ninjavet

Hello

I was wondering if I could get some advice with an issue with my 2014 Civic EX sedan. I am just hitting 35000 miles (I drive a lot for work, I typically have 25K a year in mileage) and have gotten both the front rotors and rear drums replaced due to 'overheating" under warranty with this vehicle. The dealership claims that there is nothing functionally wrong with the braking system, yet have replaced both the front and rear brakes under warranty. I have had 6 different honda civics in the past 20 years. I have never had this problem before with any of the vehicles and I usually put about 130K on them before trading them in. Any recommendations on what might be an issue? The dealership says that there's nothing wrong with the car, the subtext of which is blaming me for my driving habits,except absolutely nothing about my habits has changed. Thanks for any help

holmesnmanny

There is nothing in your post that indicates what the exact issue is. Just what the fix has been, that they keep replacing the rotors.

ninjavet

Sorry, at about 24000 miles a few months ago, there was pulsation when the brake pedal was depressed, which in past cars has been worn rotors. I took it in and they changed the front rotors under warranty without changing the pads, saying that they found nothing mechanically wrong but were replacing it under warranty. 2-3 months later at 35,000 miles, I was getting cyclical grinding noises on depressing the brake pedal going downhill so I had them check it over again knowing I was approaching the end of my warranty mileage period and not wanting to get screwed over. They said that the rear rotors were also showing signs of overheating and replaced these under warranty as well. The dealership keeps repeating that the rotors are messed up because the brakes are overheating with the implication that it is something that I am doing. There is nothing different from my driving habits from any other vehicle I've owned and I haven't had to replace rotors/drums early on any of my other vehicles. I don't ride the brakes or brake overly aggressively. I don't think I've ever even managed to trigger the ABS system on this car. These are about 90% highway miles in a year and a half. Replacing both front and rear discs every 35000 miles of highway driving seems a little much to me. It also seems strange that the rotors would need replacing yet nothing wrong with the pads that the said they didn't need replacing with the front rotors. Does any of this seem plausible? If it's me, what am I doing wrong?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

holmesnmanny

Ok, what's happening is you have one or more distorted hubs. This is caused either by someone overtorquing the lug nuts with an impact gun without atleast using torque sticks or from hitting a bump hard enough to bend the hub, it could even be a combination of both. You will need someone to remove the rotor at each wheel and use a dial indicator to measure lateral run out at the hub, towards the outside of the studs. Whichever ones have more than .001 of run out need to be replaced. It's likely you will see atleast .003 at the suspect hub(s).

You can get a dial indicator gauge at Harbor Freight for like $25 and there are numerous howto's on youtube for how to do it, normally the videos show them measuring rotors but there are a few that show them measuring at the hub, but it's the same thing. When you see how to do it at the rotor, it's the same thing for the hub.

When you find the suspect hub it will need to be replaced and I don't see an aftermarket hub option for your car at rockauto.

holmesnmanny

One thing I see is that your car has a caliper slide bushing on the lower slide pin for the front brakes. Those bushings are very susceptible to swelling up and sticking the caliper when someone uses Moly grease to lube it. You must only use Silicone grease, I normally use Sil-Glyde grease on those slide pins and Moly grease everywhere else.

It is theoretically possible that the front brakes are locking up so much that it's causing the rotors to warp but you would be seeing your pads wear down extremely fast and probably they would wear unevenly.

ninjavet

thanks. Now to deal with a dealership who says that nothing is wrong with the car. I guess I will contact Honda directly and see what they can do for me.

ninjavet

OK, I had a mechanic not affiliated with the dealership take a look at the vehicle and assessed the calipers and thought all was ok. They did point out that the dealership only replaced one of the rear rotors and left the other old rotor in place, even though they both measured the same on the sheet the dealership gave me as a record of what they had measured.

Now, is it an issue that they didn't replace the pads with either the front or rear rotor replacement and also is it an issue that they replaced only one rotor? I know this is not at all standard for a brake job I would be paying for but this little cluster was handled under warranty. Even then, I would have liked to have the option to pay for new pads at the time of service rather than leave the old pads with a new rotor, or to replace both rear rotors since they both appeared on their way out.

I understand if this is more of a warranty question but wasn't sure where to ask. Thanks for any help

holmesnmanny

In your original post you said you had the front rotors and rear drums replaced, even though you have rear rotors. You then said you had the rear rotors replaced but they are pulsating again.

Even though you gave conflicting info as to what has occurred and what you replaced I gave you advice as to what the problem is based on the information you gave, assuming it was altogether correct. You completely ignored my advice and are talking about the pads, which would have nothing to do with pulsating brakes, especially if they are Honda pads. Based on what you are stating I am telling you what would appear to be the cause. What you choose to do with that information is entirely up to you. I'm not going to tell you the pads are bad when it is almost 100% impossible for that to be the case. Good luck.

ninjavet

Sorry for misspeaking. I am admittedly know nothing about cars, which is why I am searching for help. The EX has front and rear rotors and this is the first car that I have owned doesn't have drums in the back. I thought they had replaced both rear rotors and looked through the paperwork I was given and realized they document replacing only one of the rear rotors. Two mechanics looked a the vehicle and did not find any of the issues you mentioned. What my concern is now is if there is a safety issue with the way the car was repaired, not that the pads are at fault. I am grasping at straws because it makes no sense to me to replace rotors and not replace pads and to only replace one rotor when both rotors measured the same. I guess I will hope to find answers elsewhere.