soc_fans

Just wonderineg if it covers under the warranty? How long usually it lasts for?

I know Oil service is not covered under warranty, what types of other service is not covered too?

NorthVan

It is considered wear and tear

rountreed

Same with tires, fluids etc...

Rave

Nope. The pads are the easy bits. The discs are the expensive bits. James May, (the really dull one on Top Gear) was complaining that his 2 year old Boxster with 8,000 miles on the clock requires new discs. Apparently, he hasn't driven the car enough according to Porsche. He cerainly wouldn't have put the breaks under stress. I am quite paranoid about my discs. When I wash the car and clean the wheels, I take the car out to dry the pads and discs. That means wiping the gunge off the wheels again before the car goes into the garage. Best not use the breaks unless you really have to.

Paul S.

Awe come on--the iron rotors aren't that expensive and I cannot imagine what James May did but I will bet you a month's pay, there's no way the rotors were actually shot at 8,000 miles, unless he had a problem with uneven pad deposits/runout (commonly called "warped" rotors, but most are not warped, it's uneven pad deposits).

I used to track my Boxster and other Porsches regularly and the rear rotors lasted at least three pad changes and the front, two.

That said, I hear more and more of dealers telling customers that their rotors should be replaced every time the pads are replaced. That's overkill. Rotors have wear limits--2mm if I recall correctly--which is a lot of wear. Never replace rotors solely based on "recommendations" unless they also provide you with wear measurements. The new pads will settle into the groove of the old rotors, just fine.

robbonds

i do the same

soc_fans

So how long does Brake pads last normally? With about 60% city 40% freeway.

cviles

There's no hard and fast rule to how long your brake pads will last. It all depends on how you use them. I know of people who have gone 60K+ on their original pads, but they mostly drive on freeways and never touch them. My 987S is on its 3rd set of rotors and I don't know how many pads, but I DE my car every month or two. Your dealer will recommend replacing your rotors every time you do pads, but that's not necessary. The same with wear sensors -- I have a set of spares just in case, but I'm still using my original ones.

Honestly, pads are pretty cheap and easy to change with simple hand tools. Small price to pay to play this game, IMHO.

Paul S.

The rotors are easy to change too--two bolts to remove the brake calipers; remove two retaining screws that hold the rotors to the hub, and off they come. Brake jobs on these cars are very easy.

99firehawk

dealer will recomend to change them, due to excessive runout (every rotor has excessive runout after about 5000 miles or due to liabilty, and the headache when your new brakes squeal and then the dealer has to eat the cost and labor for new rotors to silence the car and the p-o customer.
You dont want to buy rotors, be ready to sign off liabilty or do it youself

Paul S.

Liability issue--Bunk!!!!

Porsche, the OEM, publishes wear limits for rotors and the dealers darn well know it. FWIW, I've used new pads with old rotors on my Porsches going on 5 years now and haven't had a "run out" issue regardless of usage (heavy on track braking, or gentle street braking). As far as squeeling goes, I don't think that's ever a rotor issue.

Before I started doing it myself, my Porsche dealer happily replaced just pads, when that's all that was needed. But then again, I've got a great dealer who isn't trying to milk all its customers for unnecessary things.

99firehawk

measure the runout on your rotors gurantee they excedde spec

dstrimbu

What passes for rotor warpage (pad material transfer) probably comes from excessive heat without a cooldown cycle, and I would venture that real warpage / measurable runout comes from the same deal.

If you get on them hard, don't sit with your foot hard on the pedal (at a light or whatever) - you'll transfer pad material to the hot rotor. I've seen cars with pad imprints on the rotor surface - that's just bad brake management.

My rotors are still very smooth (no visible grooves or ridges) at almost 8k miles, and braking performance is excellent. I'm sure that Brad is correct with the waiver though - I can't imagine what dealers have to put up with on a daily basis...

Paul S.

Brad, all I can tell you is this--I have reused my rotors for at least two sets of pads, and I cannot imagine the "runout" is out of spec. The wear limit on the rotor is clearly less than the allotted 2mm wear. If there were any significant run out issue, you would think there'd be some vibration under braking that you would have noticed even before replacing the pads or shortly thereafter when installing the new pads. And there's none under any braking condition.

As another poster said, "runout" usually called warping is uneven pad deposits on the rotors, and you'll notice it when you get it. If you bed the new pads in properly, it won't be an issue.

You folks need to be better consumers and question what dealers are telling you, on rotor replacements. If you quiz them on the rotor replacement "recommendation" you may be surprised. And frankly, before I would sign some liability waiver, I'll take my car elsewhere.