[autotranny]

Hi All,

I need some advise from Hyundai i10 AT owners regarding stock brake pad's life. My ride is touching on 30k kms. There is no noticeable sign of any decrease in braking.

I had bought this car with 12k on the Odo and then the used car dealer had told me that brake pads will need replacement every 15k kms in Auto tranny cars.

I make sure to ask my service guy to check the brake pads everytime and he says it is ok.

Have any of you guys had to change it, how many kms and what cost ?

Note to moderators : I tried posting this same query in one or two similar threads, but to no avail.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by autotranny

My ride is touching on 30k kms. There is no noticeable sign of any decrease in braking.

I had bought this car with 12k on the Odo and then the used car dealer had told me that brake pads will need replacement every 15k kms in Auto tranny cars.

I make sure to ask my service guy to check the brake pads everytime and he says it is ok.

Have any of you guys had to change it, how many kms and what cost ?

I don't own an i10 but brake pad replacements in cars with auto trannys depending on factors such as:

a) City/Hwy driving
b) Nature of braking and frequency of stops
c) Weight of the car including passengers and luggage

I don't think an i10 will require replacements in just 15K kms. But it is better to get it checked everytime you send it for a service. Also, when brake pads wear out you will hear a sound of metal on metal (it's the metal barb on the pads that contacts the rotor) and then you need to replace the pads. Remenber the front brakes do most of the braking. Get both front and rear brake systems checked.

Do NOT wait for braking action to 'reduce' before replacing the pads/shoes. Brake maintainance is proactive not reactive. Reactive = too late.

[dhanushs]

The reason for brake pads wearing out faster in an Auto transmission is due to lack of engine braking when compared to manual transmission cars.

As R2D2 mentioned, brake pad wear in similar cars with different drivers/conditions are different and depend on a lot of variables.

Hence the prime rule to be followed in replacing brake pads: Visual inspection.

I'd suggest a visual inspection every ~5k kms, or when you rotate your tyres.

[sudev]

Even at service center they would do visual inspection while deciding if the pads need replacement. It is easy to do so even with wheel mounted. Do not wait for metal on metal noise to tell you that pads have totally been worn. This will spoil the brake rotor.

Slow/low braking cannot be attributed to brake pads wearing off. SO get this checked as service station to rule out other possibilities.

[sgiitk]

I have experience since 1999 of automatics. The brake pads do not last as long, since the transmission free-wheels as soon as the engine speed is higher than the speed corresponding to the road speed. This is the reason why even the Dzire AT (with its pathetic 3+1 AT) has all round discs. About twenty years ago in Europe the AT cars had uprated brakes as compared to their manual cousins.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

My i10 AT has done 13k on the odo after three years. Yup 3 years only.

Got a little brake squeal as reported by my wife and got the pads and disks checked last week. The pads where worn down to half and the disk had rust which need a nice sand papering only.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

The pads where worn down to half and the disk had rust which need a nice sand papering only.

Applying sand- or emery-paper to the friction surfaces in brakes is verboten in most manuals, even though it is common practice in India. The grit can deposit on the surface and cause damage.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

This is the reason why even the Dzire AT (with its pathetic 3+1 AT) has all round discs.

Are you sure the Dzire-AT has disk brakes in rear-wheels also ? I doubt it has, but if it indeed does, then this is probably one reason for the AT version being costlier by more than the usual 50K difference that is there for AT over MT.

BTW, what is 3+1 AT ? It is a 4-speed AT as I know it.

Regarding the OP's query, I doubt one needs to change brake pads every 15K kms in AT cars. Lack of engine-braking surely can result in brake-pad wear in ATs, but if you drive predictive/preventive, this can be avoided.

[autotranny]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I have experience since 1999 of automatics. The brake pads do not last as long, since the transmission free-wheels as soon as the engine speed is higher than the speed corresponding to the road speed. This is the reason why even the Dzire AT (with its pathetic 3+1 AT) has all round discs. About twenty years ago in Europe the AT cars had uprated brakes as compared to their manual cousins.

Sir, then do you think 30k should be time the brake pads are replaced. I have given my car for service with specific instruction to look at the brake pad wear and tear.

[manim]

For the record, I have done 72,000 kms on my front-brake-pads so far and yet to change it, on my Civic-AT.

I am a hypermiler where braking is 'anathema' .

To my advantage I mostly do highway-driving and try to avoid braking by anticipating traffic.

However I also do a lot of hill-driving which uses a lot of braking (though at lower speeds).

My conclusion: Driving style matters a lot, for brake-pad life.

