brakes

The brake warning light could be more than just the pads. If you're low on fluid it could engage the light. Also, the master cylinder could need replacing. The last time my brake light went on, that's what it was. That was a few cars ago.

No way should you need new pads and rotors after 18K miles.

My Toyota has 172K miles on it and I've only had the front pads and rotors done once (either two years or one year ago, I don't remember which). Now a great percentage of those miles were highway miles. But I've always been easy on my brakes. I always own manual transmission and I most often let the engine slow me down quite a bit before I use the brakes.

At times I play a little game to see if I can get off the freeway at 70 mph and reach a full stop by the stoplight at the top of the uphill ramp without braking. I've done it a few times.

Some folks figure I should have gone through a clutch or two, but I'm also still on the first clutch. And on another thread I've already discussed how I'm still only on the second set of tires. That vehicle is why I'll always buy Toyota.

 

Kurtis Blows knows what you should do...

 

Slappy has a point however. I really do need to find a way to cut back on driving. Otherwise I'm going to be saying "Didn't I just get that fixed a few months ago?" a lot.

 

If your pads are worn, you will begin to hear a godawful screech. That is the sensor on the pad rubbing the rotor. That means you have a couple thousand miles before you start grinding metal on metal and it's time to do the pads, buddy.

A brake light coming on will not signify worn pads or shoes. Like Tony said, it's either low fluid or a master/slave cylinder. And brakes don't lose fluid in a normal course of events. Check your driveway.

I've worked on my own brake pads and rotors since I was a kid. Anything more, though, and I've got to take it in.

 

If it is the pads and/or rotors, you would be able to feel it through the brake pedal when you use it. If anything, this sounds fluid/master cylinder/slave cylinder related.

There's also a possibility that the sensor is false-alarming, i.e., nothing is wrong. Winter weather can play games on the sensors that trip those dash lights.

Just don't stop pursuing this issue. 8)

 

Again, smallpo, why would you not take it back to the guys who did the brake work and find out WTF is wrong and what they can do to fix it?

 

S-P's advice is probably the best first step ... especially if the place where you had the brakes serviced came across as reputable. A place worth its salt (not of the road-clearing variety) would, at worst, tell you in detail what is not right.

 

My first check would be to look at the brake fluid and see if its low. It could be as simple as the cap getting knocked off the last time you checked or had the oil replaced. If that's the case, be careful to read what type of fluid to buy "Dot 3" or "Dot 4" etc. It should be on the cap or in the owner's manual.

 

But if it is low and you do not see an obvious reason for the fluid leaking out, it could be something lurking that could mean more damage in the future. Just filling the brake fluid without getting it checked out could just mask an existing problem.

 

That's nothing. I had my car for one year last week and racked up 35,000 miles. My warranty is now gone.

 

Brakes are overrated. Your car will stop eventually.

 

I have a '99 Grand Am and put on between 20 and 25,000 miles a year. I've never had to change the rear brakes (Drums), but I replace the front pads probably twice a year. Best money I ever saved was learning how to change brake pads and oil on my own.