Hey was curious my brakes pads are shot on my SE V6 07 Accord 27k miles (city driving) this will be my first brake job ....

The Honda dealer wants 270.00 for a brake job which includes re-surfacing the rotors.

I asked if re-surfacing is really necessary if they otherwise appear to be in good condition? Isn't there a tool they can use to check if the rotors are warped? They basically said they like to know up front if there going to resurface the rotors because if I say no and the new pads start to vibrate they open themselves up to a customer coming back and blaming them....So whats the deal is it necessary with only 27k miles?
And what's the consensus on OEM Honda pads, are they decent?

 

I usually do my own brakes and can say for a fact that the rotors on my 95 are the originals. I just use some sandpaper to knock any glazing off before installing the new pads. (shoes on the rear nad the same story) I know others though that swear the rotors should be turned every time. to be needing new pads at 27K sounds early to me, even with all city driving. It might be a good idea to have your rotors looked at.

 

Uneven rotors nearly always give the pulsating/shaking sensation when you apply the brakes. If the braking action is SMOOTH, then it's likely you can get away without resurfacing.

But even so, resurfacing can give you a nice uniform finish as a good starting point to break-in your pads & rotors. This can give you slightly better performance in the long run. Absolutely necessary? NO. But since I do the brake work myself, I don't have to worry about a dis-satisfied customer coming back.

 

Thx everyone.....Found a free coupon for a Free Brake Inspection. Whats crazy is I called another dealer and when I told him I only had 27k on the car he said "what the hell you doing to it" suggesting that brakes would not be neccessary until @ aorund 35k -40k where as the other dealer suggest 15-25k is when they typically see brakes pads going.... Just unreal what these dealers charge and how everyones opinons differs....I know its subjective to make an assesment on how many mile before new pads....but jesus.

The brakes are not pulsating or vibrating just feel a bit "soft"

 

Soft could be a small amount of air worked into the hydraulic system. Bleeding the brakes can fix that.

It's impossible to say how long brakes "should" last. Driver habits & terrain (hills? mountains?) make a tremendous difference. Honda doesn't even pretend to have a mileage schedule for replacing them. You're just supposed to inspect them & measure how much is left, every 10k miles or whatever.

 

Used the search method, Jim.

I have an 07 Accord LX, and I recently went to my dealership where they did the multi-point inspection. When it came to breaks, they recommended a rear break service - both are 2mms. The front are 6mms.

Does this refer to the break pads? Or the rotor as well?

Also how are Akebono Ceramic break pads? I was considering paying about $50 for them from Advanced Auto Parts, taking it over to an uncle or friends, and paying them another $50 while I help. The dealership will charge me $200.

Any suggestions fellow Accordians?

 

The 2mm is the brake pad thickness in the rear of the car. There have been numerous posts about how the newer accords have the rear pads wear down quicker than the front pads (which is the opposite of my accord).

Its your call on the rear rotor. If the rotor does not have any grooves in it and there is no pulsing when braking, then I would probably use some sandpaper to clean off the glazing.

 

I'll get it to my uncle and see what he says about it.

Do you recommend Akebono Ceramic break pads? Any other brands that come to mind? Tirerack ratings on the Akebono ProCRT (or something like that) are superb.

 

The Honda dealership I once worked for never cut rotors unless warped.

 

Read this link. http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#transmission

I have always just replaced the pads, and that's it. It works just fine for me, so I see no reason to turn rotors (making them thinner and weaker).