Brake-pad job is among tasks one still can do

Q The 2004 Honda Pilot I purchased used from a private party about two years ago has 81,000 miles on it and needs new brake pads all around.

It has four-wheel disc brakes, and the dealer recommended also turning the rotors. The quote was $450 to do the recommended work. Do you recommend having the rotors turned at the time of pad replacement?

Is there something a moderately skilled shade-tree mechanic like me can look for to determine whether the rotors do in fact need turning? Do you think the price is reasonable?

A You've asked the type of automotive question many of us are asking ourselves these days: With all the modern technology and electronics found on today's cars and trucks, can I still work on them myself?

The answer is yes. There may not be quite as many do-it-yourself projects on modern automobiles, but the basics still are there, including maintenance service such as brakes.

While the $450 quote for pads and rotors seems reasonable, by purchasing good-quality pads and installing them yourself you can save enough money to take in a Twins game or two this season.

As with any hydraulic system, it's better to open the bleed screws slightly as you tighten the clamp to push the caliper piston back into its bore. That will expel the excess brake fluid rather than drive it backwards through the ABS actuator towards the master cylinder. This keeps contamination and debris out of very expensive brake components.

Should you "turn" the rotors or replace them? In my opinion, not unless there's visual evidence of significant scoring on the rotor surfaces or you're experiencing a vibration in the brake pedal when applying light to moderate brake pressure.

If there's no evidence of wear, runout or being out-of-round, lightly scuffing the rotor surfaces with a medium-grit sanding disc mounted on your electric drill provides a clean, fresh surface for the new brake pads to "mate" to. If the rotors need "turning" or refinishing, it must be done on the vehicle by a special lathe.

The lathe is mounted to the steering knuckle. This, obviously, would be a job for the dealer or an independent professional shop.

Q I have a 2007 Corvette coupe that I parked in the garage for the winter. I started it in January without a problem and let it run for at least a half an hour to charge the battery.

When I tried to start it tonight, the battery was dead. I put the charger on the battery for about an hour, and tried to start it again. Once it finally started, the check-engine light came on.

The manual suggests that the emissions system has detected an error, possibly the fuel filler cap. I checked the cap and it doesn't seem secure in the tube; I can pull on the cap and it comes right out.

Could this be the cause for the check-engine light and will there be any harm done if the light stays on until I can get the car to the dealer for repair? Should I put the charger on the battery more often next year? Should I start the car and let it run more frequently next year?

A My question: Should I be sympathetic to the problems you're having with your '07 Corvette? I mean, it's only 37 years newer than mine!

To put your mind at ease, unless the check-engine light is flashing at you, there will be no harm done by driving the car to the dealer. And yes, the fault code associated with the light could easily be caused by a poor seal around the fuel filler cap. It's also possible that if you replaced or repaired the filler cap so that it seals properly, the check-engine light will go out after a certain number of key cycles. The DTC fault code will still be stored in the computer's memory, but if the emissions failure is no longer occurring, the light will go off unless another fault is detected.

I found service bulletin 07-06-03-001B in my Alldata database identifying a possible "software anomaly" in the remote control door lock receiver that causes an additional current draw of 30 milliamp hours (mAh) from the battery when passive locking is enabled while the vehicle is parked. If this is the issue, the dealer can recalibrate the receiver to eliminate this draw.

In any case, it's always a good idea to charge the battery in a stored vehicle every three or four weeks to keep it charged and ready for action. I try to start my "long-term parking" vehicles once a month or so and let them run for a half-hour outside to not only charge the battery, but to warm the various lubricants and "exercise" the air conditioning. Besides, it helps me beat my cabin fever during winter.