Brake pads and discs

Smartguy

I got my Ford focus serviced in October and was told that the brakes pads were 60% worn but were basically fine and just to keep an eye on them in the coming months.
Six weeks later I got another piece of work done in another garage but this time the mechanic pointed out that the brake pads were 90% worn and I should get them replaced straight away.
I am surprised how quickly the brakes wore away in such a short period of time and a bit skeptical of the advise received.
Would this be normal wear and tear and should I have them done straight away.
BTW I am selling the car sometime in the next six months.

Atlantic Dawn

Some will advise 90% worn before others, if it was me I would replace them if I was told by 2 seperate garages that they needed to be. It's usually when there's about 5-6mm remaining that they should be replaced.

sean1141

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Some will advise 90% worn before others, if it was me I would replace them if I was told by 2 seperate garages that they needed to be. It's usually when there's about 5-6mm remaining that they should be replaced.

No point in letting them go to the steel. Shouldnt cost much. Around 100 euro i would think. Also will help sell it. One less thing for the new owner to worry about

Nissan doctor

They were probably giving estimates, and everyone's estimates would be different.

If checking the car properly they should have given you a remaining thickness in MM and the manufacturers minimum allowable thickness.

Smartguy

Nissan doctor wrote: »

They were probably giving estimates, and everyone's estimates would be different.

If checking the car properly they should have given you a remaining thickness in MM and the manufacturers minimum allowable thickness.

Thanks for the replies.

No thickness in MM was given.
My gut instinct is that they were just giving estimates. I checked the invoices again and the first garage said the pads were 50% worn and the 2nd garage said 90% worn so a fairly wide range.

crosstownk

Doctors differ, patients die. It's a matter of opinion really.

Are you talking about front or rear pads? Does your Focus have a brake pad wear warning lamp on the dash?

Smartguy

crosstownk wrote: »

Doctors differ, patients die. It's a matter of opinion really.

Are you talking about front or rear pads? Does your Focus have a brake pad wear warning lamp on the dash?

It is the front pads. There is no brake pad warning light.

As for your comment re the differing opinions, fair enough, that is one of the reasons why I started this thread as I was a bit confused as to why the opinions did differ so much.

Nissan doctor

Smartguy wrote: »

It is the front pads. There is no brake pad warning light.

As for your comment re the differing opinions, fair enough, that is one of the reasons why I started this thread as I was a bit confused as to why the opinions did differ so much.

One may have been honest, the other trying to make a sale of a set of pads.

coylemj

If a car has brake pad wear sensors, is it ok to run them down until the light comes on?

Reason I ask is because my style of driving means very low wear, I sold my last car when it was 4 years old with 50k kms and the original four pads and tyres so I'd prefer to tell a garage to not fit new pads no matter how worn they look and then just wait until the light comes on.

Cedrus

Did the first guy mean 60% of the total pad thickness and the second guy mean 90% of the working range? In my experience with bikes the thinner the pads get, the faster they wear and at 10% of the total pad thickness, there would be lumps falling off the pad.