Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 12:33 am
Classic Line Insurance


All times are UTC [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 5:02 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 4:09 pm
Posts: 4
TIPEC membership: 0
hi i'm a newbie so please be patient with me if i write something i should not or write something in the wrong section. :albino:

Ok i need help... i have a Porsche Boxster 03 plate (986) facelift model. my brake pad service light has come on and i need to replace both front and back pads.
I've been told i will also need to replace the brake sensors as well which will then turn the service light off.

question: do i replace with original Porsche pads and sensors which will cost around £250 or are there just as good oem pads i could buy ie minitex, ferodo, ebc??? also do i replace all brake sensors??

Now my other problem is a garage mechanic told me that cheap replacement pads are generic thus have a small amount of play in them. this then causes every time you brake a knocking noise!!!! on the pads he showed me i could see what he was trying to say.

not sure if you need any other information ....any help would be appreciated. thanks in advance


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:39 pm 
Offline

Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:08 am
Posts: 19
Location: Ystrad Mynach, South Wales
TIPEC membership: 0
Hi and welcome.
Sorry I cant help you on this one but I'm sure there will be someone along soon that will help.
I also have a Porsche Boxster 03 plate (986) face lift model. but haven't changed the pads on this car yet.
Talking about pad sensors I remember changing pads on one of my cars long time ago (cant remember what make it was) where when the pad wore down, the disc then made contact with the sensor that was buried in the pad, and completed a circuit and your warning light would come on, this way you just change the pad and put the sensor back into it and wait for the pad to wear down again before making the circuit, no need to renew sensor, Simple :wink: last time I did any brake pads was on my daughters BMW and later on my wife's Mini, (BMW) and lo and behold guess what, these sensors are the other way round, it's only after they have worn down with and at the same time as the pad do they then make a contact and then the warning light comes on, the only difference now is you have to buy new sensors as well as new pads, it sounds as if Porsche have the same system, the trick will be to change the pads just before the sensor wears down, if you can catch it just right, to late in your case, cant remember how much the sensors were but what I do remember is that my Daughters 3 series was the same as my wife's Mini but cost three times as much :shock:
Guvs

_________________
The life we are living today is not a rehearsal for another one!! this is it, so don't waste any of it.


Last edited by Guvs on Sat Jan 15, 2011 1:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 12:44 am 
Offline

Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:16 am
Posts: 4903
Location: Emsworth Hants
TIPEC membership: 993
Last time I changed my sensors I think they were about £15 , even if you change the pads before the sensor contacts the rotor it can be tricky getting the sensor out without causing damage, so be careful, I did not even try this time because even being careful I still damaged two.The problem I think is made worse if the sensors/pads have been on the car for a while. This info is based on my car which is a 993


Last edited by sam on Sat Jan 15, 2011 10:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:46 am 
Offline

Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 4:09 pm
Posts: 4
TIPEC membership: 0
thanks guys looks like sensors will have to be changed, :(

as for which brake pads to go for, my question still stands.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 10:07 am 
Offline

Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:05 pm
Posts: 2291
Location: Lanark
TIPEC membership: 6030
Hi and welcome turaab :hello2: Sorry I don't have a Boxster, but I have had no problem with any other make of brake pad in my cars. I don't know many people who pay £250 for a brake pad change who are only using the car for normal use. Unless you want to go on a track day, I wouldn't spend that either. Where are you? Maybe someone could recommend a better garage near you? Your club membership would be saved on the discount you would get buying pads from JMGarage ( and free advice on what you should buy ). If you popped along to a club night, you might find someone there who could help.

_________________
Lee.

JOIN THE CLUB, CLICK HERE

2003 996TT

Due to the current economic climate, the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 10:26 am 
Offline

Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2007 7:24 pm
Posts: 3008
Location: Halifax
TIPEC membership: 4636
By law all brake pads sold must be within 5% + or - of the origingal manufacturers spec. So if you get pads from Unipart they will be just as good as EBC or Mintex or whatever. They have to be! There are production tolerances hence the 5%. It's the law. If you spend lots on fancy pads all your paying for is the box. Except for the ones that arn't type approved & say "Not for road use." They actually are better but fitting them will invalidate your insurance. (Not that they'd know unless you parked it upside down on a bus shelter.) The EBC green ones do keep your alloys cleaner. Thats it. I fit Unipart pads on my '44 & replace them when they get tired. Long before there worn out. It's as good as anything. Porsche just load the price. Hope that helps. :)

_________________
944 lux, Eco car. Off the road more than it's on!
Audi 2.0 TDI Good but rather boring..........
944 now sold.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 2:56 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 4:09 pm
Posts: 4
TIPEC membership: 0
thanks for helping out with all your advise guys.

