Below: Brembo Beyond Greenance kit Incredibly important Head of Technical Training at TMD Friction’s brake brand Mintex, Scott Irwin MIMI, said it is vital the garages educate their customers on the importance of brake fluid: “Although most road users are au fait with the value of regular oil changes, the health of brake fluid is often ignored. This makes the role of garages incredibly important in ensuring that a temperature test is conducted as part of a routine service. The process of testing brake fluid is straightforward, and exact boiling points can be identified easily using a brake fluid tester. The Mintex brake fluid tester MTL1000 is particularly user-friendly. As the car battery heats the brake fluid, the probe will take the temperature, which typically takes around 30 seconds.” On the varieties available, Scott noted: “There are many different types: DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 4LV, DOT 5 and DOT 5.1, with the main difference between them being the temperature at which they boil. Technicians should always use the fluid type specified by the vehicle manufacturer to avoid mixing each variation.” Then there is storage: “When brake fluid is in a vehicle, water will find its way through microscopic pores in brake hoses, seals and joints. Even when it’s on the shelf, unopened bottles can absorb moisture from the atmosphere and should not be kept on the shelf for long periods of time. It is also essential that brake fluid is kept airtight, which is why standard bottles of brake fluid are 1.25 litres. This means that an entire bottle is used per one brake fluid fill, to ensure that nothing is left on the shelf and susceptible to moisture contamination.” Regenerative braking The rise of EVs is changing the braking landscape, and creating new issues for garages to solve, as Delphi Technologies Global Product Line Manager Carl Lester: “With EV sales still on the rise, regenerative braking systems are entering the UK market in volumes that are quite hard to comprehend compared to even recent historic levels, “They are rapidly becoming the normal braking system, not the exception.” “Previously the energy from the car’s movement was converted via brake friction into heat and lost to the environment. Regenerative braking recovers it to recharge the battery. Most electrified vehicles can provide sufficient braking power through the electric motor alone to slow it in the majority of daily-driving scenarios. However, this new approach has given rise to an entirely new problem. “Friction braking is self-cleaning but because hydraulic brakes are essentially a back-up system on electric vehicles, they are used much less often,” said Carl. “With less use, rust and contaminants can quickly build-up, affecting both the disc’s friction surface, the pad mounting, and the caliper piston/slider pins.” Carl added: “Delphi has carried out extensive R&D during the development of OE-quality EV-specific brake friction materials and found a wide range of wear characteristics. For example, the caliper carrier can suffer from accelerated corrosion due to lack of use. This can result in brake pads not fully retracting, causing them to wear faster too. Any brake drag will obviously then negatively impact EV range. Compromised pad to disc contact can also cause problems with pitting or uneven wear.” To learn more about regenerative braking systems, visit Delphi’s Masters of Motion hub: https://mom.delphiautoparts.com/ Special attention The braking system of an electric vehicle will have its own peculiarities and characteristics, as Brembo UK & Ireland Key Account Manager Siti Abdullah noted: “Due to the regenerative braking system, the replacement of pads and discs in EVs generally takes place at longer intervals. During regular maintenance checks, pay attention to any signs of oxidation. Oxidation is more likely to occur because the brakes are being used less frequently. This is especially pertinent for vehicles operated in more severe climatic conditions.” On brake fluid replacement, she observed: “In EVs, the same replacement intervals which are used in traditional vehicles are generally recommended. From a product point of view, low viscosity fluids are preferable for electric cars.” Then there is noise: “Due to EVs lowered ambient noise, brake noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) is a very important issue.” Siti continued: “Due to less frequent use, special attention should be paid to the brake pads and discs to ensure excessive corrosion is avoided. In addition, high and stable friction coefficients must be guaranteed, even if the brake system has undergone long phases of inactivity.” Compliant You need to make sure you are using genuine parts, as Juratek Marketing Manager Matt Leeming observed: “The recent DVSA investigation into R90 has been a good reminder not to be complacent about the reasons and benefits of being compliant. JURATEK is helping technicians and motor factors identify what to look out for to remain compliant. It is now well over 20 years ago that the R90 safety standard was introduced, initially for replacement brake pads and linings, and more recently, for replacement brake discs and drums. Any company who treats the quality of the product seriously welcomes this legislation and is happy that the DVSA are policing this.” Matt added: “What ECE R90 does not test for is longevity and noise. Cheaper alternatives could wear out faster and be overly noisy, which is why the OE industry, and some aftermarket companies like Juratek, go beyond the regulations to check for long life and low noise.” For more information, visit: www.juratek.com/R90 Left: MEYLE continues to expand its MEYLE PD range, offering aftermarket solutions where the only option previously was OE JULY/AUGUST 2023 AFTERMARKET 39 www.aftermarketonline.net
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