Warped Discs Is300

[IS300KK]

Hi folks.

My car has an awful judder under breaking at high speed, took it to Kwik Fit and they reckoned the front discs were warped. Thing is, they were fine until about ten days ago, when I first noticed the juddering, so I'm wondering how this would have happened suddenly, after the car was parked up for 15 days whilst we were on holiday. Would you expect this to happen in a 5 yr old car which has done 45000 miles? I've never had new discs on any of my previous cars. Handling under braking is now terrible and really unpredictable, to the extent that I may have to start carrying spare trousers.

Incidentally, I phoned Lexus Cardiff, who quoted a cheaper price than the local Kwik Fit, and who said that I shouldn't assume it was the front discs causing the problem, but that they would have a look at it and sort it out (Kwik Fit assumed it was the front without looking at the car). Problem with this is that Lexus can't do it until Friday, so I'll be driving around like a drunken snail until then!

Have a happy (and safe) New Year

All the best

Amanda

[sparkystav]

it sounds like you may possibly have a stuck piston on the caliper.

Take the pads out and have a look how easy the pistons move.

Stav

[Gord]

Hi folks.

My car has an awful judder under breaking at high speed, took it to Kwik Fit and they reckoned the front discs were warped. Thing is, they were fine until about ten days ago, when I first noticed the juddering, so I'm wondering how this would have happened suddenly, after the car was parked up for 15 days whilst we were on holiday. Would you expect this to happen in a 5 yr old car which has done 45000 miles? I've never had new discs on any of my previous cars. Handling under braking is now terrible and really unpredictable, to the extent that I may have to start carrying spare trousers.

Incidentally, I phoned Lexus Cardiff, who quoted a cheaper price than the local Kwik Fit, and who said that I shouldn't assume it was the front discs causing the problem, but that they would have a look at it and sort it out (Kwik Fit assumed it was the front without looking at the car). Problem with this is that Lexus can't do it until Friday, so I'll be driving around like a drunken snail until then!

Have a happy (and safe) New Year

All the best

Amanda

Get the car looked at by someone that knows what thay are doing, you may just have a problem with one of your calipers and not the discs :D As you have not used the car for 15 days it may just be sticking caliper.

[Noel]

Hello,

listen to Lexus, experts say that road going cars don't EVER have warped disc's ...

common-ish problem is a sticky caliper, which would give similar symptoms...

hope it all gets sorted :)

[IS300KK]

I was wondering about a sticky caliper, this happened to my old Corolla once, when I was driving down the M4, judder gradually got worse until I had to pull over and the disc was glowing red! Cost a fortune, because it had boiled all the brake hoses etc, so I'm wary of this.

Unfortunately, I'm absolutely dependent on the car for work, and skint after Christmas! It's going in to Lexus on Friday, and I can't wait to get it sorted.

All the best

[D8driver]

Please do check if one of the wheels is getting much warmer than the others, if it is and you keep on riding this might get expensive.

[IS300KK]

I think I'll take it to the local garage for a quick check before I do any more trips to work - new brake system for my Corolla in 2001 was over £400, really dread to think how much the same mishap would cost with the Lex! I haven't got the know how to do it myself.

All the best

Amanda

[Noel]

I think I'll take it to the local garage for a quick check before I do any more trips to work - new brake system for my Corolla in 2001 was over £400, really dread to think how much the same mishap would cost with the Lex! I haven't got the know how to do it myself.

All the best

Amanda

taking it to a local mechanic is probably for the best, 3 of my 4 calipers have gotten sticky on mine so far and just cleaning them and pushing them in and out a good few times sorted the problem short term... i live near the sea which is definitely a contributing factor as everything around here suffers from corrosion

[IS300KK]

I live in deepest darkest Mid-Wales, where our main problem is tractor-mud and sheep. Some great roads though :D, my commute to work is over a mountain road - don't really want stuck / failed brakes there!

[TomCooper]

Hi folks.

My car has an awful judder under breaking at high speed, took it to Kwik Fit and they reckoned the front discs were warped. Thing is, they were fine until about ten days ago, when I first noticed the juddering, so I'm wondering how this would have happened suddenly, after the car was parked up for 15 days whilst we were on holiday. Would you expect this to happen in a 5 yr old car which has done 45000 miles? I've never had new discs on any of my previous cars. Handling under braking is now terrible and really unpredictable, to the extent that I may have to start carrying spare trousers.

Incidentally, I phoned Lexus Cardiff, who quoted a cheaper price than the local Kwik Fit, and who said that I shouldn't assume it was the front discs causing the problem, but that they would have a look at it and sort it out (Kwik Fit assumed it was the front without looking at the car). Problem with this is that Lexus can't do it until Friday, so I'll be driving around like a drunken snail until then!

Have a happy (and safe) New Year

All the best

Amanda

i have the exact same problem on my 200, in last couple days ive noticed juddering, today i pulled over at a garage and smoke pouring off my passanger side front wheel and the disc was glowing bright red but only in 1 place, not all the way around, so i ashumed warped disc, was gonna go buy a set of discs and pads tomorrow, but if your saying its the caliper i'll take a look at it before buying new pads and discs cos these aint all that old...

my brakes seem to work fine still not spongey or wierd and the car is drivaeble under 60mph its only when i go over 60 does the disc start to heat up and wobble...

could it still mean the disc is warped from where its been heating up as the caliper is siezed?

