Just after some quick advice as van is booked in for tomorrow at garage. Hence posted here instead of Motor section. Understand if it still needs moving though.
Quick backstory
Van started making a grinding noise about 3 to 4 weeks back when braking at the rear of the van, which stopped after a few days (thinking about it now, the snow/rain was lubricating the pads/discs). So just put it down to a stuck stone and didn't worry about it.
Anyhow its back now with a vengeance, so i think one (or more) pads are completely gone and i'm now braking metal on metal, which means new discs, pads (possibly bearings) and goodness only knows what else. Will certainly be getting the low brake pads warning light fixed anyhow (been permanently on for 2 years)!
My question is, I'm i ok to keep driving it for today (slowly) for short journeys only or is it stop driving at once. The reasons i ask is because I'm 99.99999999999999% sure that the discs etc will need replacing so I'm just damaging more that which is already damaged and it is still stopping fine (i'm not going above 25 mph). Or could i reach the stage where the brakes just dont work full stop?
Like i said the van is booked in for tomorrow with it be dropped off tonight, the rough quote is around £850 so far but then at least it is a good opportunity to have the service and MOT done at the same time
I've done it before when I've heard the scraping sound before on an old primera...I did it for days before i did anything..
mind, and issue i had was with the rear caliper seizing (know issue) up and the local garage would strip it down and clean it - on one day it totally seized and I was driving along with a backwheel locked up totally..! called the AA out and they sorted it for me... that was just a side note and won't happen to you I think..
Its a worse case quote, new discs and pads front and back (£550 just for that), new low brake sensors, service (£130) and then MOT when everything is fixed and roadworthy etc
That's the really annoying thing, i had to have my disc changed 3 years back so have been worried about the same thing happening again, so when the van was serviced last year i asked if the pads needed changing and got told they were fine.
For some stupid reason, the low pad warning sensors are only on one side of the Transit (only 2 wheels covered) so half the time they don't warn you anyhow. Add to the fact that last year it cost me £4500 to get the van working again (new turbo, EGV, gear cables, clutch etc), spending an extra £200 on sensors that may or may not warn you (didn't last time around) was just to much to bear at the time. Wish i had now though as it might have caught it
Your advice then is don't even do a couple of slow short journeys and instead take it straight to the garage? All joking aside, the insurance bit is an interesting one I wonder if it would invalidate the insurance