Honda Odyssey rear brakes - change or wait?

[lindermant]

Just got back from the dealership - had emissions and state safety inspection performed on my wifes 2004 Honda Odyssey. Dealer recommended having the rear disc brakes serviced; note says they measured 0.125 inch.

Checked my Honda Ody service manual when I got home, and found the following info:

brake pad thickness:
standard: 0.37 inch
service limit: 0.06 inch

Should I stress over changing them out anytime soon, or press on for a while longer (car will turn three years old on 01JAN07)?

 

[benjamming]

I would wait another 6 months or so assuming similar driving as the past 3 years. They weren't trying to rip you for suggesting you change them though.

 

[lindermant]

yep, similar driving conditions (at least anticipated). I didn't feel the dealer was aiming for a rip off; they've been very good in fact (a rarity for sure). Just curious how much longer I can go before spending any $$$

 

[Mokanic]

I promise you will hear the wear indicators screech on it when the pad life has a few hundred or more miles on them. Wait for the noise if you want every last drop of pad life or you can get a second opinion from an independant Honda repair shop.

 

[Tosh]

Lining remaining when new: .37in-.06in = .31in
Lining remaining now: .125in-.06in = .065in

now/new = .21
In other words, you have 21% of your lining left. Multiply .21 by your current mileage (assuming a linear wear rate), and this is how many miles you have left on these rear pads.

Bottom line: Just wait for the wear indicators to start screeching.

 

[bfax011]

not to be pedantic or anything, but it would be

current miles / (1 - .21)

 

[rcy]

I didn't know they had wear indicators on the rear...

 

[bfax011]

sure do - just changed mine at 60K on an '04 Ody. The noise was distinct enough, but not super loud (with windows up and radio on, one might miss it for a little while, but not long enough to matter.)

 

[Laminar Lou]

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I didn't know they had wear indicators on the rear...

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I think it is law now for all passenger cars to have wear brake indicators. My BMW actually had a light that came on. I thought that was funny because BMW probably engineered a $200 system to accomplish the same thing that a brake squealer would do. Then again you don't here BMWs around town with squealing brakes either (which upon reflection probably is good marketing).

 

[Chris Meutsch]

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Quote:

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I didn't know they had wear indicators on the rear...

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I think it is law now for all passenger cars to have wear brake indicators. My BMW actually had a light that came on. I thought that was funny because BMW probably engineered a $200 system to accomplish the same thing that a brake squealer would do. Then again you don't here BMWs around town with squealing brakes either (which upon reflection probably is good marketing).

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Yeah, but when they're on the side of the road with the computer (iDrive) refusing to let you out of the car, you're not going to hear anything except muffled screams.

(My friend had an X5 that would do this on the highway. Lock all the doors and shut off the motor.)

 

[Mokanic]

All of your Honda pads will have these wear indicators on them and they do work.
You will also find out that genuine Honda pads are priced very close to if not cheaper than a high quality aftermarket pad plus they are quiet and fit right the first time.
I don't really enjoy going to the dealer to buy parts but I despise noisey cheap brake pads worse.

 

[Tosh]

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not to be pedantic or anything, but it would be

current miles / (1 - .21)

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And for those viewers following along at home, the "it" above is the mileage at which you need new rear pads.

By the way, when were the fronts changed?

 

[Laminar Lou]

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Yeah, but when they're on the side of the road with the computer (iDrive) refusing to let you out of the car, you're not going to hear anything except muffled screams.

(My friend had an X5 that would do this on the highway. Lock all the doors and shut off the motor.)

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I'm sorry for your friend but...

That is something out of a bad sci-fi movie.

 

[lindermant]

Thanks for all the replies! I think I'll let it ride until next spring.

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By the way, when were the fronts changed?

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Tosh, the brakes have never been touched (front or rear); the van is sitting at just under 31,000 miles.

 

[Tosh]

I find it odd that you've worn down the rears so fast, but it might just be an Odyssey-typical (heavy mini van) wear rate. As long as they are wearing evenly left-to-right (and inside-to-outside), I wouldn't worry. But confirm the stealer's measurements yourself, as they are known for a scare-and-sell. Pull the wheels off so you can see the inside pads.
Which brings up the obvious question: How much is left on the front pads?

 

[SWS]

First off, in my opinion, you cannot overmaintain brakes. They save your life on a daily basis. Second, in the "rumor" or "folklore" category, I heard from a non-Honda mechanic that if you let the pads get to the wear indicators then the wear indicators themselves can cause rotor damage. Third, I have a 2000 Odyssey and I had the experience of the front brakes start screaming just at the end of a hot summer vacation trip. No damage done - it was a simple pad change, but note that just 3 weeks before when I had it serviced at the Dealer, they said I had 20% pad remaining and no recommendation to change the pads at that time. My assumption was that I had 4-6 months left on those pads. However, this is a mainly my wife's in-town van, so the sudden change in traveling to Houston, Texas in the summer (from Tennessee) with me driving, with lots of stop & go, etc made my assumption a poor one. Finally, I don't know if you can assume that the pads wear evenly all the way down to the screecher. For example, if one edge of the pad wears just a little faster than another edge, then near the end you could have 15% on one edge and near 0% on the other edge. I know that the wear indicator is supposed to account for that, but assumptions get made...

 

[rpn453]

The squealers won't damage the rotors unless they are ignored for a while. I'd wait until they squeal.

 

[rcy]

Even if the wear indicators damaged the rotor, don't most rotors get machined or replaced when the pads are done. Having previously owned a Dodge Grand Caravan, I know those rotors were replaced, because if they were machined, they'd be too thin and warp quite easily. In fact, one Chrysler mechanic told me in his opinion they were too thin when new!!!

 

[benjamming]

One of the points is to not have to machine or replace the rotors every time pads are changed, hence the wear indicators.