Brake maintenance and finding reputable automotive shops!
June 26, 2010 10:06 AM Subscribe
The brakes in my fairly low-milage SUV have begun to squeak when stopping at slow speeds or when the car has just been turned on. What could be the problem and how can someone who knows nothing about cars get reputable service and not be ripped off? Bonus if anyone knows of a good place for this in Santa Barbara or Ventura county!
Problem: when I just start up the car and start driving (say I was in a parking structure for a few hours), when stopping at slow speeds -- the brakes squeak/screech quite a bit. Generally, this goes away after a bit of driving and it never happens at speeds above 30-mph no matter how long the car hasn't been in use for. So, if I park after driving for about fifteen minutes, no squeaking then no matter how slow I'm going. Also, functionally they work great. No trouble stopping, slowing down, or anything like that, just the squeaking.
I had a friend take it to their tire/brake guy and they said that the brakes were like new and that nothing was necessary. There "was a bit of a glaze on it so they sanded down the rotors a bit". That seemed to work for a day but now the sound is back. The car is at about 21,000 miles but is being driven now much more than it has been in the past.
What could be the problem? How do I describe this problem to a mechanic/tire shop? How can I avoid getting taken for a ride and buying things I don't need? How much should something like this cost?
Problem: when I just start up the car and start driving (say I was in a parking structure for a few hours), when stopping at slow speeds -- the brakes squeak/screech quite a bit. Generally, this goes away after a bit of driving and it never happens at speeds above 30-mph no matter how long the car hasn't been in use for. So, if I park after driving for about fifteen minutes, no squeaking then no matter how slow I'm going. Also, functionally they work great. No trouble stopping, slowing down, or anything like that, just the squeaking.
I had a friend take it to their tire/brake guy and they said that the brakes were like new and that nothing was necessary. There "was a bit of a glaze on it so they sanded down the rotors a bit". That seemed to work for a day but now the sound is back. The car is at about 21,000 miles but is being driven now much more than it has been in the past.
What could be the problem? How do I describe this problem to a mechanic/tire shop? How can I avoid getting taken for a ride and buying things I don't need? How much should something like this cost?
Best answer: If they are the original brakes then it is probably time to change the pads. Each pad has a small metal piece that scrapes the rotor when the pads are worn to a certain point. They are supposed to make a squeaking noise when it is time to change the pads. What strikes me as odd is that a professional mechanic with an opportunity to charge you money would tell you the brakes look fine if they are worn low.
Another possibility is that one of your calipers (the part that pushes and pulls that brake pad onto and off of the rotor) is sticking. At low speeds the caliper never disengages the brake, and it squeaks as you drive. When you are at higher speeds you use more braking force, which make shake the caliper free. Or the higher wheel speed might shake it free on its own. Either way, the mechanic might not have found this without running a full diagnostic. Call around and find a garage that will agree to do a free brake system diagnostic for you.
posted by I_am_jesus at 10:19 AM on June 26, 2010
Another possibility is that one of your calipers (the part that pushes and pulls that brake pad onto and off of the rotor) is sticking. At low speeds the caliper never disengages the brake, and it squeaks as you drive. When you are at higher speeds you use more braking force, which make shake the caliper free. Or the higher wheel speed might shake it free on its own. Either way, the mechanic might not have found this without running a full diagnostic. Call around and find a garage that will agree to do a free brake system diagnostic for you.
posted by I_am_jesus at 10:19 AM on June 26, 2010
Best answer: I initially thought of the glazing issue. I had this exact problem with my Ford Ranger pickup. The solution offered by the brake guy at Tuffy was to slam the brakes really hard coming off a less-traveled ramp on the highway. I did that, really braked hard, and it worked like a dream, no more squeaking.
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 10:36 AM on June 26, 2010
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 10:36 AM on June 26, 2010
Best answer: INAM (I'm not a mechanic), but this sounds like pretty common brake noise. It's happened to me many times, on every car I've ever owned. The glazing of the rotors is exactly what I've been told too, when asked. It's probably also related to the amount of humidity in the air, and to doing a lot of slow stopping (which, I think, could cause the pads to press on the rotors more lightly, and therefore be more likely to lead to a smoothing/polishing effect).
Something that sometimes worked for me is braking relatively hard on purpose. I do it by starting up (get going 5-10 mph, which takes only a few seconds from a standstill), then brake harder than I would normally—not jarringly hard, just very hard. Repeat once or twice more. Obviously, you want to do this maneuver when you know everything around you is clear; not a road with traffic behind you (especially if you're driving an SUV). My own success with this trick has been moderate, but often it did seem to work, for a limited time. My father taught me this trick, but his version of it was to brake while backing up; however, my own testing suggested that the crucial part was the hard braking, not the direction of travel.
I've never heard of a permanent solution to the noise problem.
posted by StrawberryPie at 11:05 AM on June 26, 2010
Something that sometimes worked for me is braking relatively hard on purpose. I do it by starting up (get going 5-10 mph, which takes only a few seconds from a standstill), then brake harder than I would normally—not jarringly hard, just very hard. Repeat once or twice more. Obviously, you want to do this maneuver when you know everything around you is clear; not a road with traffic behind you (especially if you're driving an SUV). My own success with this trick has been moderate, but often it did seem to work, for a limited time. My father taught me this trick, but his version of it was to brake while backing up; however, my own testing suggested that the crucial part was the hard braking, not the direction of travel.
I've never heard of a permanent solution to the noise problem.
posted by StrawberryPie at 11:05 AM on June 26, 2010
I have this problem too. For me, it's rust buildup. I was told it's not dangerous and it's a pretty easy fix.
posted by emilyd22222 at 12:28 PM on June 26, 2010
posted by emilyd22222 at 12:28 PM on June 26, 2010
Probably just need a good cleaning. There are a couple of stainless steel "rails" that the shoulder of the pads ride on in the caliper and the combination of brake dust & moisture can cause the pads to not fully disengage from the disc - hence the squealing you hear. It's no big deal, just turn up the radio.
posted by torquemaniac at 3:19 PM on June 26, 2010
posted by torquemaniac at 3:19 PM on June 26, 2010
Response by poster: Stopping abruptly a couple of times from 15MPH did the trick, although I'm not sure if that's a permanent solution (since the original mechanic stated the brakes were in good shape). In my usual course of driving, I do tend to brake rather softly and slow down early if I can predict it and not hold up anyone else.
I will be seeking out somewhere that specializes in brakes though in the coming weeks to investigate this with a full diagnostic as I_am_jesus suggested.
Thanks all!
posted by cgomez at 9:12 PM on June 26, 2010
I will be seeking out somewhere that specializes in brakes though in the coming weeks to investigate this with a full diagnostic as I_am_jesus suggested.
Thanks all!
posted by cgomez at 9:12 PM on June 26, 2010
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posted by msbutah at 10:17 AM on June 26, 2010