But did you check the temps when the OEM pads were worn way down to almost nothing, just before you replaced them?

About your brake pedal action -- we bought our vehicle in late May, after having test driven at least 10 Outlanders from model years 2006 (which generation does not have enough leg room for me, unfortunately) to 2013. They all had great brakes with brake pedals that don't have to be pushed very much at all before the brakes fully engage. The brakes and pedal-action on our 2010 XLS are no different. If you notice a big change in pedal action since you changed pads and had the brakes bled, this is too much of a coincidence for that not to be caused by at least one of the two. And because of your temperature data and continued abnormal pedal performance, I'm leaning much more toward the bleed.

 

Yeah I'm getting it checked out tomorrow.

Add for the pedal what about if you are just in park with the car on? Not moving...just pushing the pedal. Does it form up quick or can you push it down pretty far..for me, I am lucky if I can slide my toes of my other for under the pedal when doing this.
The brakes start engaging fairly high on the pedal push, but it seems I have to push further to get stopped. Now that could be the feel of the new pads...it's hard to tell. But maybe just try the pedal push while stopped in park and let me know. I am taking one more chance on a mechanic up here that has come recommended by 5 people. I'll lose it if he is like the last one lol

 

Within the last 30 minutes I started the car and removed the driver's digital fit floor liner, exposing the OEM carpet (no mats). I then placed a ruler flat against the right-side end of the pedal and the other firmly on the floor and measured the distance from the top surface of the pedal, where the top surface met the ruler, to the floor, while simultaneously holding the ruler pretty much perpendicular to the upward-sloped part of the floor directly behind the pedal, and also in line with the direction of travel of that part of the pedal against which I placed the ruler in the first place. (Yikes! That may be the longest sentence I ever wrote.) I then slid the pedal down the face of ruler toward the floor until it stopped.

With the car idling, the transaxle in Park and the pedal at rest, the distance from the top surface of the pedal (where it met the ruler) to the flloor was 5.25 to 5.5 inches.

Under the same conditions, with the pedal being pushed down as far as it would go, the distance from the same part of the pedal to the floor was 3.25 to 3.5 inches.

The pedal travels downward for the first 0.5 inches or so, to the point where the brake-light switch can be heard engaging and the brake lights coming on, with only the easy resistance of the spring that returns the pedal to its normal, "not being pushed" position. After that, for the next 1.5" or so of travel, resistance to pushing is geater and consistent to the point of a pretty abupt stop (and no further downward travel whatsoever). I assume that this is the point at which the fluid in the system has fully forced the pistons and pads against the rotors.

So our pedal "travels" downward a maximum of about two inches.

Hope that helps.

 

Wow...thanks for that. Are you pushing with your hand or foot?
I think it is safe to say mine goes further than that, but I will measure to make sure, but I think I know the answer

 

Take a guess.

If you can figure out a way to make these measurements while operating the pedal with your foot, please make a video. I'd like to see it.

 

Lol...so basically what I did was hold a ruler flat along the side of the brake in the middle..perpendicular to the brake pedal flat surface and measured the at rest position..like you said about 5.5 inches. I then sat in normally, and pushed the pedal down nnormally with my foot as if regular driving while holding the ruler in the same spot. Once I couldn't push down any further, I grabbed the ruler at the level of the top of the brake pedal surface....roughly 2.5 inches from the floor. Mind you, I am not pushing with all my might.I am afraid of breaking something. I could probably push it further, but am leery.

It just never felt this mushy before so that is my focus tomorrow..more bleeding. Again, thanks for doing that. I should have made the video lol

 

I'm 6'6" tall and have very long legs, even for someone my height, so I have to sit with my legs/knees splayed outward a bit, making it virtually impossible for me to get my hand down next to the brake pedal, let alone with a ruler in it.

Sometimes I forget that not everyone has the same legs that I do.

But back to the subject at foot, I think your pedal is going down too far and I can see why you're concerned. Any competent person should be able to bleed your brake system properly ............ even a "mechanic".

 

Let's hope so. I'm 6'2" and I get made fun of due to the fact I sit so close to the steering wheel. My gf is 5'7 and I sit closer than she does lol.
Yeah, I'm going to put my faith in one more local mechanic. If this blows up in my face, you may hear me snap all the way in Alberta!

 

OK, here is the update and I have one more question.

Went to a different mechanic and he did the two person bleed. He did the right order as outlined in the service manual.....I saw more air come out of the rears. Nothing but fluid shot out of the fronts. HOWEVER, it feels no better....I am assuming the guy working the pedal never let up when the screw was open, but I guess you never know. Who knows how many bleeds I will need to do in order to get all the air out. Each bleed that has been done has had more air come out, even though they thought they got all the air out the bleed before.

So I decided to look underneath to see if maybe the bleeder screws were leaking. Three look great. However, the passenger front looks a bit wet. I took the cap off and put it back on and when I did, air bubbled out from around the threads of the bleeder screw where it screws into the caliper!

Is this normal? The others never did it and all look very dry. Maybe he stripped it? I went out for a drive (deserted area just in case) and was fairly hard with the brakes, got home and checked it. Looks no worse.

Can someone fill me in on if that is of concern. I have heard these are super easy to strip, so I have no idea how hard they should go on.

Also, he said the rears aren't dragging, they spin freely. Stillg etting the passenger rear hotter than every other rotor.

SO, I am Mitsubishi bound. I am going to see if the can pressure bleed everything (hopefully specifically bleed the MC) and then everything else including ABS. The ABS self check noise that I have heard every time I started the car since I bought it sounds very different now after all of this.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions and patience during all this. I have learned quite a bit. I now will change my own brake pads and if I ever want to change the brake fluid, now I know not to let the f**king MC run dry. Live and learn!

 

Last first. Were the pads replaced by following the Mit. procedure (one guide pin only and swing up)?

There should not be air "bubbling out from around the threads" of the bleed screw because there should be no air in the caliper to bubble out. If air does comes out from anywhere, it should come out of the center of the bleed screw, and then only when it's loosened. And if air is bubbling out of anywhere, even when the pedal is not being depressed, that's downright weird and should be investigated. That single phenomenon you've noticed could be the cause of your brake pedal not behaving properly. A new bleeder screw is only about six or seven bucks, even at the stealership.

The bleeder screw is a fairly small diameter. After closing the valve to first contact resistance, I would say another quarter turn at most should be all that is necessary to completely close the valve and prevent accidental loosening.

I'm not trying to be funny here, but if each bleed is getting more air out of the system, that's a good thing, as long as, as you say, the person pressing down on the pedal is not allowing it to lift until after the bleed screw has been completely closed. Just keep repeating until there are no air bubbles at all and make sure the reservoir has plenty of fluid.