Jim Grant's Tech Tips
98
TAURUS, Brake Problems
Q:
On pick-up of my '98 Taurus from the dealer there was a significant steering
wheel chatter on braking. The dealer said that the rotors were warped
and needed to be turned. I have since learned this is a common problem
with these cars. My question: Will service life of brakes be shortened
because rotors were turned while new? Dealer says no problem with brake
life......Harry
A: It's
not an uncommon problem for a car that has been parked (not used daily)
to develop a brake pulsation. Why? Rust will form, build up, on the exposed
metal area of the rotors, but not on the area covered by the disk brake
pad. This can create high and low spots on the braking surface. The result
is a pulsation or vibration whenever the brakes are applied. The fix to
this problem requires refacing/machining the disc brake rotor. If performed
correctly, machining the disc brake rotor will have no effect on the service
life of the brakes.
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