So just to clarify if i use any other brand of brake pads ie unipart, I should not hear this knocking noise which my garage has told me about when using an alternative??

He showed me on one wheel when fitting a pad that due to it being a UNIVERSAL pad it has play, if this make sense a 'c' shaped groove on the pad, was bigger, thus when applying the brake when the pad touches the disc the bigger size groove whould cause you to hear this knocking noise. :drunken:

I should have asked him which brand of brake pads he was using but did not think about it at the time. maybe the ones he was using were really crap ones.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:38 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:05 pm
Posts: 2291
Location: Lanark
TIPEC membership: 6030
My opinion, you need another garage. If you let us where you are, someone might know a better garage. What happens when the pads wear down, there has to play to take up the extra travel?? I can't visualise what the problem would be? It's not a universal pad, it is for your car, just made by someone else.

_________________
Lee.

JOIN THE CLUB, CLICK HERE

2003 996TT

Due to the current economic climate, the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 6:03 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 4:09 pm
Posts: 4
TIPEC membership: 0
i think your right another garage would be better. i live in purley, london :(


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:22 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:05 pm
Posts: 2291
Location: Lanark
TIPEC membership: 6030
Could you drive to here? It is a good day out and you will get the best service/price. Try looking up the praise or grumble section for garages near you, or start another topic in the discussion area. There are a lot of TIPEC guys in your area, they must go some where.

_________________
Lee.

JOIN THE CLUB, CLICK HERE

2003 996TT

Due to the current economic climate, the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:28 pm 
Offline

Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 11:27 am
Posts: 9
TIPEC membership: 0
As others have said £250 is way to much to have pads changed - in my opinion.

It is a really straightforward job to change the pads yourself, honestly I am no mechanic but I changed the pads and discs on my wifes boxster - took a morning.

With regards the sensors, normally if the the low pad warning light comes on its because the sensor has come in contact with the disc which earths it then puts the dash light on. This is how it should work so the sensor earths before the pad lining wears right down and the metal backing oo the pad scores the disc.

From memory the sensors were around £10 - £20

The ones I changed weren't damaged but one of the sensors stuck which I proceeded to break upon removal, so I would change them anyway.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:58 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:57 pm
Posts: 208
TIPEC membership: 0
OEM pads are £50 a set, sensors £30 for all 4, so with the VAT, £155.00 ish


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 12:03 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:05 pm
Posts: 2291
Location: Lanark
TIPEC membership: 6030
I'd have a go myself, it only takes this chap 2 minutes 8 seconds all in to change one set. :lol:

_________________
Lee.

JOIN THE CLUB, CLICK HERE

2003 996TT

Due to the current economic climate, the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 11:43 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:35 pm
Posts: 2288
Location: Bournemouth
TIPEC membership: 3266
We recommend Textar (Porsche supplier) or Pagid (used to be Porsche supplier and still seem to be for the GT3 996 and 993TT)

I personally do not like the EBC pads, they are great for keeping brake dust down, but can be noisey when cold, not as good as Pagid when cold and tend to be a bit aggressive towards brake disks

For performance use, I would always pick Pagid black pads, but I have been a fan of those since my turbo cup support days.

_________________
Clean it, wax it, love it, ENJOY it... then fix it

Jon Mitchell
Independent Porsche Specialists
Technical Advisors to TIPEC
http://www.jmgporsche.co.uk
https://twitter.com/JMG_PORSCHE
http://www.facebook.com/jmgporsche


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Which Brake pads to use??
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 11:45 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:35 pm
Posts: 2288
Location: Bournemouth
TIPEC membership: 3266
oh... one other thing...

If you replace the pads, always replace the sensors and on a Boxster always replace the caliper bolts when you change the disks... be VERY careful with taking out the caliper bolts when changing disks, as even with great care, its easy to strip the threads out of the soft aluminium hubs when taking the bolts out!

_________________
Clean it, wax it, love it, ENJOY it... then fix it

Jon Mitchell
Independent Porsche Specialists
Technical Advisors to TIPEC
http://www.jmgporsche.co.uk
https://twitter.com/JMG_PORSCHE
http://www.facebook.com/jmgporsche


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group