Rear Pad Wear

[Guest PeteC]

I had to replace the rear pads on my Y reg Mondeo 1.8LX Estate at just 23,000 miles. My experience over 36 years of driving tells me that rear pads should last around twice as long as this. What mileage should I expect, given that I don't race around the place.

 

In addition, there is an issue relating to heat generated by the rear disks. If I place my hand in the centre of the rear wheel trims, they are often extremely hot when compared with the fronts which are cool to the touch; this isn't after heavy braking and is especially noticeable after long motorway stints (after gentle braking to a halt). Last year in France they got ridiculously hot after miles on the autoroute.

 

I also suffer an intermittent, problem with binding brakes. I roll up to junctions and the car is braked to a halt over the final few feet of travel rather than rolling until rolling resistance/gravity bring me to a halt; it's also then reluctant to roll away unless there's a significant slope to assist it. The latter problem is hard to demonstrate to the garage as it isn't ever apparent when I'm nearby and able to drop in to speak to the service guy. This issue isn't a wrped disc problem, there's no judder, pumping or similar cadence effects.

 

My local Ford dealer explained that there was no blueing of components noted when the pads were replaced and that the smaller unvented disks would always wear quickly and run hot compared with the fronts. My assertion is that the rear pads should hardly be doing any work and so shouldn't ever get what might be called hot and certainly not in motorway work.

 

Is there a history of problems with new model Mondeo rear brakes? I had a handbrake mod done early in the life of the car (a recall issue where some tensioning gizmos were added to prevent roll-aways when folk hadn't properly engaged the handbrake), and I'm pretty sure (but not certain) that the problem dates from that event. The handbrake requires hardly any takeup to engage and I'm not sure that in the off position it's not placing the pads in too intimate a contact with the disk surface. Add a little heat and I reckon there's going to be binding in some degree.

 

So far as I know, there's no brake assist fitted (LX Model Estate, April 2001 registration ) (Yreg)), or is this a standard fitment in addition to ABS?

 

Is there any info out there that I can use to persuade a dealer to carry out remedial work?

 

TIA

Pete

 

P.S: Sorry, but this is a repost. I did receive a reply to a similar query on the old forum but the topic and any other responses seem to have disappeared into cyberspace along with my user name.

[Guest coombera]

Pete,

 

I know it's a long time since you posted, but I wondered if you ever got to the bottom of your problem.

I have a December 2002 registered Mondeo 1.8LX saloon with remarkably similar problems to yours.

Two or three times I've noticed a squeaking noise from the rear.

When I stopped I found that one of the rear wheels was too hot to touch.

When I took it to my local dealer, he told me about the handbrake recall that you mentioned and proceeded to apply the fix.

Later he admitted that the recall was unlikely to be related to the squeak & overheat.

He then pointed out, as if it were unrelated, that my rear pads were 80% worn at 16000 miles.

Was he joking?

He claimed that they're all needing replacing at around that mileage.

I just can't believe it, but can't seem to find out whether it's true or not.

Of course, the problem's so intermittent that I can't ever imagine being in a position to prove that there's a warranty claim to be made.

 

I hope you have some more information to help me out.

 

Cheers

 

Andy