Svc Manager tries to scare me away from DIY brake job

2272 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Squishy, Jul 13, 2009

dfgalletta

Discussion Starter · Jul 12, 2009

I asked a ford Dealer's service manager about doing my own disc brake job (I think I need front brakes) in my 2007 Escape Hybrid. Even the best pads are cheap enough (<$120) but the service manager warned me about this job.

He said I could be electrocuted. He said the pads come with a rubber hammer used to hit the person on the head if they are being electrocuted. I took this as a statement of humor but am worried about attempting this myself because of the electrical connections (recharging system)
associated with the brakes. I've changed disc brakes for decads in many different models (Ford, Honda) but never for a hybrid.

Obviously this is a profitable job for the service department so I know I should take this with some incredibly huge grains of salt.

The shop manual is $160 and not in stock, and I can't find anything online about this except for some warnings about shutting off a hydraulic system beforehand for some unknown reason. I need to do this job on Monday for our state inspection.

So now I'm REALLY nervous about doing this. Any advice?

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dfgalletta

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 13, 2009

Thanks, Squishy, for the instructions. After seeing the notice that rear brakes will have half the life expectancy of the fronts, I bought brake pads for all four wheels. So then I found the original brake pads are still good! (they're at 5/16 and the lower limit is 3/16 to pass state inspection (Pennsylvania). New they are 9 or 10/16,. So even at 30,700+ miles, the original brakes in my 2007 Hybrid Escape are still going strong!

I'll save your instructions for the future! Are there any photos or drawings where you found these?

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