Brake Flush Question

[C4talyst]

Hi, searched first. I have a 17 Explorer Sport and had it in for service this week. The work included turning the front and rear rotors, new pads on rear, and a brake flush.

I got it back today and the brake pedal is hard. It pushes down softly and does some braking, but then gets hard to push for further response.

The brake pedal response felt better before it went in, and with all this work I expected the brakes to feel new-ish. Is this the result of a poor flush job?

 

[KayGee]

Where did you take it to have the work done?

Did you contact them about the issues you are experiencing? If so, what was their response?

They could have done something wrong and now you have air bubbles/pockets in the lines. Maybe have the thickness of the rotors checked as there usually isn't much material on them to allow for resurfacing, especially on the rear. Resurfacing generally removes .020-.030" (.5-.8mm) and that will probably put your rear rotors at or very close to discard thickness.

On a side note, how many miles do you have on a 17 to require front and rear brake service?

 

[peterk9]

I can't say for sure and honestly have not paid much attention to how mine feels. I do know that sometimes going from one car to another I've noticed a difference. The problem is that over time you get used to the 'feel' of your own, even though it may be gradually changing and then when something is done to the system it suddenly has a different 'feel'. However, that different feel sometimes is what the original was when you first got it. To be on the safe side, maybe have them check it out just to be sure the system was 'bled' properly.

Peter

 

[C4talyst]

Where did you take it to have the work done?

Did you contact them about the issues you are experiencing? If so, what was their response?

They could have done something wrong and now you have air bubbles/pockets in the lines. Maybe have the thickness of the rotors checked as there usually isn't much material on them to allow for resurfacing, especially on the rear. Resurfacing generally removes .020-.030" (.5-.8mm) and that will probably put your rear rotors at or very close to discard thickness.

On a side note, how many miles do you have on a 17 to require front and rear brake service?

I had it done at the dealer where I purchased the vehicle. I just picked it up a couple hours ago and haven't called them yet, wanted to get some feedback first.

I've had the car a year and a half and it was 31k miles on it. A front rotor had pitting which you could feel when you brake. They didn't mention any issues with the rear rotor thickness.

 

[C4talyst]

I can't say for sure and honestly have not paid much attention to how mine feels. I do know that sometimes going from one car to another I've noticed a difference. The problem is that over time you get used to the 'feel' of your own, even though it may be gradually changing and then when something is done to the system it suddenly has a different 'feel'. However, that different feel sometimes is what the original was when you first got it. To be on the safe side, maybe have them check it out just to be sure the system was 'bled' properly.

Peter

Thanks Peter, I'll try to get it back in this week. The brake pedal response was distinctly different enough that I could tell right away that it felt more normal before dropping it off.

 

[peterk9]

Just came back from a drive and my pedal goes down easy and then hits a hard part.

Peter

 

[KayGee]

I had it done at the dealer where I purchased the vehicle. I just picked it up a couple hours ago and haven't called them yet, wanted to get some feedback first.

I've had the car a year and a half and it was 31k miles on it. A front rotor had pitting which you could feel when you brake. They didn't mention any issues with the rear rotor thickness.

Did the dealer say why the rotor pitted? If it was bad material/inclusions, it could do it again. If it wasn't, typically only vehicles that sit for extended periods of time get rust on the rotors bad enough to cause pitting. If they are driven regularly, any surface rust gets wiped off pretty quickly.

2017 rotor specs for reference
FR nom 32mm/discard 30mm
RR nom 19.1mm/discard 17.5mm

As you can see, not a lot of room for resurfacing. If you have a caliper and can access the rotor through the wheel spokes, you can measure the thickness and check yours.

 

[974X4BLACKSPORT]

Some new brake pads, especially ceramic brake pads are hard when they are cold, but whem they get hot, WOOOH they grab like glue.

 

[Jon M]

That sounds like a poor bleed job on the flush. When we did my '13, we had to bleed it multiple times to get the pedal to feel right.