Mark: Hi, it's Mark. I'm here with Bernie Pawlik, Pawlik Automotive in Vancouver, BC Canada, Vancouver's best auto service experience. How you doing this morning, Bernie?
Bernie: Doing very well.
Mark: So today's guest is a 2023 Range Rover. What was going on with this guest?
Bernie: Yeah, so this vehicle had a brake pad warning light on, on the dash. So we did a brake inspection. There were no noises accompanying it, and the brakes performed well, but it was a brake pad warning light. So did a brake inspection, found the front brakes were in very good shape, but the rears were worn out. Not metal on metal yet, fortunately, but there was less than a millimetre of rear brake pad left.
Mark: So, 2023, what kilometreage did this vehicle have?
Bernie: It's like just over 20,000 k, almost very minimal usage.
Mark: So that's unusual for brakes to wear out in 20,000 kilometres, is that right?
Bernie: Pretty much, but you know, a lot of these European SUVs tend to go through brakes at quite a fast rate. I find this one a little quick. But nonetheless, that's what we have.
So there's the vehicle, nice looking. Seven seater, you know, nice full size Range Rover.
This is a view of our rear brakes.
Mark: So just to compare, this is after repair.
Bernie: Yeah.
Mark: So this is break material. We can see here, there's literally almost nothing left.
Bernie: There's almost nothing. Yeah. Had the owner driven another week, there probably would've been like metal on metal. Normally when we do brakes, we always change the rotors and pads. The rotors are worn. In this case, the rotors had such a minimal amount of wear on them, and the mileage was so low, we figured, you know what, let's just put pads in because they're probably only gonna last again, another 20,000. By the time it hits 40, the front brakes are probably gonna be, you know, nearly worn out. Who knows how the front brakes will be, but the rears will definitely need to be done again. And at that point we can evaluate it. But the rotors were in, like, you know, practically new conditions, so no rust, no grooves. So we basically just put a set of pads in, service the rear brakes, and put a set of pads in.
Mark: So this is, like you said, all shiny, like a record here, this disc. Are these pretty large? I understand they're pretty robust.
Bernie: They're huge. This must be like 14 inches in diameter or something. It's very large. And, you know, I keep scratching my head going, why do these wear out so fast? Obviously the pad material must be very soft 'cause it's not even grooving the rotor. So, you know, there's a reason they use soft pads, they grip better, less noise issues. But you know, to wear out this fast is kind of crazy.
There's another view in there. Yeah, you're, you're moving your pointer in exactly the right spot.
Mark: Hardly any space there of pad material. That's a backing plate that's metal.
Bernie: Yeah, exactly. And I don't have pictures of it, but there's a brake pad where sensor, it actually fits that little slot, if you look in the middle of the right hand brake, part of the brake pad right in there, there's a sensor on the right side. This is the left side brake. There's a sensor on that brake pad, and so when it hits a certain point, it puts the warning on the dash. So you can just see the thickness, it's amazing, but anyways.
The interesting thing about this vehicle is that the brake system, when you stop and you let your foot off the gas, it doesn't roll until you tap the gas pedal and you can feel the brakes unlock. So that might contribute to the brakes wearing a little faster than usual.
Mark: Sort of like a hill lock or something. That's always on.
Bernie: Yeah, it probably works through the ABS system and it's a nice little added safety feature. So you, I mean, normally it was an automatic, you'd never roll backwards, but you could. And so it, I think it just helps that way, but possibly cause the brakes to wear a little quicker.
Mark: There you go. If you're looking for service for your Range Rover. The experts to see are at Pawlik Automotive. You can reach them online at pawlikautomotive.com, you can book your appointment right there. You can call them at (604) 327-7112 to book your appointment as well. You have to book ahead. They're always busy. Pawlik Automotive in Vancouver, BC Canada. Thanks so much for watching and listening. Thanks Bernie.
Bernie: Thank you, Mark. Thanks for watching.
