In This Article...
Connect a car battery charger
While performing this task, the first step is to connect a car battery charger. Many individuals overlook or disregard this step, but if you do not, it could really damage parts and result in several issues.
Connect a diagnostic tool
Connecting your diagnostic equipment or parking brake tool to your car is the next step. Make that the battery voltage is stable and that it can communicate with the vehicle.
Loosen the parking brake pistons
Release the parking brake pistons at this moment. Either a diagnostic scanner or a parking brake-specific instrument can be used for this. If everything is done correctly, you should hear the pistons moving backward for two to three seconds. The pistons can also be pushed back using 12v+ power and ground, but it is not something we’ll discuss here because it could harm your components. Additionally, you must perform a calibration thereafter, which is challenging without a tool. You can look at our guide to the top diagnostic tools if you need a tool for this. Make sure it is appropriate for your car model and compatible with your EPB system.
Remove Caliper & Push Pistons
It’s time to lift the car, take off your wheel, and remove the brake caliper when the parking brake pistons have been released. With a tool or a large plier, you ought should be able to press the pistons back at this point. If it is not possible, either it is extremely rusted and needs renovation, or you made a mistake in the step before. You cannot press the pistons in if the parking brake motor is not disengaged. Keep in mind that some pistons need to be twisted while being pushed in order for them to come in. You might need a tool like this one from Amazon for this:
Are Audi brake pads self-changeable?
It could be time to change your brake pads if they are grinding or screeching. You’ll be pleasantly delighted to learn that you can quickly, simply, and without specialized tools replace the brake pads in your car’s disc brake system. You will also spend much less money if you do it yourself.
Can I replace the rear brake pads on my own?
- Depending on your vehicle and driving style, brake pads should be replaced every 25,000 to 75,000 miles. You’ll discover that most professionals and automakers advise changing your brake pads every 50,000 miles on average.
- As part of your standard inspection, ask your mechanic to check your brake pads on a regular basis. Always remember to examine your brake pads to see if they appear worn if you prefer to perform your own vehicle inspections. When you notice severe wear on your brake pads, replace them right once to keep your car safe.
- Squealing, squeaking, and grinding noises are indications of wear. It’s probably time for a replacement if your automobile pulls to one side more than the other when you press the brake pedal or if you experience bouncing when coming to a stop.
- Your car’s performance, dependability, and safety can all be enhanced by replacing the brake pads. You can tackle replacing your own brake pads as a DIY project if you’re confident performing your own vehicle maintenance. As with any auto modification or repair, check your owner’s manual for any special instructions or instructions before you start.
Can you replace brake pads while using the handbrake?
Electric parking brake systems come in two different categories:
- Electric motor: This electric parking brake system is a feature of various GM automobiles. Similar to a conventional parking brake system, but with a motor pulling the cord instead of a person’s hand or foot. A parking brake control module is the name of the motor. Once engaged, it uses the parking brake wire to pull the parking brake shoes.
- Parking brake actuator: Vehicles with an electronic parking brake system that are not GM can have this system. Parking brake actuators are fixed to both rear brake calipers. A gear that has the ability to drive out the caliper piston is connected to each parking brake actuator. The parking brake actuator has the ability to shift that gear when engaged. The brake pads are pushed up against the rotor by the piston as a result. To put it another way, when this system is engaged, the rear brake pads can serve as the parking brake.
When an automobile is put into park, the parking brake is often activated automatically, even if the driver doesn’t press the parking brake switch. You must first turn off the electric parking brake in order to replace the brake pads on the rear brakes.
When changing pads, do the brakes need to be bled?
Your braking system is the most important one in terms of essential parts. You must be able to stop at any time, no matter how quickly you’re moving. Hydraulic braking systems for vehicles operate by pushing pressurized fluid. There will be less pressure, spongy-feeling brakes, and lengthier stops if there is an air bubble in the system. But that’s only the start. The car might not stop at all if left unattended.
There is a technique to avoid this in addition to fixing it. Let’s examine when and how brakes should be bled.
When to Bleed Your Brakes
First off, you aren’t truly bleeding brakes; rather, you are removing air bubbles that may have developed prior to pouring fresh brake fluid by bleeding fluid and air out of the braking system.
