Brakes: How Do You Know When To Change Them?

[frcaus]

Fellow lexus owners --

i am a newbie with regard to cars -- in 2005 i bought a new Lexus ES 330 (2005 model) and now (august 2007), I am a gentle driver , now I

have 40,000 miles on it.

i have not changed my brakes.

1) how do I know when to change the brake?

2) Should I bring it to the shop to ask for it?

3) what's the normal mileage to change brake, for gentle driving?

4) where should I change the brakes and how much is the typical? Dealer or not? I don't want to spend so much money.

I am in San Jose, California (San Francisco Bay Area).

THank you for your help!!

Jenny

--chat about work---

[gbhrps]

As a general rule of thumb, at least once a year, (and more often if you live where they put salt on the roads) or 25 000 miles or so, you should have your brakes checked. You can have the Technician clean and lubricate the slide pins and pads as needed, and give you an idea of how much pad life you still have. Obviously if at any time you hear brake squeal, or the car pulls to one side or the other when you put on the brakes, or the brakes start to pulse when you apply the brakes, get it to the repair shop ASAP. The sooner the problem is fixed, the less it will cost. A person who drives moderately can expect a set of pads to last 2 to 3 years on the fronts and even longer for the rears, if the car isn't driven hard, and is driven often enough so that water and humidity don't prematurely rust pit the rotors. Every 3 years you should flush out the old brake fluid and rebleed the system to clean out the water that is absorbed from the air. A Toyota or Lexus dealer will have needed factory parts on hand (the ES is really a Camry and uses the same brake parts), but you could take the car to any reputable repair shop for the service. Just be sure that they don't put on any cheap rotors or pads that will squeal, wear out quickly, or warp. Your rear brakes have a set of brake shoes inside the rotors which are your emergency brakes. Other than cleaning and lubricating the emergency brake shoes, they should last for the life of the car. Its a treat to run across a car gal who doesn't just put the key into the ignition and hope it starts. May you have many years of happy motoring with your new purchase. My wife loves hers!