keresks7

Guys i have the "worn break pads" light on on my 2011 cayenne and i was told by a service consultant at a dealership that i need to replace the break pads along with the rotors. Few questions arise automatically. Is that really true or due to the higher cost they are "recommending" such a repair?
Any specific recommendations for break pads? I see that the the rough cost for break pads is 260 for fronts and 130 for rear, but the rotors are $375 for the front set and 250 for the rear set, then the work...

btw i have 27k miles on the car

so in summary if i have the light on, should i replace the rotors as well. Also anybody with recommendation for decent cost of repair in the NYC area?

Thanks

seafeye

Generally speaking the earlier cayennes chewed up rear rotors faster than the fronts.
The rotors can be measured and if they are within spec you can just put in pads and a new sensor.
It isn't very environmentally friendly replacing parts that still have a service life left in them. It's a simple job to change the rotors but parts cost can add up.
You will need:
Rotors
Pads
Sensors
8 x Caliper bolts
4 rotor bolts
2 brake adjustment bolts
4 x Spring kit
And I personally would flush the brake fluid.

You can get away with reusing the bolts but a dealer will tell you they need to be changed. I reused mine.

blackland

Our 2012 Cayenne needed the same service around the same milage (all city driving). I had my local tire shop do the work with Porsche parts, the labor cost was about $200 less than the stealer was going to charge (the parts cost was the same).

Dennis C

A Porsche dealer will always replace brake pads and rotors. A good independent mechanic will typically measure rotor thickness and will only replace the pads if the rotor is still well above spec.

fast_freddy

When I bought my Cayenne S it had 49k miles on it and needed new pads. The rear rotors had plenty of thickness left but were slightly warped, the front ones were nearing the end of their service life. I replaced all corners with a "kit" I bought through Pelican with Pagid pads/ATE coated rotors and all of the sensors/nuts/etc. It's a safety issue for me and saving just a few dollars simply isnt worth it. Total time spent including a total fluid flush/bleed was maybe 90 minutes. Easy peasy.

Andy E.

Replacing the rotors when replacing pads is a common concern. With today's ever-increasing labor costs, it no longer pays the dealer to remove, reface and re-install them; while all along taking a risk that the rotors may have been improperly turned on the lathe with a potentially angry client who will complain about brake pedal pulsations.

Technically, you don't have to replace the rotors provided that their wear thickness is within spec. Unfortunately, the raised lip on the edges of the disc surface may interfere with the new pads and will cause brake squeal.

The caliper bolts use a deforming thread design for added tension and should be replaced. If you insist on re-using these bolts, you should at least use a high-temp thread locker when re-installing.

f4 plt

I disagree, my 2011 Cayenne S is has over 37,500 miles on it ( over 10,000) of which is towing an enclosed car trailer. When the tech at the local Porsche dealer looked at the brakes about 2000 miles ago he mentioned that we might want to change pads at the 40K service but that the rotors were all good. He went so far to say the the rule of thumb is rotors every two pad changes or in my case it would be way down the road.

PelicanParts.com

Your pads may in fact be at minimum and will need to be replaced but that does not necessarily mean your rotors have to be replaced as well.

Your Porsche tech (if you trust him), indy or even yourself can check the rotor wear & measure.

We all experience different wear life of pads and rotors.

Dennis C

It sounds like it may be dealer specific. I've dealt with two different Porsche dealers and they both recommended pads and rotors for every brake service. This is true for my Cayenne and my 911.

f4 plt

Bottom line, both pad and rotors wear BUT if you need pads and the rotors still meet specs i.e. not worn beyond specs and no excessive rim at the outer edge WHY replace something that is still serviceable ? Granted immediate less dealer profit but better dealer /customer relations and the car is safe.

Km1.8t

I think it is a good idea to replace the pads and rotors at the same time. Most rotors will show wear marks and lipping at the edges, might well just replace while you are there. Probably a little safer as well.

Dennis C

I agree, but dealers don't always see it that way.

For another example, my C4S recently needed to have the front differential rebuilt due to worn bearings. The dealer claimed it was a "non-serviceable" part and it needed to be replaced. The part alone was over $7,000. My independent mechanic rebuilt the front differential with entirely new parts for about $3,200, including labor.

mikew968

My 2011 needed pads all the way around at 40k. The rotors were close so I just did the pads. I'm now at 62k and everything will have to be changed out on the next brake service. BTW, what pads are you using on your 2011 or newer CS.

tgavem

To all, the brakes calipers changed in the 2011++ models and it is much different procedure to change pads. Be aware of this when giving advice. There is a post in this forum on how to change front pads on the 2011.
I'm about to do a complete brake pad DYI on my Cayenne thanksgiving day weekend. I will post photos and learning. My pads are in the mail from Sunsetporsche, best deal I could find.