PSA: Bed in your brakes

[RipVanFinkle]

I love reading advice based on how things were 50 years ago. Like people saying to drain new oil out of a motor before storing for the winter because of the acidic properties the oil develops. That hasn’t been the case in 40 years.

As long as you burn off the rust inhibitors off the rotors you’re fine. Stop the car 3 or 4 times and it’s done. The days of the asbestos pads needing to be bedded in dialed off years ago.

 

[avs007]

As long as you burn off the rust inhibitors off the rotors you’re fine. Stop the car 3 or 4 times and it’s done. The days of the asbestos pads needing to be bedded in dialed off years ago.

That's not actually true. Every set of rotors and pads I've gotten from Stillen, StopTech, Hawk, Project Mu, etc, all came with instructions on how to bed the rotors and pads.

 

[RipVanFinkle]

That's not actually true. Every set of rotors and pads I've gotten from Stillen, StopTech, Hawk, Project Mu, etc, all came with instructions on how to bed the rotors and pads.

They also put warnings on DayQuil that says you shouldn’t drive after taking it because it can impair your judgement and cause drowsiness.

 

[avs007]

They also put warnings on DayQuil that says you shouldn’t drive after taking it because it can impair your judgement and cause drowsiness.

A manufacturer listing things that could happen if something is used is quite different than said manufacturer posting instructions for proper use.

 

[thesmokingman]

I love reading advice based on how things were 50 years ago. Like people saying to drain new oil out of a motor before storing for the winter because of the acidic properties the oil develops. That hasn’t been the case in 40 years.

As long as you burn off the rust inhibitors off the rotors you’re fine. Stop the car 3 or 4 times and it’s done. The days of the asbestos pads needing to be bedded in dialed off years ago.

That's bad advice in general. However in the context of regen braking and TC via braking it doesn't matter as much. But on a regular ICE car which gets driven hard and is regularly braked hard, you most definitely need to bed the rotors and pads in.

I run EBC Reds and Yellows on my STI and those EBC's come with a top coat on the pads that works ass a grinder to remove previous bedding so you can apply a new bed, lol.

 

[Tevo Solutions]

I love reading advice based on how things were 50 years ago. Like people saying to drain new oil out of a motor before storing for the winter because of the acidic properties the oil develops. That hasn’t been the case in 40 years.

As long as you burn off the rust inhibitors off the rotors you’re fine. Stop the car 3 or 4 times and it’s done. The days of the asbestos pads needing to be bedded in dialed off years ago.

It has nothing to do with asbestos being present or not. Some pads, often destined for racing, can come pre-scorched from the manufacturer so they've already been heat-cycled, but all pads benefit from bedding in with the rotors they're going to be used with in order to transfer a layer of pad material to the surface of the rotor.
Bedding is essential on new M3/MY and I've seen many where even after several thousand miles the pads aren't even in full contact with the rotors because the owner didn't understand the importance of bedding. The brakes on those cars are not going to work well when relied on and will probably need replacing way before the pads are worn because of corrosion setting in.

 

[Volleyballmom]

Can anyone clear this up for me?

I've had my MYLR AWD for 2 months now. I almost never apply the brakes manually; I've been using regen braking almost exclusively. I got to like it very quickly. I did some brake "bedding" when I first got the vehicle. Brakes seem to work fine.

But then I got thinking - I've heard in the past that you should periodically use the emergency/parking brake in an automatic ICE vehicle, whether you need to or not, to ensure the brake line doesn't rust or seize up.

So my questions are:
1) Does regen braking alone keep all braking components in good "working order"? Or should I be pressing the brake pedal more often with my foot?
2) And I feel silly asking this, but I can't seem to find it in the owner's manual - Does the MY have a parking brake - like the one I have in my Subaru that I would use when parking on a really steep hill?

Yes, I realize that I should know more about the 1,800 kg machine I'm driving on the road... But there's a ton of basic adult knowledge I should possess and yet have somehow managed to last this long without. I'm a WIP...

 

[thesmokingman]

So my questions are:
1) Does regen braking alone keep all braking components in good "working order"? Or should I be pressing the brake pedal more often with my foot?
2) And I feel silly asking this, but I can't seem to find it in the owner's manual - Does the MY have a parking brake - like the one I have in my Subaru that I would use when parking on a really steep hill?

Yes, I realize that I should know more about the 1,800 kg machine I'm driving on the road... But there's a ton of basic adult knowledge I should possess and yet have somehow managed to last this long without. I'm a WIP...

Regen braking doesn't use brakes at all. The traction control and ABS obviously use the brakes to perform their functions so on a basic level the brakes do get used, just not very often. You do have a parking brake, electric one integrated into rear caliper. It's not a cable actuated parking brake, ie. a drum inside the wheel hub like on your ice car.

Modern brake pads have compounds that will bed in under regular use after 300-500 miles. That however could be a problem on EVs because of regen braking, ie. you could drive for years and never accumulate 500 mile of braked distance.

Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn about the various subsystem components and their specifications in your vehicle.

www.tesla.com

 

[pp61]

I took delivery of my Model Y in December. Overwhelmingly, I have been using regen for one-pedal driving so naturally, the brakes haven’t seen much use. So, imagine my surprise when I, using some of the Model Y’s many horsepowers, needed to use some brakes and she did NOT want to stop!

Basically, this was brand-new brake pads meeting new steel rotors for the first time. Without brake pad material embedded into them, rotors don’t stick to pads well. In ICE cars brake pad material is transferred onto the pads during normal driving and because ICE drivers usually “break-in” engines, hard braking is rarely done before the brakes are properly “bedded-in”.

With EVs, the brakes don’t see much use and can feel very ineffective when you need them in a pinch. Don’t be like me and scare the crap out of yourself, Perform a bedding-in procedure to transfer pad material to your rotors, preparing your brakes for use. You should also use the brakes occasionally to knock off surface corrosion and ensure the parts have not seized.

Happy motoring!

This is another reason why I like my Audi etron GT. By controlling the regeneration with the brake pedal the first few hundred miles it will use the brake pads to settle the pads and after on regular basis returns from regeneration to pad braking to ensure the brakes will always work 100%. At tesla the brake pedal is only mechanical brake. Not missing (after three Teslas!) the one pedal drive at all.

 

[tm1v2]

@Volleyballmom I haven't seen any signs that the car goes out of its way to use/maintain the brake pads. If you don't use them at all for long periods of time I think it's worth deliberately using them occasionally. Also good to clear off rust and such after rain or snow.

This car allows left-foot braking, i.e. you can brake while accelerating, it'll give a warning but won't stop you. Don't do it in traffic of course, but it's an easy way to give the brakes a little use occasionally.

I'm no expert, maybe it's overboard, but from my driving experience I do think it's worthwhile. How often is really worthwhile/needed, I can't say at all.

 

[avs007]

This is actually why if you look at the recommended service intervals, it shows that you should have the brakes serviced annually... It is basically to clean corrosion/rust/etc off the brake components. Pretty easy to do yourself, if you know how to change brakes yourself.

With that being said, maybe I'm lucky that I live on a hill... I have to use the friction brakes multiple times every day, even in the summer... Even moreso in the colder months.

 

[TunaBug]

I don't think so. If its quiet, you can listen to your car... When my car rolls to a stop, you can hear (and see the H) when the friction brakes engage. I don't see it engaging until after the car comes to a stop.

It doesn't. Brakes aren't used to slow the car unless using Autopilot or there's an AEB incident.

When coming to a stop using regen/hold you can very lightly put your toe UNDER the brake pedal and you'll feel exactly when the brakes are depressed for the hold.

 

[DanDi58]

There is also a disc 'wipe' function, according to the OM, that wipes water off the discs occasionally when they get wet during rainy weather.

 

[SkyDog]

...
2) And I feel silly asking this, but I can't seem to find it in the owner's manual - Does the MY have a parking brake - like the one I have in my Subaru that I would use when parking on a really steep hill?
...

To engage the parking brake, touch Controls > Safety > Parking Brake. Follow the onscreen instructions. You can also engage the parking brake by pressing and holding the button on the end of the drive stalk while in Park.

 

[TunaBug]

You can also engage the parking brake by pressing and holding the button on the end of the drive stalk while in Park.

Also note that this works as the emergency brake while moving. Be darned sure you're prepared for it and have nobody behind you when you test it out.

 

[RipVanFinkle]

Also note that this works as the emergency brake while moving. Be darned sure you're prepared for it and have nobody behind you when you test it out.

Does it lock the brakes up? How bad is the sudden stop? I’m too chicken to try it.

 

[TunaBug]

Does it lock the brakes up? How bad is the sudden stop? I’m too chicken to try it.

I tried it on a warm day, dry tires, dry pavement. It didn't skid, but it's a forceful stop, certainly more sudden than yanking the parking brake in other cars I have had. It didn't trigger the ABS, but I think it's separate from the ABS in which case that wouldn't have been possible anyhow.

It's not something I practice or play with, but I like to try the emergency features so i know how they work (and if they work) before I need them. If you need more than what I just wrote it'll have to come from somebody more expended than I.

 

[Pianewman]

^^^^ Dangerous, and unnecessary. I've found that periodic charging to 100% (every 3 weeks?), which disables regenerative braking for the first few miles, allows me the opportunity to actually use the mechanical brakes, and keeps the pads/rotors from squealing. It works for me!!!!

 

[turnbowm]

Is it possible to get up to speed, shift to neutral and then use the brakes to scrub the pads/rotors?

 

[RipVanFinkle]

Is it possible to get up to speed, shift to neutral and then use the brakes to scrub the pads/rotors?

I mean, just get up to 60 and hammer hard on the brakes should be good enough. You just need some friction. Rippin and tearin.