago I drove a Mercedes and when I took it to the dealer for a general inspection they told me I needed new front brake calipers because they weren't retracting properly due to corrosion inside the cylinders - because I wasn't flushing the brake fluid regularly. The good news - only 1 caliper was bad - the bad news - they need to be replaced in pairs so they are balanced = very expensive. So from them on - I bleed the brake lines regularly and haven't had a problem. It's easy to do yourself and the brake fluid is pretty cheap. Start from Passenger rear, Driver rear, Passenger front, Driver front - start at the farthest from the master cylinder and work yourself to the closest cylinder.


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## Sasquatch (Jan 28, 2012)

To me bleeding the brakes and replacing the brakefluid are two different things.
I've never replaced any brakefluid in my cars or trucks and never had any problems.
I did however replace the brakefluid in my motorcycles every couple of years.
Reading through my car/truck manual they recommend a change about every 5 or 6 years or whenever it gets really cloudy but I never bother! Both my vehicles don't see very hard usage except for cold temps in the winter.


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## Brian K (Jan 29, 2011)

OK - I replace the brake fluid by bleeding the brakes and brake lines. I bleed the brakes until the fluid becomes clear then that brake line is done.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

Can you do it alone? Doesn't it require one person to pump the pedal while another person is at the wheel? Or am I thinking of something else?


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## Brian K (Jan 29, 2011)

I used to do it with a second person, but I bought a little bottle kit from Princess Auto that allows me to do it alone.


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## Karlhungus (Oct 4, 2013)

Ag Driver said:


> Great tip. I did that when I had drums, but I had never thought to do it on a scheduled basis.
> 
> Another money saving tip is to get a K&N Reusable Air Filter. I clean my air filter at every oil change, so after 2 oil changes (less than a year) it has already paid for itself.


According to K&N you only need to clean the filter every 50,000 miles.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Depends wildly whether you only drive to the grocery store on sunny days or if you drive in harsh climates (like a Canadian winter) I wouldn't leave mine past spring.

A money saving tip? Get a obd reader ($20 online) I don't know how many (mostly girls) paid the dealer up to $80 to clear a check engine light. Must be the biggest rip off in the industry

I have a obd wifi dongle and it's useful for many things.. finding problems before they happen, real-time data, data logging, tuning and clearing the infamous engine lights.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

How do you find problems before they happen? Do you just plug it in periodically and read what it says? What kind of problems can it predict? How does it work, I'm guessing it comes with software that you install on your laptop and it connects to your laptop and the software tells you what problems exist?

They seem pretty cheap, I might get one. What do you think of this one? http://www.amazon.ca/DoDoCool-Bluet...puters/dp/B00EFMI100/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

There are so many ELM327 clones now. They should all work but some of those super cheap ones are pirated copies of an older version. The latest ELM327 chip might cost around $20. Mine is older and long obsolete

I believe the latest and greatest is the OBDlink MX funded on Kickstarter last year costs +$100 new. That site is good to read about all the neat potential uses and features that are out there now. The $20 ones should work fine but $100 is not so bad for all the new things these do. According to that site it can even remote start some cars and lock/unlock doors?

For daily driving you can see and log gas mileage, all the temp sensors, pressures, system status, voltage sensors etc etc. Whereas the check engine light comes on eventually, you could see these parameters rising long before and know something is not right. Then you can go on Google to see what it could be. You can also see if the check engine light is something serious or not on the road.

If you want to you can use a smartphone or tablet to log and visualize all this data in real time along with the smartphone sensors (accelerometer, gps, camera etc) You can log and overlay data like throttle and brake position and gps to video. I have a turbo and it's very picky with fuel, oil and outside temps. I use the data to watch for knocks from poor Canadian gas and turbo creep in the winter etc.

Just to be able to read and clear a check engine light once on the road makes it worth having. Everything else is bonus.


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## Brian K (Jan 29, 2011)

I have a Scangauge (http://www.scangaugecanada.com) and it works quite well to show various parameters. I mount it on the dash and can see things like transmission temperature, oil temperature, LPH, and other parameters - but it does need to be programmed a bit which can be a bit tricky. With respect to seeing problems before they occur, you would have to know what is "normal" and when the values get out of a normal range - like a blood test - so unless you know what the Knock Retard should be or what the Manifold Air Pressure is, if it changes to something that is out of range - I'd have no idea what a bad value is.

I have had some dash lights come on (like Service Stabilitrak on a GMC) and tried to see what could be the problem and the 'alarm' didn't show up on the Scangauge via the ODBII port - so nothing to reset. I went to an auto parts place and they said their scan tool couldn't see or reset it either. So I think it depends what vehicle module sees the alarm and not all problems are available via the ODBII port.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Cars are fairly reliable now thanks to the ECU adjusting parameters over time. It also means people are likely to drive around with reduced MPG and performance etc because things are clogged up but the ECU has adjusted for it over time. I don't know what the parameters should be but if I see something trending over time I can google ways to fix it. Usually all it takes is to clean clogged hoses or valves that aren't in the scheduled maintenance. Boost creep and knock is a real issue with my car and with Canadian gas in the winter, so I just got used to logging the data from time to time.


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## Brian K (Jan 29, 2011)

Car forums are available to address the issues you and others have with many vehicles and in many cases people post solutions and 'how to's'. Also Youtube has lots of info how do various maintenance items which is real handy. I learned of various recalls and issues with some cars - like the Ford Broken Spark plug problem (Ford actually make a Broken Spark Plug removal tool if you can imagine that) and other things along with ways to fix the problems myself without taking it to the Stealerships.


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## fcyloh82 (Dec 2, 2013)

Brain, those great points and I can definitely vouch for them (I am a car DIYer as well).

Also, don't forget to search Technical Service Bulletins (TSB's) for common problems with solutions authored by the manufacturers. For reference, my parents vehicle experienced a loud ticking noise coming from the engine bay whenever the car started up in colder temperatures. The dealership quoted them $500 to replace the power steering pump - I don't blame them because they're not really in the business to investigate problems and provide the cheapest and best solution (they have no incentives for being "nice"). It turns out that a simple O-Ring fix was all that needed, which came out to a less than $10 fix. This might be an extreme case, but it exemplifies well that a bit more time and some monkey wrenching can yield very attractive results.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Brian K said:


> I have had some dash lights come on (like Service Stabilitrak on a GMC) and tried to see what could be the problem and the 'alarm' didn't show up on the Scangauge via the ODBII port - so nothing to reset. I went to an auto parts place and they said their scan tool couldn't see or reset it either. So I think it depends what vehicle module sees the alarm and not all problems are available via the ODBII port.


I believe all information is available (on newer cars) via the OBDII port, the difference is what protocols/codes the units understand. Some codes can only be read/understood by more expensive and car specific equipment, like a tech 2 interface for GMs or Vag-Com for VW/Audi.

Also, those readers that track mileage are not very accurate, it's still best to keep a log of liters used for km's driven each time you fill up. They are fairly good at showing relative differences on instant MPG or L/100kms so you can see how much fuel you'll save at 90km/h vs 110 km/h. You can also adjust for a true speedometer reading to display on the scangauge LCD, some vehicles are out 5% or more.


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