Yesitsmine

Hi there. I don't know anything about cars so this might be normal.
I have a 2006 IS250 RWD that I bought secondhand 3 weeks ago. I washed my car last week, and 5 days and about 200 miles later I notice a big difference between my front and rear wheels. Rear wheels are still clean, but my front wheels are spattered with a black fatty substance (probably the brake oil?). I never had this with any other car.
Is this normal????

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

That's brake pad dust.

If it's still under warranty they'll replace them with new, low-dust, pads for free.

Otherwise you'll have to pay for the new low-dust pads.

Yesitsmine

Thanks for your reply. So its normal, meaning my my brakes are OK.
Still, very annoying if you like a clean car.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I always wondered what that stuff was. I've only seen it on my Lexus and Honda Accord. Is there any kind of spray you can use to make the break pad dust come off easier?

eXstasy

Please take a picture of this and post it. "Black fatty substance" sounds like CV joint grease. If you see this stuff being splattered all over the inside of the wheel barrel then this is bad.

That means that your CV boot is cracked and will have to be replaced (rubber boot and repack) or the joint will have to be replaced depending on how long this has gone unnoticed.

Yesitsmine

Just came back from the Lexus dealer. He confirms it is "brake dust". And confirms it is normal for an IS250.
I must confess this makes a huge dent in my motivation to wash my car every 2-3 weeks..... Or is it just another excuse
No seriously, how to keep the front wheels clean "the easy way"???

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

I already told you that.

If it's still under warranty they'll replace them with new, low-dust, pads for free under the excessive brake dust TSB.

Otherwise you'll have to pay for the new low-dust pads.

Either way you won't need to constantly clean your wheels anymore.

IS-SV

Yes, this has been covered so many times. I agree with Kurtz and I had this done to my 2007 IS350 last summer, per TSB. The results are great, huge reduction is front brake dust on wheels.

Yesitsmine

Thanks for your answers.
My car is a 2006, so no more warranty...

Can you tell me anything more about these low dust pads? Softer or harder braking? Any difference?

IS-SV

No significant difference (after driving with new pads for over 6 months), slight improvement in pedal modulation.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

http://www.sewellpartsonline.com/par....asp?id=187432

use the club lexus code for 10% off that price

There's a DIY posted with detailed directions on changing em yourself, it's pretty easy...or just have your local brake shop swap em on.