Western-Star

Wheels: An e-mail from Gil H. of Tipp City says, "We have a 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora, 4.0-liter engine with 46,000 miles. The car has been fairly well maintained and has been trouble-free. The original five-year GM warranty will expire April 2008.

Since we plan on keeping this car for at least three more years, I would like to get your thoughts on the pros and cons of contacting GM and purchasing an extended warranty."

Halderman: Any extended warranty is basically an insurance policy. The fee charged is known and paid ahead of time and protects you from unknown future major vehicle expenses.

There are many types of extended warranties, and some offer more than others, so look them over carefully.

Extended warranties do not usually pay for routine replacement parts or services, such as a brake pad replacement or a new battery.

However, many policies will pay for a replacement disc brake caliper, if it were found to be defective, or the replacement of leaking gaskets.

Brake wear depends on drive, weight of vehicle

Wheels: Richard G. writes, "I have a 2004 Buick LeSabre with disc brakes on the front and rear. My question is, will the rear disc pads wear the same as the front pads, or will the front pads wear out first?"

Halderman: Good question. The answer is it depends. On a front-wheel drive vehicle, most of the weight and, therefore, most of the braking, will be handled by the front brakes.

If you can see the rotors and the calipers, you will notice that the front brakes are larger than the rear brakes due to the fact that most of the braking will be handled by the larger front brakes. Which will wear out first? If everything is normal and you are an average driver (whatever that is), both the front and the rear will wear at the same rate and will be worn out about the same time.

No vehicle is normal, so from my experience, I would have to say that the front brakes will most often wear out first. However, it is not uncommon for the rear brakes to reach the wear sensors first because the lining thickness is less on the rear disc brake pads, especially if you brake gently. So what should you do? I suggest that the brakes be inspected regularly and the pads replaced and the calipers serviced as needed. Most experts recommend that both the front and rear brakes be replaced at the same time to maintain the proper brake balance from front to rear.