2010 Yeti 1.2 TSI  S manual petrol.

Now at 39,000 miles and full service history at Skoda main dealers from new.  Just asked local (good) garage to change front brake pads as I have been keeping an eye on them and they looked to be getting low...also asked to have quick check of rears.  No wear warning light was showing.

Outcome:-

4 new disks needed with full set of pads and rear offside piston was seized in the calliper so new calliper was needed.  The pad sliding surfaces and faces they slide on on the calliper were completely dry showing they had never encountered any grease and showing rusting, in fact some pads had to be prised out of the callipers!  The larger disks had thick rust rings round the outer faces near the edges and rust on the inner edges so pads were running on these badly rusted rings.  The smaller disks also had rust but not as bad.  Cost of cleaning up disks would have been more than cost of new.

I am a gentle driver who drives in a sympathetic manner to my cars.  I have always serviced my own vintage and classic cars but age and the "must have a FSH expectations" now dictates garage servicing of the "new modern cars".

In view of the full dealer service history I am a bit appalled at the state of the braking system....I feel that at service the brake sliding surfaces should have been checked and greased at least and rust on disks cleaned off (as I do on my classic).  Is this the sort of servicing one can now expect from main dealers?

I will in future be getting the car serviced at the local garage whom I know are a caring knowledgable bunch.

 

Dennis

Sorry to say this, but the condition of the rear discs sounds quite normal. Yeti's do not seem to use the rear brakes very much, especially if used "gently". I've come to the conclusion that some hard braking can't do any harm.

Doesn't sound that unusual to me, ~7 year old car, low miles and gently driven, pretty common for discs to rust (mine were, very badly when I bought mine in 2014 at 3 yrs old, ~30k miles).

Happens to lots of cars, not just VAG - I swapped my neighbour's winter wheels over on their Jazz a little while ago, back discs rusted on there too...

 

Perhaps our thinking of what is "sympathetic driving" needs to change ? If the definition of "sympathetic driving" is driving in a way to prolong life of parts of the car, and gentle grannying of the brakes results in rusted disks & seized pistons....then maybe sympathetic driving should actually involve working the brakes a bit more ?

Use to have this all the time.

Sometimes a lack of use in  braking  is a bad thing.  I'd rather replace brake parts that are worn out,  than seized & rusty. 

This also shows  brakes  should be checked & cleaned every year, to prolong life. But, that does mean an extra labour cost. 

 

 

 

I take my Yeti out and try the brakes when there is little

traffic about. As said the system seems over biased to

the front discs, occasional hard braking improves my

handbrake performance as well.

out of season, like now, I use the local coastal road alongside a 2 mile stretch of beach, just down the hill from me, to exercise the system, usually about once a month!

Wet hot and cold Wet hot and cold Wet hot and cold Road salt wet hot and cold Road salt. Is great for Rust it loves it

I expect rusting round the rim of disks but at servicing on my Scimitar I give them a quick clean up if it is starting to be a bit bad.  Local garage that did the job said that they too do this more "old style servicing".

When I queried the service manager  at Skoda about this and the obvious dryness with no evidence of grease on the pad and calliper sliding surfaces the comment was "oh no we only do anything to them if they are showing up a fault (eg at MOT or feeling wrong).........and there was silly old me thinking that servicing was meant to keep the car in good condition and PREVENT faults.

All I got was waffle when I asked why the rear offside calliper piston would have seized up.

It will be going to the garage up the road for future services where they actually let me in to see what is going on whenever I want.

 

Reference the gentle use etc replies.......perhaps the design of the system needs serious looking at.....like the timing chain episode??

Looking forward now to next week in the open Scimitar  GTC in the heatwave (and good non rusty/sticky brakes).  I use silicone fluid which has lasted years without needing changing and will continue to do so.

10 hours ago, DensYeti said:

Looking forward now to next week in the open Scimitar  GTC in the heatwave (and good non rusty/sticky brakes).  I use silicone fluid which has lasted years without needing changing and will continue to do so.

 

Hope you are not using DOT5 in the Yeti, it's not suitable for anti-lock braking systems at all.
Seems like today's brake component materials are designed for performance instead of durability.
But the brake discs on my Harleys have not a spot of corrosion on them, perhaps because they are visible and part of the bling or quality items.

Heh Urrell, You have Brakes on Your Harley?

Man thats kool.

 

So its not true about Harley Anchors.

 

1 hour ago, Carlodiesel said:

Heh Urrell, You have Brakes on Your Harley?

Man thats kool.

 

So its not true about Harley Anchors.

 

Not true anymore.
Mine is a 2009 model with Brembo ABS system.
Fantastic stopping power with muscle memory from 5 days spent at Cadwell Park circuit pushing the youngsters on Japanese bikes.

 

Edited 1 March, 20179 yr by Urrell