car questions

[low_delta]

How do you tell if a fuel filter is bad? Can you open them up and look at the filter element?

If your brakes haven't been worked on in a year, and the mechanic says "the rear brakes are so new that the paint isn't even worn off yet," should you be worried? What if you don't seem to have trouble stopping, but those rear brakes seem to be making a bit of a grinding noise?

Comments

[lonita.livejournal.com]

Go talk to another mechanic and get a second opinion.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

We'd probably do that if we had enough time.

Click and Clack?

[seamusd.livejournal.com]

I've had problems with fuel filters before; usually, the car just stalls early and often when the fuel filter is bad or clogged. It's a cheap part, so go ahead and replace it. I agree that you need a second opinion about the brakes; usually, if they make noise, they might need work. Is your brake fluid clean and topped off? Bleeding the brake fliud might help.

Re: Click and Clack?

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I assume that brake fluid is something they check, if they go through the trouble of taking the wheels off.

Rear Brakes

[(Anonymous)]

Depending on the type of car your rear brakes are used only about twenty percent as much as the front brakes. That along with the mileage and type of driving you do can result in the rear brakes showing little if any wear. Time has nothing to do with the equation.

On most newer cars today the parking (emergency) brake adjusts the rear brakes. Lack of parking brake use can also cause the rear brakes to be out of adjustment enough that they are not getting much wear but not affecting the brake pedal height. Use the parking brake on a regular basis to ensure that the rear brakes stay in proper adjustment.

If it has been a long time since you set the parking brake you may want to have the cables and mechanisms checked before you use it. If the cables are rusted then setting the parking brake may cause the rear brakes to become stuck and lock up the rear brakes resulting in a tow to the local garage.

FYI I am a ASE Certfied Mechanic with over twenty years experience in automotive brake systems

Bill
http://www.vlca.net

Re: Rear Brakes

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I wasn't aware there was that much of a connection between how the rear brakes operate and the parking brake.

Thanks a lot!

[specificocean.livejournal.com]

Replace the fuel filter if you have any doubts.
What does the mech say the noise IS?

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

He said that sometimes with new brakes, rust falls down from the rotors between the pads (or something like that). It takes a while to work itself out.

[specificocean.livejournal.com]

That's true. I forgot about that phenomenon...

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Seems like they'd be pretty big chunks of rust to make that much noise.

[specificocean.livejournal.com]

True. Is the noise gradually disappearing?

[vlinker.livejournal.com]

in the old days you could look at the filter element, but today, many mechanics just figure you need a new filter every xxxxx miles......the car will stall or sputter when the filter becomes clogged......

a scraping noise in the (new) rear brake could be rust from the inside of the brake drum?.......i assume the auto adjusters work.....back the car up rapidly and clamp on the brakes a few times.....see if there's any change in braking after that.....

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

No stalling or sputtering of Cyn's car.

I'll try that withthe brakes. Thanks.

Re:

[vlinker.livejournal.com]

i bet the fuel filter thing is just preventative maintenance.....