In this work we propose proof-of-concept methods to detect malfunctions of the braking
system in passenger vehicles. In particular, we investigate the problem of detecting
deformations of the brake disc based on data recorded by acceleration sensors mounted
on the suspension of the vehicle. Our core hypothesis is that these signals contain
vibrations caused by brake disc deformation. Since faults of this kind are typically
monitored by the driver of the vehicle, the development of automatic fault-detection
systems becomes more important with the rise of autonomous driving. In addition, the
new brake boosters separate the brake pedal from the hydraulic system which results
in less significant effects on the brake pedal force. Our paper offers two important
contributions. Firstly, we provide a detailed description of our novel measurement
scheme, the type and placement of the used sensors, signal acquisition and data characteristics.
Then, in the second part of our paper we detail mathematically justified signal representations
and different algorithms to distinguish between deformed and normal brake discs. For
the proper understanding of the phenomenon, different brake discs were used with measured
runout values. Since, in addition to brake disc deformation, the vibrations recorded
by our accelerometers are nonlinearly dependent on a number of factors (such as the
velocity, suspension, tire pressure, etc.), data-driven models are considered. Through
experiments, we show that the proposed methods can be used to recognize faults in
the braking system caused by brake disc deformation.