# Whats causing these rotor symptoms?



## Ackevor (Aug 26, 2016)

https://imgur.com/a/lpeJF 

Happening to all 3 cars, all 2012 

2- Passat Se 2.5L 60k/40k miles 
1- Jetta TDI 65k miles 

Shown driver rear rotor on Passat ( was cleaning Abs speed sensor ring) Started about 35k miles on each car as a small ring creeping from the outer edge. 

Backside has maybe 1/4-1/2" clean braking surface. 

-Slide pins moove free and smoothe
-Pads were not seized can move easily
-Caliper isnt seized 

Notice the different ridges on the inner pad. Obviously I want to replace the pads and rotors but before I do I want to figure out the source for this disease to keep from prematurely replacing them in the future. 

Thanks for the help!


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## rcprato (Sep 14, 2007)

Do you go to a car wash regularly? Maybe something tire conditioner or something has gotten on your pads to cause them to glaze over.

I live in western NY and my last set of pads did not keep rotor surface clean









Switched to a semi-metallic pad from Advanced Auto Parts and now the rotor surface looks like it was just machined, dusting is not bad.

Just try dropping in a set of Semi-Metallic pads without changing rotors and see if they are more aggressive on rotor surface evenly across, will only set you back about $45 if can do work yourself.

My rotors cleaned up in about 1K miles


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## htr (Dec 22, 2014)

You can have the rotors lightly resurfaced when you install new pads. Also make sure when you install new pads you bed them in properly. When pads aren't bed properly it can cause glazing which looks like you have here. I doubt that too many shops or stealerships are taking the time to bed in when they do brake jobs. Your brakes will perform better and last longer when the proper bed in process is followed. And for in even wear make sure all pins and slides are either new or taken out and cleaned GOOD and greased well with good grease and that any and all contact points between the pad and caliper are greased also. Anywhere that the pad contacts metal, including back of pad where the piston makes contact. Obviously no grease on the pad where it contacts rotor.


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## Ackevor (Aug 26, 2016)

Thanks guys, had notifications turned off. Yes I can do most of my own stuff and have in the past. Sadly I had them resurfaced by a friend but he mastered off the hats and did it in a lathe for the ones on my 2012 Jetta. Bad idea as they are now causing a heavy pulsation so either weren't cut right or got warped.

Thanks for the tip about semi metallic. Never though of trying that. That and the car wash is a good point. We rarely used auto car washes, maybe 2 times a year, mostly do it by hand at home, still something to keep in mind. Just odd its happening to all 3 cars. The pads are actually wearing odd. where there is a rust ring, there is a step because it doesn't seem to wear as much there. I am thinking of trying a whole set of rotors and pads from here or Brake Labs on eBay.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-and-Rear-Brake-Rotors-Ceramic-Pads-JETTA-A3-BEETLE-EOS-GOLF-GTI-PASSAT-/281903678463?vxp=mtr&hash=item41a2c4c3ff

No one around me resurfaces rotors anymore so I don't want to just get new pads and have them wear unevenly then fail state inspection for the rotors.


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## rcprato (Sep 14, 2007)

I did not resurface front rotors when I tried the semi-metallic pads (they are Zimmerman rotors that were only a 1 1/2 year old), they were aggressive enough that after 500 miles the surface of the rotor was looking like you would expect from what you see in picrture.

I have tried lots of pads over my years of driving and for everyday use the semi-metallic are best at providing good stopping and keeping rotor surface clean, they do dust but that is just a friendly reminder to wash your car IMO. Never had good luck long term with Ceramic pads.

I would not buy the package you reference, spend a little extra on the rotors and find some that have a* high carbon content* and then get the Advanced Auto Part pads if they are available in your area. The dusting from those pads is very reasonable and no worst than stock on my 08.

I like the Brembo UV coated rotors, http://www.germanautoparts.com/productdisplay/137649
http://brembo.mycarparts.net/products/Brembo-09977211?product_application_id=9148092361

I am running Pagid brand semi-metallic pads in the rear with the Brembo rotors, more dusting but keeping rotor surface looking like new even after 20K.


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## Black Jetta GT (Jan 10, 2003)

I've also been having this problem on my Ford Escape, only on the rear rotors though. This is what they look like after only 30,000 miles.


click for full size image

RCPrato - you say you've never had good long term experience with ceramic pads, what exactly happened? I was going to switch to some stoptech ceramics or something similar from Bosch etc ($45 per axle) to reduce the amount of brake dust. Its insane how much dust OEM pads throw out


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## rcprato (Sep 14, 2007)

Black Jetta GT, on the wheels that are pictured I would expect you are getting No brake dust?

I am 56 years old and been doing brake jobs on my cars since I was in my 20's and the only type of pad that seems to keep the rotor surface clean are semi-metallic pads, they do produce dust but that is a by product of them doing what I want them to do.

Ceramic and other low dusting compounds that I have tried never seem to keep the rotor surface clean over the life time of the pads, they get rust build up and other contamination like you have pictured.

Do like I suggested in my earlier post, get some Advanced Auto Parts or other chain store semi-metallic pads (get the better quality ones offered) and put them on the caliper for rotor pictured and do not machine the rotor. If after 500 to 700 miles the rotor surface starts to clean up than the previous pads where glazed over for some reason and not biting into the rotor. If the rotor stays dirty than you are not getting any braking from the rear brake calipers you will need to figure out why.

Being in western NY we get a lot of humidity in summer and winter so I get a light rust coating just having car sit over night sometimes, I wash cars about once a week so excessive brake dust build up is not a problem.

PM me your cell phone # and I can send you a pick of what my rotors look like now, like they were just turned on the lathe.


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## caffeine powered (Apr 16, 2007)

Ackevor said:


> ...No one around me resurfaces rotors anymore...


Is there an O'Reilly Auto Parts near you? Each of the locations around here has a brake rotor lathe, but not all the employees are trained to use it. A couple of weeks ago I had a pad come off the backing so I took off both rear rotors and had them turned for $10 each.


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