I've been having brake problems recently... (groaning and clicking sounds, very soft pedal, what seems to be decreased braking power, bad smell after medium-hard braking)
They looked at it for a few hours and said "there's nothing wrong, your brakes are like new"

So frustrating driving around when i have to press the brake pedal so hard at every stop and practically floor it to stay stopped on a hill. It seems like I can press the pedal down about an inch before it even starts to brake. I want the feel that my pedal used to have... barely touch it and you can feel it braking... Any idea what I can do?

 

I've given up on the POS nissan rotors/pads. Get some new A/M pads and rotors, and steel brake lines. The lines alone will probably get you to where you want to be though, if you dont have $400 to spend on new brakes right now (like me).

 

where can i get steel brake lines and will they void my warranty?

 

i have the same f-ing problem....i though it was my stock rotors and brakes and even though they were bad it didnt matter....i bought powerslot rotors and hawk pads and it was good in the beggining....for some reason now i have the same problem as u...i went to a mechanic and said that it was the brake master cylender...i havent replaced it yet cause i want to go to the dealer...do u know if this is covered under extended warranty?

 

Darius, according to some nissan detailers (like mine) anything voids your warranty. They suck. Just get what you 'want', and if they won't offer you warranty service, go elsewhere. Nissan service sucks *****. The guy tried to pull that crap over the phone with me the other day saying this or that would void my warranty (when i was discussing service). To make a long story short I had a mechanic do my service, and saved near 100 dollars.


I'm sure you can get away with alot, if you had one of the 'few' good service places to go to.

Good luck.

 

Is it possible the soft pedal feel isn't a leak or fluid that has taken on too much water? Maybe a brake fluid flush is in order...couldn't hurt!

arff

 

invariably = air in lines or contaminated fluid...I would do a serious bleed job before I do anything else

 

Same problem here... I have vibrations when i press my brake pedals. I went to the dealer and told "you press hard the brakes"... and he told me that "the brakes is not under warranty" so he told me in the feature we have to clean your rotors for $140, i was like "clean?" he was like "yes, clean" so im thinking about stillen sport rotors for $110, im surprise because my brakes is not under warranty...

 

Mine had a seriously soft pedal too, however, merely changing the pads & rotors fixed it... almost completely (still capable of flooring the brake pedal, but only with a lot of effort with the engine running... a brake fluid change is in order soon)
I'm suspecting that the pads got stuck, and gave the caliper piston too much free-play, or the pads were worn too far... my stock brakes were really screwed up though. After a brake system flush, my brakes should be perfect (using aftermarket OEM-like rotors/pads--Raybestos rotors & QuietStop pads all around)

If you're sick of the crappy Nissan rotors/pads already, open the wallet and change them with aftermarket parts. Don't put up with the crappy braking experience you feel right now--the Maxima's brake system is far more capable than that.

 

I had the cupping phenomenon, went to the Nissan dealer, and they said I had 30% left on the front, with some hot spots. $220 pads, rotating and resurfacing the rotor. $160 for ThermaQuiet pads by wagner, resurfacing and rotating of rotor at Meineke. Would have been $220 pads AND rotors, but car was still new with 32,000 miles and enough metal that they just resurfaced em. Both dealer and Meineke said you should be able to rotate and resurface twice, or until 60,000 miles.

 

Yes..Excellent suggestion

 

any write-ups on this? is it a simple DIY or should i tell the f-in dealer to do it?

 

Brake bleeding's a DIY job, but it's best to have 1 other person with you to operate the brake pedal (a lot of those "one-man bleeder" tools haven't worked for me, still ended up needing someone to operate the brake pedal...). You should at least get a small kit with a bottle and clear plastic tubing.

If you want it thoroughly inspected, take it to a reputable local repair shop and have them do it (and explain the whole situation to them). Your local dealer is obviously full of ****, so try a local repair shop.

 

I went to a local shop and they did a brake fluid flush/bleed for $30. (on my ranger, and I hear they're more difficult)

arff

Good luck!