Corroded Brake Disks?
However, they told me that the brake pipes have corroded and will need replacing before its next MOT. My concern is does this mean my car is unsafe? Shouldn't this work really be carried out straight away?! My brakes have been squealing and thinking that my brakes are shall we say fairly important . i mentioned it to the mechanic for him to check out. But all he said after servicing the car was: "they'll need replacing before its next MOT - whenever that is".
So:-
Q1. Is there anywhere I can take my car to have it checked over, just to make sure it has been properly serviced.
Q2. Do the brake pipes need replacing NOW?
Thanks
Answers:
unfortunately you are in the situation that many find themselves in, namely do you trust the word of a mechanic? as the others have said, quikfit offer a checking service that is usualy good. i would advise you to ask the garage which pipes need changing and request a written quotation. this should include itemised costs of each pipe and a full system brake fluid change ( brake fluid is hydroscopic..it absorbs water from the atmosphere, which, when there is enough of it, can cause air bubbles and spongy brakes when it gets hot- just when you need full efficiency). armed with this you can ask another garage to inspect the pipes..and ask to be present. if the original garage has looked properly you should see signs of 'scraping' on the pipes.corrosion that would be an mot failure would show up as a distinct 'pit' on the surface.you dont say what your car is? a lot of older british cars, particularly vauxhalls, had galvanised steel brake pipes fitted ex-works. if genuine manufacturers replacements are fitted they will be very expensive. i would recomend getting cupro-nickel replacements, fabricated by the mechanic (sorry- technician) who is fitting them.ask the guy who checked it over if he checked the rear wheel cylinders (if fitted) for 'weeping'. it is part of a normal service, together with washing down the brakes with hot water..this removes the brake dust, containing amongst other things small metal particals, which cause brakes to squeel. if you have wheel cylinders fitted to the back brakes and they show signs of weeping these will certainly leak during the bleeding process..more expence! on the plus side..were your brakes in a dodgy condition he wouldnt have allowed you to take it away without strenuously advising immediate remedial work, no matter how busy he was. his mot ticket would be in jeopardy! so try not to panic! a 'next mot' could be 1 year and 30,000 miles away so they cant be that bad. as one of the others mentioned, the aa and rac have a realy good checking service for members..but they still charge! quikfit are usualy good, but send (sorry)a bloke with the car, you can still get sexist behaviour in garages and quikfit mechanics get bonuses on 'loading up' a bill.should you live in south essex i could point you in the direction of a good technician (used to work for me!) i hope i've not confused the issue for you even more. good luck!
take it to quick fit who will do a free check for you.
I personally would take it to kwikfit and get a second opinion ..
by law they couldnt let u leave with an unsafe car .. so i wouldnt worry to much . pop into kwikfit tomorrow and let they asses what is wrong x
Q1, check the oil dipstick (not being rude!) is the oil clean, that will at least tell you if they changed the oil.
Q2, If you can afford it do it as soon as you can.
Maybe change the car because its a sign of more problems down the road.
This sounds a bit dodgy - Why not join the AA or RAC if you have not already done so? Both these organisations will provide a car checking service.
Most reputable garages will give free brake inspections so you should be able to get a free second opinion. The brakes are designed to squel to let you know they need replacing. You probable have some brake pad left so it probably isn't an emergency situation. If it will make you feel safer, go ahead and have the brake job done. The mechanic probably had more than he could finish in one day or he would have tried to sell you a brake job.
corroded doesn't mean unsafe just rusty so only need changed for mot depending on what pipes need changed will cost around bout £100 for brake squeal you will need new front brake pads
okay corroded break pipes mean just that they are breaking and crumbling i would get them fixed as soon as you can dont tread on the breaks as hard as normal
Quick fit will do a free check but brace yourself for the price to fix what faults they find! Don't take risks with the braking system on your car. Get them fixed. A local garage will normally charge you less than a main dealer. Try Charlie Brown's for a quote.
Lot of nonsense spoken above, there is clearly some surface corrosion on the brake pipes and they will need replacing to pass the MOT test, if the Garage fancied making a lot of money he would have said replace them now it is dangerous, I guess we are looking at a old car on which changing brake pipes wil lead to severe problems bleeding the brakes, broken bleed nipples requiring dremoval of the calipers or cylinders and bench work to restore or new replacements. I have a sneaking suspicion the guy knows the car is likely to fail so severely that repair will be uneconomic, or that he knows the job will escalate. if you can get a firm quote for changing the brake pipes ensure it means you will be able to drive home afterwards, the master cylinder, brake compensator, wheel cylinders and calipers can all be found to be unserviceable after changing brake pipes and it can take days to work out why the brakes are so bad afterwards. Follow the mechanics advice, but do some crash stops and if it is OK leave to till the MOT test even if a pipe fails there is a secondary system to stop you. Otherwise go to Crap fit and get it done.
Dont blame me if they fit master cylinder, compensator, and 4 calipers while they are at it and charge £1000
Firstly, calm down and stop worrying.
As you've said, as it was an Mot garage that told you your brake pipes were corroded (as they do) but they would need done before the Mot, beleive them.
I personally would have more doubt about them if they didn't say that because all mechanics (myself included) have a fairly good idea of how long a part will last. What your mechanic is basically saying is: your pipes have started corroding, but at this time next year he would probably fail the pipes during an Mot as by then they will have corroded even more and you wouldn't get another year out of them. This gives you a year to get the money together to get them done. If it was unsafe he wouldn't have let you leave the garage with it (there's legal repurcussions if they knowingly let you drive a dangerous vehicle). Also brake pipes will not have any effect on squealing brakes, that's a problem with vibration at the pads/shoes area. If you still have concerns, talk with the guy who worked on the car.
The brake pipes or lines carry fluid from the master cylinder to the 4 wheels. If a car is over 3 years old, they look all rusty. If the car is getting up in age, I would suggest replacing the lines. I would get a second opinion to see what they have to say and I would request to see what is going on.
As far as a squeak, the pipes will have nothing to do with this. Low brake pads, cheap pads, and rotors can all attribute to this. I would have a mechanic take a look at it. Talk to friends or neighbors and see who they trust.
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