When should you bleed your brakes?
- when the brakes begin to feel soft.
- when pauses take longer and you start to lose confidence.
- if you discover a leak Air may also be let in through leaks in addition to fluid. Bleeding your brakes after fixing the leak is the only way to ensure that your system isn’t affected by an air bubble.
- if you’re changing out worn-out brake pads, as this could lead to air getting into the master cylinder. More brake fluid is needed while braking with worn brake pads, which empties the reservoir and leaves room for air.
- if you replace your brake pads or rotors. For the purpose of safety, every brake job needs to include a brake bleed.
- As part of good preventive maintenance, once a year.
How to Bleed Your Brakes
You’ll need a screwdriver for Torx screws (detectable by the six-pointed groove on their heads), as much fresh brake fluid your car needs, and a container to catch the used fluid for all four methods of bleeding brakes.
Here are the four techniques for bleeding brakes:
- Put a container underneath the bleeder screw, turn the screw to let the old fluid fall into the container by gravity. Afterward, there will be cleanup. The liquid won’t fall in a straight line; instead, it will drip down components in the space between the container and the bleeder screw.
- By hand: Place a container beneath the bleeder screw and open it as someone gently presses and releases the brake pedal, forcing the fluid and air out of the system. Smoothly use the brakes to prevent the formation of further air bubbles that could linger and contaminate the fresh fluid. Make sure the fluid isn’t frothy, as that indicates that new air bubbles are beginning to form.
- Once more, place a container under the bleeder screw and open it to provide pressure. The fluid and air should then be forced through the system and into the container using a tank of pressurized braking fluid at the master cylinder.
- Vacuum: For this technique, when you open the bleeder screw, fasten a vacuum bleeder to it. It extracts the liquid and air into a connected container.
Regardless of the route you take, bleeding your brakes when there is a problem or as part of routine maintenance ensures that your braking system operates as effectively as possible and keeps you and your passengers safe.
NAPA Online has a comprehensive selection of brake fluid; or, visit one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare facilities for regular maintenance and repairs. Visit your neighborhood NAPA AUTO PARTS store to speak with a trained specialist for more details on bleeding your brakes.
Does changing your own brakes save money?
If you’ve ever had your brakes serviced, you are aware of the high cost. The majority of larger brake shops, like Les Schwab, won’t just swap out your brake pads. Your rotors will need to be resurfaced or replaced, and they’ll probably also suggest replacing the calipers. A straightforward brake pad replacement that should only cost $40 can end up costing $500 or more. Therefore, every time you replace your own brake pads, you might save $450.
Check out this as well: On their brake pads, certain auto parts retailers may offer you a “Lifetime Warranty.” When these pads are used, many customers simply return them to the store for a free replacement. The Autozone Cmax brake pad line is one of these pads. They have a lifetime warranty, and there are numerous accounts of customers exchanging their worn out pads for free replacements without any inquiries.
What occurs if brake pads are changed without rotating the rotors?
For the optimum braking performance, fresh brake pads should be burnished (bedded) into the rotors.
Simply said, breaking in your new brake pads involves burnishing, also known as bedding-in, the brake pad.
Burnishing transmits an even coating of friction material from the brake pad to the brake rotor, improving braking efficiency over a wider temperature range and reducing noise and vibration.
To transmit the friction material to the brake rotor, a series of stops must be made, with cooling down intervals in between.
Get your mechanic to handle it because if it’s done incorrectly, you could experience brake pulsation, which would subject the rotor to heat shock and cause warping or fracture.
Is adjusting your own brakes simple?
You should anticipate paying more for brake work on a car like a BMW than on a Honda because the cost of brake pads, rotors, calipers, and other parts vary greatly by brand and model. Choosing the components that go on your automobile, overseeing quality control, and working on your own schedule are additional benefits of doing it yourself. The following materials are necessary if you plan to perform your own brake work on a car with disc brakes:
- Braking liquid
- brake linings
- Rotors on brakes (sometimes referred to as brake discs)
- Brake fluid
In order to compress the pistons in your brake calipers and remove the old brake pads, you will also need a C-clamp or a specialist brake tool. Service for brakes appears straightforward. You only need to jack up the car, use jack stands for added safety, remove the wheel, replace the brake pads and maybe the rotors, add brake fluid, and loosen the lug nuts.
