Ordinarily Talusfan may have a point. In this case, since you're likely to need rotors at some point, you are not wasting money. As you said, put new rotors on and if it's not the problem big deal you have an extra set of rotors for when the time comes.

Good job Talusfan

 

because through process of elimination i do know what's wrong - i just defies all logic. it WAS a bad rotor that didn't thump the pedal or jerk the wheel and it didn't do it until the brakes generated heat. the true test will be stop and go rush hour traffic and that won't be until monday. in the meantime i think i'm just gonna leave well enough alone.

now it's time to put a clutch in the dirtbike so i can get out there on sunday. it's supposed to be almost 60 degrees here!

 

bingo!

 

And did you by chance also replace the pads then so they will bed with these new rotors?

Rotors have a long life span, generally you can have them turned 2-3 times and it is not uncommon to get 150-200k out of a set. I worked for dealers for over ten years so method of diagnosing a problem is to find the problem and not shotgun the vehicle with parts hoping to get lucky since that would pretty much have got me fired in short order.

Yes maam, well it looks like your gonna need some new rotors, a driveline, couple wheel bearings, engine mounts, new crossmember, an alignment and some washer fluid and 16.5 hours of labor. That SHOULD get rid of that vibration, if you'd just sign here real quick.........

 

i did not replace the pads but as mentioned, the issue was resolved with just this change. i only started this thread to see if anyone else had this same problem with their h3 because every symptom, along with every bit of my basic diagnosis pointed to a bad rotor - all except the fact that there was no feedback to the driver.

i've worked with cars off and on for the past 25 years, 15 of those years in an automotive machine shop that supported over 20 ford dealers in the greater boston area so i'm quite familiar with the way "my local dealers" operate .

for the record i hate these forums because things are often taken out of context. i mean no disrespect and i don't mean to sound argumentative. because i took every suggestion given to me and factored in what i'm experiencing first hand, i was able to properly diagnose and resolve the issue in 15 minutes by replacing a single part that cost me only $65. not bad, thanks everyone.

 

Excellent, glad to hear it.

 

Yea, Ive learned to take it in stride. Lol!
Just do what seems right for the moment. I was glad to hear the pos outcome.
Chris

 

Glad to hear it got resolved. Just want to add that I continue to have issues with my 06 braking system. The rear brakes do not seem to be operating as they should and having a grinding sound during hard braking. there is a TSB about the back rotors/pads. Might want to check to be sure the "rear brake assist system" is working properly as it might be causing premature wear on your front brakes. Just a thought.

 

i didn't know that, i'll definitely look into that. mahalo.

 

When I change my engine oil, I always check and change the brake fluid. Remove it with a syringe, clean the reservoir as best as possible and refill with fresh new fluid. The fluid does get dark and dirty. Wife thinking about upgrading to a H3 so doing research on problems with it. Wondering what caused the rotor to warp. Maybe a hung brake pad.