Ratdog33

Took my car in for a 30k dealer quoted me $340.00. Hmm I remark that seems pretty high for an oil change and a few checks. "Its a Porsche" is his comeback.


Advisor calls me later, "you need new brakes on the front, down to 1mm". "being a GTS going to run about $2500" Centerlock wheels adds to the cost. (btw..Indy quote is $1500 and yeah I know it is a relatively easy job...) Also tells me that I need a 40k service because the car is 5 years old even though it is low miles.


Hmm...I say, what did the rotors measure? he responds, "don't know, just know they are no good and your brakes are at 2mm,it is an experience thing." hmmm...last time they were at 1mm. Which one is it, 1mm, or 2mm? he tells me that it is definitely 2mm and that he would have to charge me to measure the rotor. I tell him I'll come pick the car up. When I go to pay for the 30k He tells me, "sorry for the mixup I discounted the 30k down to $138, but you still need brakes. I look at the car and the greasy prints on the paint..but I digress. I look at the pads through the wheels and took these pics.


At home I stacked two nickels on the pad material and measured them at~4mm. Could use advice if anyone knows a easier way to get an exact measurement on pad wear.


Car still has a year of warranty, so I can't crush the dealer relationship. Thoughts?

porscheralph

I would try another dealer if you have one close to you. It is a little more difficult to remove and reinstall center locks but that is not reason for the price to be that high. Porsche always recommends millage or time in service for the service intervals so I am not surprised to hear that. Is your car a CPO? I would stay with dealer as long as it is under CPO for scheduled maintenance but go to the Indy for the brakes IF they need to be done. Just my 2cents.

nwGTS

Pads look on the low end but plenty of street life left. You'd trip the brake wear sensors at 2mm.

docdrs

I would buy my own pads now, hawk ceramics and swap them out myself as i hate the dust of oem. $105 for the pads is a no brainer .....but i guess i would have to find the removal tool hidden in the frunk jmo

snake eyes

tripped mine at the track THIS POST ABOVE IS 100% correct.
wouldn't let that dealership touch my ride.

BTW 1500 for brakes is a rip off (unless this includes rotors)

the pads run around 240 and the sensors are 80 bucks for a set it is than 15 bucks x2 for the spring set.

it should be NO more than 1 hour alldata time to change the front brakes..

think about that for a second and always ask a dealership what their hourly rate is. You can than look up any operation yourself and make sure you aren't overpaying.

BTW very highly unlikely you need to replace the rotors on your first pad swap even if you track the car.
Don't let a dealer BS you into replacing rotors within spec.

Macster

Been through a few brakes with my Porsches over the years. I just wait for the brake wear warning light to come on. Even then I can and often do drive the car a while, hundreds if not a thousand or so miles longer. In fact doing so now with my Boxster. The car has around 4K miles to go before it is due in for its next 5K mile service and I'm probably not going to nurse the brakes that far but the Turbo needs to go in first for its 150K mile service. Once I get the Turbo back then I'll look into having the Boxster's rear brakes replaced.

Anyhow, back to your car: If the brake rotors show signs of cracking, or severe scoring, or there are noises from the brakes or untoward braking behavior or fluid loss that is probably not a wear issue but something else going on and that needs looking into regardless of if the warning light is on.

For the rotors absent any signs of trouble a rule of thumb is the rotor is due to be replaced when it develops a 1mm ridge around its outer edge. This is a good sign the rotor has worn 2mm (1mm per side) and this puts the rotor down to its replace due to wear point.

Word is SM are paid on commission so there's some incentive to "sell" service that may not be quite due yet.

My current dealer SM doesn't engage in this behavior. In fact often he or the senior techs talk me out of having something done rather than trying to talk me into having something done.

However, I have encountered other SM's -- some with other brands of cars -- that sometimes urge me to have some service work performed on my car but if the need isn't obvious to me -- and I have a pretty good idea of what the car needs when I take it in -- I just note what the SM says and thank him for informing me.

Afterwards, I will often then do some more research and gather the info together to make a determination if the recommended service is really needed or if it can be safely postponed.

hollywood1053

That initial remark, alone, would tell me I need to go elsewhere......
My opinion, of course..

German888

By the pics and your measurements you've got plenty of life left in those pads. Run em til your breaking through to the pad sensor. Wasting $ any sooner...

CAVU

A few ideas come to mind:

- Visual. Textar pad for my 911 and its GTS variant is 17mm new. http://textar.brakebook.com/bb/texta...atasheet.xhtml I've seen some literature that has the friction material at 12 mm, leaving 5mm for the backing plate. Looking at your images and your 2 nickle test, I'd say you are very close.

- Measure insitu. https://www.amazon.com/8milelake-Bra...dp/B01AXMT2VW/

- Measure insitu. https://www.amazon.com/ABN-Valve-Off...dp/B01IPWOAOQ/ Stack them as needed and slide the stack in there and let some get pushed up and away. Then either add up the stack that remains or measure with a micrometer.

As some have mentioned, if you are not tracking, let them get to 2mm (sensor goes off) and then install new pads and sensors, and rotors if required.

My dealer was telling me that my front pads were due on my Cayenne. My measurements and wear rate is telling me I have at least another 25,000 left on the pads and 20,000 left on the rotor. I think I will wait.

Ratdog33

I tried using my feeler gauge set, but the ends are fanned out at the end. I still measure 4mm. I thought the nickels were clever, then I thought dropping a nickel down in your caliper would be a drag.

docdrs

Why do you need someone to tell you your brakes need changing when you have wear sensors????? Whats the point of them if you are not going to use them???? They are there to tell you will need brakes soon.( and that you should think about having something done in the next 3000miles of normal diving) And as above if you change them before your metat on metal you can probably just do a pad swap....... The main reason tyey change pads and rotors are either you are metal on metal and the rotor thickness is now less than safe. Or they just dont turn them anymore, Or and most likely they dont want to explain why they didnt change the rotors if a year down the road they need to be replaced ( this is usually on the rust prone NA car crap rotors).

Thie above is all from experience....... 02

Quadcammer

Those pads have tons of life. dealer is full of it

snethss

oil change is about right for a dealership.
5 year service due to age rather than mileage also checks out.

dunno about the brakes. looks like you could use them a bit longer.

KNS

I hate dealers. He sees you as a source of revenue.

You've got lots of life left in those pads, depending on how many miles you drive per month you could go up to a year or more. Or, as others have said, wait until the sensor light goes off. I hate dealers (did I mention that?).

gasongasoff

I would take it to an independent and get the rotors measured. And if you confirm the dealer was lying, give them "0's" on their survey and complain to PCNA. I bet they won't try to screw you next time.