Brake Vibrations - 2003 Terios 1.3

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I bought a 1.3 Terios brand new back in 2003. Within approx 3-6 months of purchase I began to experience vibrations through the vehicle on light braking. The problem was intermittent but became more frequent as time went on.

The local service agent initially machined the front brake discs, however the problem continued. They then replaced the rear brake shoes & drums, and this appeared to fix the problem, however approx 8 months later the problem recurred. They again replaced the rear brake shoes & drums, and this time also replaced the backing plate & handbrake cable.

Unfortunately within weeks the problem has again recurred.

Has anyone experienced something similar, or have any suggestions as to the cause/fix?

I am nearing the end of my new vehicle warranty & would like to get it sorted once & for all before the warranty expires.

Any assistance appreciated.

RE: Brake Vibrations

it sounds like your problem is warped discs this is a common problem on the mk2 range rover's and mk1 discovery's (their not daihatsu's i no but its what i work with so i get to no the problems) Lol this can be caused by a heavy brake foot or excessive braking. as you push the brake peddle the brake pads clamp round the disc causing friction that slows the the car to a stop, but friction causes heat and gravity takes hold of a hot disc and over time warps the disc so what im trying to say is try braking lighter and use your gears to slow down.

the bug is alive... it grows within you, slowly takes over your mind, you become a 4x4 addict, live and breathe the mud

www.woodlands4x4.ic24.net

www.reject4x4club.co.uk

Brake Vibrations

Thanks for your comments, but I don't do any heavy or excessive braking. I always use my gears to slow, and the problem only happens on very light braking, i.e. when slowing approaching an intersection.

The service agents have checked out the brake discs & they're fine.

The problem seems to be temporarily fixed everytime they replace the brake shoes & drums, however it comes back within a few months. Each time they've taken the shoes off they have said that they are still in really good condition so they can't understand the problem.

I am aware that back in 1998 certain backing plates & handbrake cables were identified as causing this problem in some Terios', however they have also replaced these now and the problem is still there.

I know this is a bit off the

I know this is a bit off the wall, but I had a similar problem (untracible it seemed) on a Rover 420. It turned out to be the rear wheels being out of balance. I still have no idea why that should have caused the problem, but after getting them balanced the problem went away...

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Brake Vibrations

Thanks Nev. It's such a frustrating problem that I'm willing to give anything a try at this stage!

ABS

My wife had a 1998 Terios until May last year which did exactly what you are describing. Under light braking, just rolling up to a red light for example it would sometimes make this juddering noise with accompanying vibration. We never solved the problem but I assumed it was something to do with the ABS being triggered even though none of the wheels were locked. I would have got round to cleaning the sensors on the wheels eventually (if I had had to drive it every day !!) but we part exchanged it before then.

Sorry I can't be of any more help, but sometimes its good to know you're not the only one.

Good luck with sorting it out. Perhaps you could let us know what the cause was if you sort it?

Alastair.

Brake Vibrations

Thanks Alastair - you're right, it is good to know others have experienced the same thing! Unfortunately though I don't have ABS so it can't be related to that.

Would you mind telling me what attempts were made to locate the problem with your wife's Terios? So far with mine they've tried machining the front brake discs, changing the tyres around, replacing the rear brake shoes & drums, and most recently replacing the backing plate, handbrake cable and once again the brake shoes & drums. I would be interested to know if anything else was tried with your wife's car. Also, what country are you in? I'm in New Zealand. I'm currently doing battle with the dealer because I'm still under warranty, so any further information you can give would be much appreciated.

Thanks again.

Terios

I'm afraid this isn't going to help much again - the only thing I did was to check the pads and discs on the front and shoes and drums on the rear. All these were within tolerance and the problem was so intermittent that I left it. Also the car was out of warranty by about 2 years so there was no one to complain to. You could also check wheel bearings and steering joints as well as the suspension bushes as suggested. Any part where movement is possible under the shift of mass when braking could be suspect. Noises and vibrations can be really hard to pinpoint.

Has the dealer experienced the noise for themselves? Make sure you let them drive it and feel it for themselves. I had a brand new motorbike a few years ago which would intermittently run on two cylinders only. The dealer had it for a fortnight and it behaved perfectly every time they tested it. It was only when they tried to ride it the 20 miles back to my house did it refuse to run properly and left the mechanic stranded. They took it seriously after that.

I'm in the UK by the way.

Regards - Alastair

Brake Vibrations

Thanks again Alastair. Yes, the service agents have experienced the problem for themselves on several occasions, so at least they know what I'm complaining about ... unfortunately though, despite several attempts, they haven't been able to fix it. Its very frustrating & I'd like to find a solution before the warranty runs out. Thanks for your comments, I'll pass them on ... every little bit of information helps!

