Good day all!

My Mother in law's escape is in bad need of new rotors and brakes, and i'm having a terrible time finding any kind of service manual. I'm pretty familiar with other fords; f250s, aerostars, etc...

Is there anything i should know about the escape before i attempt to change her rotors? I've heard rumors about having to pull fuses and the like in some hybrids before servicing brakes. So anything special i should know, Or is the brake system not so different from other fords?

 

Go to this link: http://www.escape-city.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3379 for information such as this:

Brake Disc, Front - Hybrid

Removal and Installation

1. NOTE: These steps must be followed to prevent the accumulator from charging and pressurizing the brake system.
   
   Disconnect the battery. For additional information, refer to Battery.
2. Remove the battery junction box (BJB) fuses 24 (50A) and 31 (50A).
3. Remove the brake caliper anchor plate.
4. Remove the brake disc.
5. To install, reverse the removal procedure.

 

I'm at 93,500+ miles and am starting to hear "grinding" on the rear brakes.
Not so much "squeeling" I've heard on other cars from the brake pads "squeelers"... but I wonder if it's time to change them out, or they are just dirty or something. Inspection will tell, but I'm on a road trip, and I need to do mostly highway to get home and think I will pull the wheels when I get home.

Anyone else need to replace pads before 100,000 miles?

 

Thank you so much for the help, this is exactly why i asked. It wouldn't have been so great to pull her calipers, walk away for a minute, and come back to find the caliper all the way engaged! Or Exploded!

 

Here is the page from the manual for the front brakes. (Why do you think you need rotors? thickness or runout has reached a service limit?)

 

I haven't even looked at the service limits yet, just the big grooves that were at least 1/16" when i saw the vehicle last in September. My mother in law is known for not taking care of her vehicles, and despite my warnings to her when i noticed that, she has still not had them serviced. I feel it's a safe bet that the groove has only got deeper. Nevermind being 8000 miles and six months past due on her oil, never rotating her tires despite the obvious wear on the insides, etc...

 

Nasty grooves would be a valid reason to change rotors.

 

I put new pads on the rear of my '06. There is a procedure in the manual for putting it in service mode but it had nothing to do with pulling any fuses. That's definitely overkill.

 

I think it's REQUIRED not over-kill. Unless you wish to be injured or killed. I work in industrial conditions and it's all about LOTO - Lock Out Tag Out. You must isolate all POSSIBLE sources of energy, no matter how improbable.

I trust my hydraulic jack won't fail in the 5 minutes it takes me to change a tire... I'm still going to put jack stands, solid blocks of wood, or both under my car. Statistics have a nasty habit of catching up with you when you least expect it.

 

its not that its dangerous, it will push the pistons OUT of the caliper creating a NIGHTMARE for the DIYer. The sound you here when you first unlock the car or when you open the door, that buzz is the ABS powering up and pressurizing the brake system .