[IS300KK]

Hi folks.

My car has an awful judder under breaking at high speed, took it to Kwik Fit and they reckoned the front discs were warped. Thing is, they were fine until about ten days ago, when I first noticed the juddering, so I'm wondering how this would have happened suddenly, after the car was parked up for 15 days whilst we were on holiday. Would you expect this to happen in a 5 yr old car which has done 45000 miles? I've never had new discs on any of my previous cars. Handling under braking is now terrible and really unpredictable, to the extent that I may have to start carrying spare trousers.

Incidentally, I phoned Lexus Cardiff, who quoted a cheaper price than the local Kwik Fit, and who said that I shouldn't assume it was the front discs causing the problem, but that they would have a look at it and sort it out (Kwik Fit assumed it was the front without looking at the car). Problem with this is that Lexus can't do it until Friday, so I'll be driving around like a drunken snail until then!

Have a happy (and safe) New Year

All the best

Amanda

i have the exact same problem on my 200, in last couple days ive noticed juddering, today i pulled over at a garage and smoke pouring off my passanger side front wheel and the disc was glowing bright red but only in 1 place, not all the way around, so i ashumed warped disc, was gonna go buy a set of discs and pads tomorrow, but if your saying its the caliper i'll take a look at it before buying new pads and discs cos these aint all that old...

my brakes seem to work fine still not spongey or wierd and the car is drivaeble under 60mph its only when i go over 60 does the disc start to heat up and wobble...

could it still mean the disc is warped from where its been heating up as the caliper is siezed?

That's exactly what happened with my last car - got out to find front passenger disc glowing and pouring smoke, very scary! I think I ended up having new discs, pads, hoses and of course caliper (which was completely jammed, so that the wheel was locked).

As for my IS300, the brakes work fine at low speeds, but very juddery over 70mph. I have also now started to notice a wobble in the steering with brakes off - balancing done last week - which now makes me think there is a sticking caliper. Won't be driving this very far until it's sorted, that's for sure!!! Sticking calipers do seem far more common than warped discs - will ask the garage tomorrow (if they're open) whether sticky calipers automatically mean new discs.

All the best

Amanda

[TomCooper]

i'll take a look at mine today, and let you know what i find... all i know to warp a disc you have to really thrash your car hard n then cool the discs quickly like going thru a puddle, happened a couple times on my old rover 220 turbo, but then engine was uprated and i took it on a few track days where the discs just got abused, but the lexus i havn't driven anywhere near as hard, but over christmas it was sitting without being moved for about 5 days maybe...

[TomCooper]

all fixed... i took the caliper apart, put it in the vice and pushed the sticky cylinder in and now seems to be fine, can feel the difference when slowing down and pulling away, i dont have the drag from that brake slowing me down anymore.

even though ive fixed this, will it reoccur everynow and again, or should it be fine from now on? does this mean that i will need some new calipers soon?

cheers for your help peeps

[Rob]

u dont need new calipers - worst case u need a rebuild kit. you can get silicone grease and lube the pistons a bit

[TigerFish]

silicone grease

The Lexus manual I have specifies Lithium soap base glycol grease for lubricating the piston seals and slide pins.

[IS300KK]

Well, I took it to the local garage, and thry think it needs new pads! No mention of warped discs, said calipers were working fine. It's booked in to Lexus on Friday, so we'll see what they say.

Tom Cooper:

They said that warping is a possibility, but to just watch out for any problems before jumping in and changing discs.

All the best

Amanda

[IS300KK]

Car went in to Lexus today. Replaced rear discs and .........................................it's only slightly better!!! Unfortunately, I couldn't test it properly as the weather was appalling and traffic was heavy, but I think it's going to be heading back for further work.

Really disappointed, as I was looking forward to having my car back to normal.

[boddamloon]

I get this a lot i got it when i was down with Rogue to get SC fitted and steve took out the pads and replaced them as they were so bad the were like wedges. The problem was everything clogged up with dust and now when i got to work for 5 weeks and come back i need to take out the pads and clean everything and coats all touching metal parts in copper grease and all is fine.

[IS300KK]

Well, here's an update:

Steering judder under braking, and to lesser extent whilst just driving along.

Kwik fit insisted it was front discs, but did a wheel balance at my request.

Lexus fitted rear discs, said problem was 'mostly solved' but car would need new front discs and pads in 4000 miles.

Problem not solved to any significant extent, so I got to thinking about other causes (which I kind of assumed would have been checked by Lexus to be honest). Today, took car to back-street garage near work, tracking was checked (no probs) and they asked me when the wheels were last balanced, told them they were done my Kwik Fit about ten days ago; they suggested I get the balancing checked by the 'bloke-round-the-corner'. Bloke-round-the-corner spent almost half and hour doing the front two tyres, with dramatic improvement, for £10!!!!!

So, after spending £250 at Lexus, it was a £10 job that made the difference!!!! I feel sick.

[Rikos]

Having sticking brakes or warped discs effects the balancing, when mine had this problem i had my wheels balanced 3 times!

[adrian71]

defo sounds like a siezed/stuck piston in caliper, if you use too much pad will wear down to bare metal and score the disc! know this from my own experience :( it should be possible to free up on your car and have re-greased