Regards
Andrea

shocker

could be worth cheking the shock absorbers.

terios brakes

Dave, Oldham, England. ([email protected])
Hi, Andrea and everyone else interested.
This has turned into a right saga, hasn't it! I'm thinking of putting up with it!
Another two-pennorth that I have thought of..
If drums are re-fitted to a wheel hub without giving the mating surfaces a damn good wire-brushing, any lumps of stuff trapped, eg rust, can cause the drum to warp as you tighten the wheel nuts. I hope all mechanics know this.
PS in my last posting, I made a comment about Lurch's boyfriend. This is because I was drinking homebrewed plonk. Hope I didn't cause any offence.
PPS the revving-up while changing gear annoys me more than the brakes at the moment.

Dave, Oldham, England. ([email protected])

Brake Vibrations

Hi Dave

First of all, no, no offence caused! Homebrew is potent stuff!!

Thanks for your suggestions. I have convinced Toyota's Head Office to send their senior tech to meet with me in the next week or so, along with the mechanic that's worked on the car to date and has experienced the vibrations himself. Getting a bit frustrated with the continued problems & lack of action. Will let you know how I get on.

Any further suggestions welcome ...

Regards
Andrea

brake vibrations

Just wondered if you had any more news on the problem.
I've had the same on my 2003 model but it only seems to happen when coming down a steep hill
Regards
Les

re: brake Vibrations

I have a Daihatsu Applause 1991 and it seems that it is rouhly the same problem I have... Make sure that if your vehicle perform sudden jerks or just like bumping into something (Just like a bang from the inside) make sure that:

1. That your disks and drums are firmly secured into place...
2. Make sure to inspect both rear and front suspension bushes for excessive wear since after a good number of visits to my mechanic it was discovered that it could be the cause.

I am to change them this week since I have just received them directly from Japan after waiting for 4 long months.

3. In addition make sure that brake pads are of good quality since cheaper replacements could tend to ware out and slip from their original position.

Hope this gives you a ray of hope for finding your longly awaited solution.

Good luck Wink

Best regards

Karl Bonnici
Daihatsu Applause
Malta.

terios brake vibrations / judder

Dave Jackson, Oldham, England. ([email protected])
Exactly the same prob with my 2003 terios that I've just got in 2006.
Vibe is at wheel revolution frequency, worries me because a wheel that grabs will lock up first if traction is borderline. I think it must be a rear wheel becuase the steering is not affected.
My other problem is the idle takes a while to settle, esp. when changing gear. any one got any ideas on either, think both are common probs.

Dave, Oldham, England. ([email protected])

Brake Vibrations

Thanks Dave. I agree that its a real worry safety-wise. Its certainly my main concern. Unfortunately the service agents don't share my concerns ... might be a different story if it was their lives on the line! I've had the tyres, etc. checked, but everything keeps pointing to the brakes being the problem not the wheels or tyres. They're starting to run out of things to replace though. The problem has always gone away when they've replaced the brake shoes & drums, however this is only a temporary relief and it returns within a few weeks/months. You're right also that its coming from the back. I've also noticed the idling problem.

All very frustrating ...

Andrea

Same problems recurring

as I already posted previously, I was to change suspension bushes but it seems that though the problem persisted, yet the sound intensity decreased. Therefore, my mechanic will be focussing on acquiring the following parts to resolve the problem.

1. Change steering rack bushes.(the bushes are in the link between rack arm and wheel.)
2. New pads and new disks.
3. Re-machined disks could tend to do the same problem since the brakes will be generally applied when the vehicle is moved in the forward direction and very few instances in the backward direction.
4. In addition, Front calipers will be assessed for accessive wear and tear and if need be, will be changed/

I think that from my side thats all... if I have any other info I will keep you posted.

In the meantime, good luck.

Karl.

brake vibrations

Dave, Oldham, England. ([email protected])
hi, andrea and anyone else interested.
thought more about the problem..
I've had vehicles before with same prob. due to distorted drums caused by overheating. (using brakes to slow down on long descents) I also wonder if it is possible to distort the drums by applying the handbrake too hard (like my girlfriend does), the terios being built to keep the weight down, maybe they're a bit thin. I remain convinced that drum distortion is the problem, the other solutions suggested by mechanics sound like desparation to me. Am going to get my MOT man to put it on his brake tester to find which wheels are affected soon.
The idle problem concerns me more, on what is otherwise a great little vehicle. Will keep you all posted,
regards, Dave.
PS have a look at the piccy of our host LuRch, with his cutie boyfriend, on his homepage. I certainly would.

Dave, Oldham, England. ([email protected])

Brake Vibrations

Hi Dave

Thanks for your suggestions, I'll pass them on. The problem definitely appears to be related to the brake drums, and maybe distortion is an issue. In my case they have replaced the shoes & drums twice, and each time the problem has gone away for a few months, but has always returned. When they replaced the shoes they said they looked near new, but I'm not sure whether they studied the drums.

I'd be interested in what your MOT man has to say.

Thanks again

Andrea

Drums

Dave's suggestion sounds very likely to me. A slight ovaling (is that a word?) is certainly possible and sounds like it could create the symptoms described. Well worth a further look I reckon.

Regards - Alastair