2014GS350F

I have a 2013 F Sport with 37K miles. I was getting my oil changed at the dealership the other day and they told me I need new pads on the front. He said the pads are as thins as dimes and I need to replace them very soon.

Questions.

Is there any way to inspect the thickness of the pads myself without taking the entire wheel off?

Does this seem like about the right time for needing to replace the front pads? To me at 37K miles this seems a little early for needing new pads. Although I'm not the first owner of this car so I'm not sure how hard the last owner drove it.

He quoted $310 to turn the rotors and replace the pads. Does that seem like the right price?

Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

peteharvey

Use an inspection camera like this.




To view the pads properly, it is best to actually remove the wheel.<br/>This can be quickly done with lightweight aluminium hydraulic jack and a pair of jack stands.




Remember to chock the opposing rear wheels etc for safety.




The actual wheel can be quickly removed with a cordless wrench.




Use the correct size hexagonal socket.<br/>The plastic sleeve is supposed to protect the alloy wheels, but is not mandatory.




If you're truly picky, fasten the wheels with the correct torque setting specified in the owner's manual with a torque wrench at 76 ft-lbf if I remember correctly.


It is best to remove the wheel completely for a proper view.
If you have a pair of C grip calipers, measure the thickness of the front discs too.
It is not mandatory to machine the front discs, but it is good practise to machine the front discs because the old pads have irregularly eaten into the disc; you can feel this by running your fingernails over the surface of the disc.
If the front discs are already too thin, it may actually be necessary to purchase a pair of brand new front rotors.
The multi-volume Workshop Manual will tell you the minimum recommended thickness of the rotors.
These days, asbestos-free steel brake pads really eat into the steel rotors.

37,000 miles sounds about right for a new set of front pads.
$310 might be normal for a dealer, but an independent mechanic will do cheaper even with genuine OEM pads.
.