At every 5K service, I personally (visually) check the brake-pads, when it is dismantled for cleaning.

P.S
meaning of 'anathema': one that is greatly reviled, loathed, or shunned!

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Are you sure the Dzire-AT has disk brakes in rear-wheels also ?

BTW, what is 3+1 AT ? It is a 4-speed AT as I know it.

The specs say that there are all round discs.

A 3+1 AT is usually sold as a 4 speed (as in Santro when it was there, i10, etc).

The difference is that the 4th is accessed through a button normally on the lever and is labelled as OD. The disadvantage is that if you are going down (or even up) a hill youu will like to engage a gear outside of D to get reverse braking (the AT does no free wheel). Now on lower ratios you will only get 1 & 2 and not 3. What is surprising is that the AStar AT has a proper 4-speed! I was quite amazed to see a pic in an ownership report of the Dzire AT.

[Diesel lover]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I have experience since 1999 of automatics. The brake pads do not last as long, since the transmission free-wheels as soon as the engine speed is higher than the speed corresponding to the road speed. This is the reason why even the Dzire AT (with its pathetic 3+1 AT) has all round discs. About twenty years ago in Europe the AT cars had uprated brakes as compared to their manual cousins.

Hello sir,

My father owns a Dzire AT. By all round discs you mean to say that the rear tyres also have discs instead of drums? Or only the front have discs but of a larger size?

The Dzire AT comes in with the ZXi / ZDi braking kit coupled with ABS, EBD and brake assist.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by autotranny

do you think 30k should be time the brake pads are replaced. I have given my car for service with specific instruction to look at the brake pad wear and tear.

Did you look in the regular-maintenance schedule part of your manual as to what they say about duration for pad replacement. It is actually quite easy for a layman to make out wear of the pads - there is a cut down the middle of the pads and if the depth of the cut is close to nil, you are due to change them.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

The specs say that there are all round discs.

I doubt it has all-wheel discs - don't remember seeing this mentioned in the official TBHP review.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

What is surprising is that the AStar AT has a proper 4-speed! I was quite amazed to see a pic in an ownership report of the Dzire AT.

Yes, the A-Star has a proper 4-speed AT and I assumed it is the same config used in the Dzire-AT too. Looks like Dzire has it 3+1 as you described.

Originally Posted by Diesel lover

My father owns a Dzire AT. By all round discs you mean to say that the rear tyres also have discs instead of drums? Or only the front have discs but of a larger size? The Dzire AT comes in with the ZXi / ZDi braking kit coupled with ABS, EBD and brake assist.

He meant "rear tyres also have discs". But I doubt the Dzire has it. Could you please confirm since you have a Dzire_AT in the family ? Also, if it is not too much trouble, could you post an ownership report of the Dzire-AT, since I guess yours is the only Dzire-AT on the forum and it would be good to know how the car is from owner's POV. If that is asking for too much, some info on this thread about drivability, FE, etc should do too.

[issigonis]

>>>

The manual will specify the odo reading at which the brake pads should be 1. checked and 2. replaced. The manual will be a good guide. In the Jetta it is year 2 or 45 k kms whichever is earlier, for the brake pad change.

During my Y3 annual service the service advisor told me that he will change the front brake pads only as the rear ones were fine. So, in my case I have had the pads changed for the front wheels once in the third year ( the car had done about 34k odd kms then)

Regards
issigonis

[Diesel lover]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

He meant "rear tyres also have discs". But I doubt the Dzire has it. Could you please confirm since you have a Dzire_AT in the family ? Also, if it is not too much trouble, could you post an ownership report of the Dzire-AT, since I guess yours is the only Dzire-AT on the forum and it would be good to know how the car is from owner's POV. If that is asking for too much, some info on this thread about drivability, FE, etc should do too.

Hi supreme baleno,

I'll surely check and respond back by end of this week. I had posted an ownership thread but currently it is in the assembly line section (moved there by GTO). It is a private section of the forum and the thread is visible only to the thread owner. It was moved there as booking and delivery threads are no longer entertained in test drive and initial ownership report section. So I need to add more information before GTO makes it public again. Since it is my father who drives it so adding first hand information by me would take time.

Regarding the transmission, it is a 4 speed tranny by default, but if the driver wants to make it 3 speed he can do so by pressing the 'OD off' button. Now the car has only 3 gears to play with. If the car is switched off and turned on again, the transmission will again become 4 speed. So Dzire has L for 1 speed, 2 for 2 speed, OD off for 3 speed and 4 speed system by default.