Quote:
Originally Posted by JCL
While I agree that rotors will often make it through a few sets of pads, we also need to remember that thinner rotors don't perform as well. They won't stop as well on repeated brake applications as they will heat up faster. You can get glazing, and that leads to brake noise.
Many shops replace rotors each time not so much for the liability issue, in my experience, but to avoid the rework cost if the customer comes back complaining of noisy brakes. We would reuse rotors if the customer wanted us to, and they were within spec, but it was the customer's cost if they were noisy and needed a second job.
I have always replaced rotors each time I did pads on my BMWs, just because it wasn't worth my time to go back in and do them again. Same reason I don't use retread tires, even though they are probably available.
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I've never had a service issue with a rotor that was still in spec causing brake noise. (Assuming a normal wear pattern.)
If I was a customer of yours, I would have insisted that the warranty should apply as long as the rotor was in spec- not just in spec when the pad was replaced, but in spec when (if) I returned with a noise complaint. Wouldn't that be reasonable? Are you saying BMWs stated specification (printed on the rotor) is wrong?
As a customer I would not accept a mechanic making up their own interpretations of how or why a warranty would apply if there was no technical basis for their interpretation- of course mechanics do this all the time to (a) make more money, and (b) minimize their hassle. They justify it with a lazy "well these parts interact and we'll just make it a policy". (I have had Americas Tire refuse to remount my 3mm wheel spacers on my M5 saying "wheel spacers are unsafe"...3mm is the width of this character: O ...they would not warrant the tires, and would not mount the wheels, if I used that spacer.)
JCL, you come from a very "business centric" view of maintenance... to equate retread tires to rotors that are fully within spec is certainly disingenuous. I'd venture to say that nobody on the forum would consider a retread, yet you equate this to a rotor that BMW has said still meets spec- considering they BMW must have uses a significant safety margin in that spec. Perhaps a turn of phrase, or just your personal view if reusing a rotor.... but not supported by BMW's specifications.
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