johnsjmc

Without looking anything up .The usual wear limit on a rotor is .060" thinner than a new one. A competant mechanic will also notice if most of the wear has occured to one surface more than the other and may suggest replacement earlier. If you wear the pads down until the warning light comes on then you need to also replace the affected wear sensors .
How much does the dealer want for this brake job anyway ?

mglobe

It's doubtful in my mind that you would need new pads with that many miles on the car, and almost unbelievable that your rotors would need replacement. Find a car guy who can look at the rotors and pads. Preferably someone who with track experience.

I'd expect a couple of hours of labor on the job.

911FM

If you want to be fancy, you can use this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product

Tough part is to look at the inside pads. I have noticed that they tend to wear out a tiny bit faster...

For rotors, just feel the difference between the outside edge and the inside + inspect visually. Search this forum for the visual manufacturer recommendation.

FM

JW911

Definitely inspect your pads yourself before you commit to anything. My car has 45,000 miles, many of which are in stop and go traffic. The pads are no more than 50% worn. I would be very surprised if you really needed this done with so few miles on the car.

Tone

It depends on your driving style/conditions.
I replaced all pads & front rotors at 22K mi.
I had 7 DEs & 2-3 DE equivalents (hwy 36) in that time.
My pads were in need (thinner than the backing plates). Front rotors? not sure, probably could've gone longer, but same deal: dealer recommended and with my driving style why chance it.

Alternatives: go easier on the brakes or DIY :-)

rdstemler

After doing the change yourself the first time... It will will be no big deal to ever do it again.
As for pads.... it will probably take you longer to jack up the car and remove the wheels then it will to remove and replace the pads ( when cool)!!

Make sure you talk to someone who has done it so you have ALL the right tools before you start!
Next step... bleeding brakes and that is no big deal either!!

chago996

26k miles with worn brakes doesn't sound right, but it depends on your style of driving. I got 113k on first set, but mostly highway miles and the occasional spirited drive on a weekend. But mine is a C2 996 which probably weighs about 300 lbs less than the 997 C4S. My wife's ML350 needs new brakes at around 26k, weighs at about 5000 lbs and has smallish brakes. On the other hand, the 997 C4S has the bigger brakes which I would think helps to compensate for the heavier weight.