Brake Repairs in Ellenbrook

If your brakes feel wrong, get them looked at before you drive any further. Prime Euro Services does brake repairs at 3/37 The Broadway, Ellenbrook, on European cars, daily drivers, utes and 4WDs. Licensed repairer, MRB8069.

Call (08) 6296 3894. If the pedal has gone soft or long, or it is going to the floor, do not drive the car. Ring us instead.

Signs your brakes need looking at now

• Squealing or grinding. Squealing is often the wear indicator doing its job. Grinding usually means the pad is gone and metal is on metal, which starts wrecking the rotor.
• A soft or long pedal. The pedal sinks further than it used to, or feels spongy. That points at fluid, air in the lines, or a leak.
• Pulling to one side when you brake.
• Shudder through the pedal or the steering wheel when slowing down.
• A warning light on the dash, or a park brake fault message.
• The brake fluid level dropping. Brake fluid does not get used up. If the level is falling, something is leaking.

What we do

Pads and rotors

We measure. We do not guess, and we do not replace parts that have life left in them.

When they are due, they are due. A Volvo XC90 in for a routine service had rear pads and rotors that would not have safely reached the next service, so we replaced both. A Mercedes GLC had its rear pads and rotors done alongside its logbook service, using parts that meet or exceed OEM specification. A Ford Everest had rear pads and rotors replaced as part of a full service.

Brake fluid

Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time. Wet fluid boils at a lower temperature, and boiling fluid makes the pedal go soft exactly when you need it most, like coming down a long hill with a full car. We check it and flush it when it needs it.

Brake lines and hoses

Lines rust, chafe and leak. A leak means fluid loss, and fluid loss means no brakes. We replace lines and hoses and bleed the system properly afterwards.

Electronic park brakes

Most modern European cars have an electric park brake instead of a handbrake lever. You cannot wind those back by hand. They need a scan tool to put the caliper into service mode, and a fault needs diagnosing rather than replacing on a hunch.

A 2013 BMW X6 was towed in with its electric handbrake stuck on. We diagnosed an internal fault in the handbrake module, replaced it, and recoded it to the car so it worked properly again.

The Hilux with no brakes at all

This one is worth reading.

A Toyota Hilux came into the workshop with a brake pedal that had completely failed. Nothing. Straight to the floor.

The ute had been lifted at some point, but the brake lines were never extended to suit the new ride height, and the brackets holding them were not bolted down properly. So the lines had been moving and vibrating. That wore a pinhole in one of them, and it slowly drained every drop of fluid out of the system.

No fluid means no hydraulics. No hydraulics means no brakes.

We removed the damaged lines, fitted proper extended lines suited to the lifted suspension, mounted every bracket securely, bled the whole system and ran a full safety inspection before it went anywhere.

Lifted 4WDs and utes

That Hilux is not a one-off. When a vehicle gets lifted, the brake lines and their mounts have to be sorted at the same time, or they are under strain every time you drive. If your 4WD or ute has been lifted and you are not certain the brakes were done properly, bring it in. It is a quick check with a very large downside if it is wrong.

Get your brakes checked

Call (08) 6296 3894 and tell us what the car is doing. Noise, feel, warning light, whatever you have noticed. We will tell you whether it is safe to drive in.

Prime Euro Services
3/37 The Broadway, Ellenbrook WA 6069
Licence MRB8069

Also see: European car service · logbook servicing · the workshop

Common questions

How long do brake pads last?

There is no single answer. It depends on the car, the pads, and mostly on how and where you drive. Stop-start city driving eats pads far faster than open road running. That is why we measure at every service instead of quoting a number.

Why are my brakes squealing?

Often it is the wear indicator, a small metal tab that touches the rotor on purpose to tell you the pads are low. It can also be dust, glazing or a stone caught in there. Get it checked rather than guessing, because grinding is next and grinding costs rotors.

Do I need to replace the rotors every time I do pads?

No. It depends on the thickness left and the condition of the surface. We measure them and tell you. On the Volvo XC90 and the Mercedes GLC the rotors genuinely needed doing. Plenty of jobs are pads only.