Zafira brake pad wear

Sure the fronts haven't been changed already? 50,000 miles and only half
worn sounds like a miracle.

All the disc brake cars I've had tend to get through about twice as many
fronts as rears.

 

Hi, I'm hoping for a bit of advice concerning a problem I'm having with our
local Vauxhall dealer...

Can anyone tell me the wearing characteristics of Zafira brake pads -
particularly which should wear first, front or back? I've never had a car
with rear discs before and I was surprised when my wife was told by the
dealer that the (original) rear pads needed changing when it was serviced at
50,000 miles (apparently over 90% worn) but that the (original) front pads
were only 50% worn. When my wife queried this she was told firstly that she
must have driven round with the handbrake on (!), then that it was a known
characteristic of Zafiras and then that most cars with rear discs had
heavier wear on the rear. She was told by the Service Manager that there was
"plenty of wear left" in the front pads.

AIUI Zafiras only have brake wear sensors on the front pads. Is this
correct? If so why would they only have sensors on the front if the rear
pads are known to wear quicker?

2 weeks and 2000 miles later the brake wear light came on indicating that
the front pads needed changing too! That's 50,000 miles to wear 50% of the
pads and 2000 miles to wear the remaining 50%. Surely this can't be right?

My own feeling is that they changed the wrong pads at the 50k service but
I'd be grateful if anyone could throw any light on this.

TIA

andy

 

I thought that one changed the brake pads every year or so?

--Nick.

 

My Zafira has rear drums :-( however my Volvo is on original rear pads/discs
at 73k miles, however they will both need replacing soon, and on it's third
set of front pads (second set of discs)

My Rover 75 used to wear it's back pads faster than front. All depends on
the sizes of the pads, wear rates and types of braking - at higher speeds
cars with EBD seem to put more force to the rear, especially if driven with
a lot of weight over the rear. My Volvo is driven with just me in it most of
the time.

Get them checked for sticking, although 50k miles is good anyway. In general
"average" user I think they'll be designed to wear at the same rate as the
front ones. Bear in mind as well that many cars eat the discs in the same
time as the pads!

 

depending on how you use the vehcile, if you are fully loaded all the time
you'll wear the rears out just as quick as the fornts
but if you don't have anything inthe back, the fronts will wear at about
twice the rate of the rears in most cases

 

Learn to drive.

 

50,000 seems way too long for fronts although not that bad for rears. I
would normally expect fronts to wear quicker.

Zafiras can suffer from sticking rear callipers. This could wear them
faster. Lots of fully loaded driving will wear rears faster too.

I don't know how easy it is to see or check the pad wear on Zafiras but wear
is normally an estimate. They obviously got the front wear totally wrong but
they could easily have been right about the backs.

--


Alan Steele

Steeles of Worthing
www.steeles.co.uk

 

I just noticed that my National brake disks were "guaranteed" for
10,000 miles/1 year.

I can drive and have only changed them once, when the car was new.

Thought that it was looked at yearly, that's all.

--nick.

 

I've just had the 3rd year service on my Zafira (48000 miles). Main dealer
told me all pads needed changing as very worn, after they quoted £181 I said
no. Checked them myself once I got the car back, front 5-6mm remaining &
rear 0.5mm - 2mm. As the car is now out of warranty I replaced the rears
myself left the fronts alone, Min thickness per Vx is 2mm front & rear.

S

 

Was it still on the original pads at both ends? If so, is the car often
driven heavily loaded or not?

2 other dealers have now told me that front pads usually wear much quicker
than rear unless the car is often driven when heavily loaded. 95% of our
mileage is carried out with no load other than the driver.

Anyone know what the original pad thickness would be? I'm guessing 16-18mm
of wearing material, is that correct?

andy

 

Was it still on the original pads at both ends? If so, is the car often

Yes the original pads front & rear. The car is rarely loaded, usually me
during the week (80 - 90% mileage) and me, other half & kids at the weekend.

The new rear pads have about 11/12mm friction material, I guess the fronts
would be about the same.

S