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New brakes all around from dealer,groan when...

8.1K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  mossman  
#1 ·
I've had my '07 for 2 wks,we solved the "hollow clunk" noise with new rear sway bar bushings.The Acura service dept. installed new pads and resurfaced the rotors after their pre-sale inspection,the brakes groan as pedal is pressed and let up....would this indicate their not adjusted properly or they just need a breaking period?
I did a search here for "brake groaning",their were some matches but no answers.
 
#3 ·
they apparently reassemble something incorrectly... if he did a poor job of resurfacing the rotors & or machined them to the minimum specs, be prepared to get new rotors

it's still under warranty so take it back to the stealership & have them give you a loaner if you don't want to wait for them to double-check their own work

you're looking for the words "bed-in the pads" which the tech should have done during his test drive after the job was buttoned up ~ if he didn't, he'll probably re-scuff the brake pads & rotors to try to get rid of that groaning
 
#4 ·
I put on new pads and rotors on my 11 MDX and they "groan" for 1-2 weeks until it went away. Nice and silent now. I did the brake pad break-in procedures when installed; but, I figured it still needed more pad material to x-fer to the rotor. Two ways to break in pads is using the controlled rolling stops from various speeds or normal drive time behind the wheel (which takes longer). Two down sides with the normal drive time break in is:

- The brakes may feel spongy if you have to do an emergency stop if there isn't enough pad material transferred to the rotor resulting in longer stopping distances. I discovered this a few years ago barely avoiding rear ending someone.

- Pad material may not x-fer evenly on the rotor and you might get hi/low spots that will feel like a warped rotor when stopping at higher speeds.

I would do the first break in procedure again IF you don't notice and vibration when you stop at higher speeds.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the shared experience,I will give it a week or so city driving so lots of stop-n-go and hope it quiets down.I hope I dont have to go back again asking the tech to check them as I had to go back once for another 10 day plate because they still havent recieved the title from the out of state bank that was holding it so I can get the tags and then back for the sway bar bushings and now maybe the brakes....with the discussion about the "hollow clunk" I completly forgot to ask about the brake groan.
 
#7 ·
I don't know if you have a base, tech or sport model. I purchased my 11 MDX Adv used and I had a hollow clunk from my right front suspension. Usually heard the sound with longer suspension travel like speed bumps or dips. Acura tech found a torn front endlink boot and replace both left/right. The sound came back 7-10 days later and they said it was a bad active shock/strut. Lucky for me the car was still under the basic warranty and replacements fixed the issue.
 
#8 ·
<shrugs> you're paying a premium for an ASE-certified stealership technician to properly do a bed-in process after he slapped those brand new pads on. The tech has to re-scuff the pads and rotors again, clean them, maybe add some brake quiet compound to the back of the pads/shims, lube those caliper sliding pins... and "bed" those brake pads properly.

if parts of the rotors got "glazed over" because the pads weren't properly mated to the rotor, it'll create that wobble later down the road

don't wait too long or else that tech will not remember what he did or didn't do to your vehicle. they won't give you a loaner while they double-check their work?!?

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my experience as a DIYer: the Autozone's Duralast ceramics up front & standard non-metallics brakes in the rears w/ proper bed-in had no such noise afterwards... i didn't resurface the rotors since no signs of warpage & i just "scuffed them" followed w/ brake cleaner... i cleaned and lubed the sliding caliper pins w/ synthetic brake caliper grease as well.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for all the advice and suggestions,BTW its a '07 Sport model .Took the advice not to wait too long and brought it back to the dealer today to "listen" to the brakes.I was told the groan is the pads grabbing the rotor(told him i can see that but why do they groan when released also?)It does sound like a hard grab on the last revolution before pads stop the rotors(oh,its also only from the front brakes)but you get the same sound even louder the moment you release the brake pedal which is why I think its more mechanical,like its not releasing clean and smooth.The MDx was taken in as a trade-in.They looked at the work order and work performed during the 100+ point safety inspection and said the tech turned the rotors but put the same pads back on and noted they measured 10mm,then suggesting the "after market" pads were likely of low quality and were the cause of noise-"it may or may not go away over time..."-the rear brakes were done at the same time but with new OEM pads and they are quiet.
The dealer definitly gave me the impression they were not interested in pursuing a mutual conclusion other than quoting me "front axle brakes are approx. $350".I can just put new pads on and see if that quiets them.They brake fine,its not a safety issue its an annoyance issue.
Any input regarding their explantion is helpful.
 
#10 ·
oh, ok... i assumed that those pads were all OEM... front ones should be ceramics as an OEM replacement, but w/out noting the part number, i have no idea if they're really a ceramic pad set or the cheaper semi-metallic ones

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the nice duralast ceramics that i had also have chamfered design to also help in eliminating noise... this set also had those pad spreader clips as noted in the brakes thread that helps the pads unseat from the rotor when you release the pedal

they didn't even want to pull the sliding caliper pins to clean and re-lube them !?! or to even re-scuff the rotors & pads and do that bed-in process to make sure they didn't glaze over ?!? those things are so easy to do, even just for customer service...

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see/read more on what i've done to help eliminate any noise on that thread:

http://www.mdxers.org/forums/73-2001-2006-acura-mdx/46496-2004-mdx-brake-rotor-diy-2.html
 
#11 ·
they didn't even want to pull the sliding caliper pins to clean and re-lube them !?! or to even re-scuff the rotors & pads and do that bed-in process to make sure they didn't glaze over ?!? those things are so easy to do, even just for customer service...
Doesn't surprise me at all. One would hope/expect that the dealer would go the extra mile and do a thorough and complete job (e.g. clean and re-grease caliper pins, apply anti-squeal compound, etc.)--especially because they charge significantly more--but that's typically not how things go. The faster they get your car out of the shop, the more cars they can work on and the more money they bring in. The very reason I do everything myself (within my capabilities)--because I know it will be done correctly, completely, and cheaply.