Hello. My 05 reg diesel is due for a service in a few weeks. Unfortunately tonight driving home i couldnt brake properly. The drivers side brake pad is completely worn and has scored the disc. The weird thing is I didn't get any warning screeches or anything. It has come completely out the blue.

I will be phoning around tomorrow to try and source some pads. Will the disc need grinding down? I have read the piston could be sticking and caused the pad to wear down.

I am short on cash at the moment and am dreading a big repair bill. Hubby said he will fit the new pads but after reading on line it says they could be eaten way straight away because of the disc score.

Can anyone please advise? Thanks

GEt your parts form ECP as per your other thread. I was only £40 to fit rear pads and disks at an indy

GEt your parts form ECP as per your other thread. I was only £40 to fit rear pads and disks at an indy

So I can ge the parts and hopefully only pay £40 for someone to fit them? Do I need a disc?

yes you definitely need discs too!!! usually happens when you have lots of short journeys with little braking, they get rusty, pads then clean off rust, but clumps gather and cause dips and scores - this is mot failure

GEt your parts form ECP as per your other thread. I was only £40 to fit rear pads and disks at an indy

remember to order online and use the "MIDMONTH30" discount code and collect at your nearest eurocarparts branch to get 30% off your brake parts

Does the handbrake feel normal?

It's not uncommon for a pad to wear down extremely quickly if the handbrake lever on the caliper is sticking. If there is very little resistance on the handbrake for the first inch or so, then this is the likely cause.

If in doubt, watch the lever on the caliber as someone operates the handbrake.

Worth checking the callipers are freely moving too - often a cause of wear and rust

Worth checking the callipers are freely moving too - often a cause of wear and rust

yes and lashings of copper grease on them too

Better to replace the discs as well (pair) as the pads.

Does the handbrake feel normal?

It's not uncommon for a pad to wear down extremely quickly if the handbrake lever on the caliper is sticking. If there is very little resistance on the handbrake for the first inch or so, then this is the likely cause.

If in doubt, watch the lever on the caliber as someone operates the handbrake.

It's funny you should say that. I seem to have had to pull the hand break harder and more on to stop it rolling down hills. I thought it was my imagination.

Don't bother grinding or machining disc rotors, just get new ones.

You can fit new pads on scored rotors, the pads wear faster until they match the scoring in the rotors, then it evens out. But it's only something you'd do as a temp fix when the real parts can't be obtained.

Took it into a local garage in the end. Was bad news. The discs and pads would have been £140 plus vat fitted. But he has found the piston in the calliper has seized so need a new calliper. Got no money now :-(

That's a bugger.

Peed off tonight. The new disc has a scratch around it. Not deep but a scratch all the same. Garage said to bring it back and he will take a look. Can't have more time off work at the mo though. :-(

Wonder why it's doing that?

are you sure its not just the brake pads bedding into the new discs as the pads are abrasive and will take sometime to fully bed in and for the scoring to be uniform

Peed off tonight. The new disc has a scratch around it. Not deep but a scratch all the same. Garage said to bring it back and he will take a look. Can't have more time off work at the mo though. :-(

Take the car out onto an empty Dual carriageway and making sure there is nobody around you, brake firmly, but safely, from 70 to 10mph.

Do this back to back a number of times (5 or 10) in reasonably quick succession.

This should have your rears worn in fairly quickly and you'll see if the scratching is even (it bedding in) or something else like a trapped stone.

Take the car out onto an empty Dual carriageway and making sure there is nobody around you, brake firmly, but safely, from 70 to 10mph.

Do this back to back a number of times (5 or 10) in reasonably quick succession.

This should have your rears worn in fairly quickly and you'll see if the scratching is even (it bedding in) or something else like a trapped stone.

Before doing that, check if it is a trapped stone. Driving slowly with the windows down to listen and gently apply the brakes see if you can hear any grinding.

The above method will get your brakes quite hot, to the point where you will smell them and might even see some smoke. Don't be alarmed but also don't drive through any standing water when they are this hot. Just normal driving will cool them off.