<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FL_Prius_Driver @ Jul 30 2007, 10:40 PM) [snapback]487790[/snapback]</div> Ya man, every single car that has rotors does that after it rains. If you havent noticed it before, then let your car sit a day after it rains and it will be there. It just takes a couple stops and its gone. Its just surface rust because braking strips the metal rotors of all protection. It happens everywhere in the world, not just the north.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Slair @ Jul 31 2007, 05:33 AM) [snapback]487932[/snapback]</div> Rain?? What is this thing you call "rain"???
"I had to replace all 4 rotors on my 2001 Highlander (99K miles) a few months ago due to pitted corrosion. So maybe there is something about my local area that is causing this?" I think the dealer is "causing" this. The Highlander isn't a hybrid, so it's using its brakes just like any other car. Or do you pour salt into the cooling slots every night? ;-)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KTPhil @ Aug 2 2007, 02:09 AM) [snapback]489104[/snapback]</div> My '95 Odyssey ate front rotors. First set at 30K, 2nd at 50K, 3rd at 60K 4th at 90K (sold at 99K ) Presumably they were pitting. No garage, but we do have salt. Service guy said it wasn't common so I don't know why MY Odyssey rotted them out so fast. Toyota/Dealer paid for half the 1st and 2nd sets plus labor. They paid for the 3rd set and weren't even going to mention it at the 60K except that I joked "What, no front rotor replacement??". I paid for the 90K replacement, did the rear drums then as well. Funny how they didn't suffer like the front rotors!
Check with your local County road maintenance department. I will bet that they are still using salt on the roads in the winters to prevent ice/snow build-up. Salt water is aggressively corrosive to most metals, so if you're parking the car with it on the rotors in the winters that, combined with the Prius' lower use of friction braking and your driving habits are probably the culprits. You could possibly hose the rotors off during the winter, but that might get you some odd icing problems. You could also intentionally use the brakes more in the winter to keep more of a polish on them..... Good luck.
Several years back, a friend had a small Honda Civic which she killed the brakes on simply by a very abrupt, "stabbing" way of using them. After about 20K the pedal started giving a lot of vibration, and the rotors were basically cupped and continued getting worse for much the same reason that moguls pile up on ski slopes. Usage methodology really counts for a lot, which is why I emphasize "smooth and long with slow attack/decay" when advocating the Neutral Cleaning Trick. . Of course this was the same car in which one of the fuel tank straps fell out of the car one night, so who knows... . _H*
I just brought my 2005 into the dealer for a 40,000 mile service. They told me that while the pads were about 75% worn, the rotors had a lot of rust and probably should be replaced soon (for over $500). I asked if it would pass inspection as is, they said yes, so I said "not today, thanks."; looking at the rotors, there is rust around the circumference, but not much on the surface where the pads make contact. They also said they couldn't, or wouldn't, cut the rotors. Any problems having a regular shop I trust do the brake job in the future? There's nothing odd about the conventional brakes on the Prius, right? John
John, The brakes are standard and can be done by any shop as long as they are careful with the hydraulic system which IS non-standard. The hydraulic system should NOT be bled by the shop as they do not have the required computer interface software and the 12v battery should be disconnected during the procedure to prevent periodic running of the brake accumulator pump which can drive the caliper pistons out of their cylinders. If bleeding is required after the brake job get to a Prius certified facility (a Toyota dealer in general). JeffD