Brake repair is unfortunately a little more complicated than that. Directly below each wheel are the components of disc braking systems, and in some cars, there isn’t much space for movement. Brake parts, like calipers, frequently rust because your wheels go through rain, snow, and other debris, which makes them challenging to remove. And these are just a handful of the factors that can complicate a straightforward brake job.
Potential Complications With Replacing Your Own Brakes
If replacing your brakes always required only a straightforward exchange of worn parts for new ones and the addition of brake fluid, we would advise everyone with a basic understanding of mechanics to handle their own brake repairs. However, brake maintenance is more difficult than, say, a routine oil change and isn’t always as straightforward as just removing and changing pads and rotors. The task of installing new brake pads may rapidly turn out to be more challenging than you had imagined.
For instance, excessive brake pedal travel may be caused by air in the hydraulic brake lines rather than friction or worn brake pads, and unevenly worn brake pads may be the consequence of stuck caliper slide pins, cleaning, lubricating, or replacement of the calipers themselves. Additional replacement parts, such as a master cylinder, brake caliper, or piston, may also be required. If you find that a grinding noise is being brought on by a malfunctioning rotor rather than worn-out brake pads, what you once thought was a straightforward brake pad replacement task may end up becoming more complicated. You might need to start over to figure out what went wrong if you complete the job and the brake pedal doesn’t feel quite right or if you hear a screech, grinding, or squeaking noise while you drive your automobile. To reduce friction, you might only need to add extra brake fluid or use brake grease. Alternatively, you could need to identify a more complicated issue with your brake system.
If you replace parts because they are the typical suspects, you can be wasting time and money if you don’t have the expertise to identify what might be wrong, the tools, or the experience to fix it. Although you may be the expert on your car, a skilled mechanic is likely to be more knowledgeable about brakes than you are. Repair shops offer warranties on both the labor and the parts they install, so if something doesn’t seem right after a brake job, they often stand behind it and replace what’s wrong, whether you choose a local mechanic or a chain business like Pep Boys.
If you choose to perform the repair yourself, be sure to address the underlying reasons of your brake problems and confirm that pads, rotors, and other parts actually require replacement before purchasing new ones. Knowing your limitations is crucial because your car’s brakes are what stop it, and you don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.
How long does it take to change the brake pads on the back?
Because malfunctioning brakes could cause an accident, proper braking system maintenance is crucial. How long do brakes last? and other similar inquiries are frequently heard by mechanics when it’s time to replace the brake pads, rotors, discs, or calipers. How long does it take to replace brake pads? It will ultimately be necessary to repair the various brake system components because they are a normal wear item, and professional mechanics say it typically takes 30 minutes to an hour.
When to replace these braking components depends on the following factors:
- Brake Service: In order to keep you and your passengers safe on the road, it is crucial to have brake service performed reasonably frequently (at least once a year) by a skilled mechanic. During this service, the mechanic will decide whether brake fluid should be changed or whether brake pads, rotors, and brake lines need to be replaced. The mechanic should test drive your automobile as part of the service to make sure the brake system is functioning properly.
- Operating environment: Stop-and-go traffic in urban locations makes braking difficult, but long straight highways in the countryside are friendlier and require less braking. Since you have to press down hard on the brake pedal to regulate the downhill speed, steep descents are also difficult on the brakes.
- Driving Habits: Poor driving practices hasten the brakes’ rapid deterioration. Make an effort to stop slowly and gracefully. The brake system’s component wear will be reduced as a result. Unless it is absolutely necessary for safety, avoid rapid braking.
- Brake Materials: The materials used to build the various sections of the brakes affect how long they will last. Despite being the most resilient, carbon-ceramic brakes are expensive and hard to come by. Steel or any other high-quality metal brakes are an excellent alternative because they are easily accessible, reasonably priced, and appropriate for a variety of driving situations.
Reminder: Buy high-quality brake parts, have expert brake servicing for your car, and maintain safe driving practices to keep your brakes in excellent condition.