Brake Squeak Update

As some of you know, I posted a couple weeks ago about a brake squeek. This car was squeeking on the way home from the dealer.

As recommended, I went through the 'bedding' procedure and it still did not fix the squeak.

The squeak happens when applying medium to hard pressure on the brake pedal. It sounds like it is primarily coming from the front-right of the car. The sound is a solid squeak which can be heard over the radio with the windows up.

I've had the car in the shop 4 times, and they can not figure it out. They replaced the rear drums ( before we pin-pointed where it was exactly ) and resurfaced the rotors.

Today they were going to replace the front pads, but I just got a call saying they are having a regional guy come down and look at it tomorrow. I guess this means the front pad replacement did not work.

I'm wondering what else it can be.

someone replaced the brake pad retainer clips (it's where the brake pad makes contact with the brake caliper bracket).. that was what fixed the majority of the brake sqeaks that people had 6 months ago. It's some faulty brake retainers from time to time.. go figure.. tell the dealer to try replacing that piece (the piece can shift along with the brake pads moving towards the rotor...

Keefe

Are you also getting uneven pad wear? If so, perhaps, perhaps it's related to this issue...http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/PadsInsideEW05.pdf. Replacing the spring retainer clips would at least get you started in this direction.

SBT

well they replaced the clips and pads and it seems to be fixed! I am a happy camper.

I don't know that I will ever go back to them again for service though. My car is still in the break-in period and i haven't been driving it that hard. I DID however brake hard on many occasions while trying to 'bed' or 'seat' the brakes since the car was in service 5 TIMES before it was fixed. They even recommended I try some harder braking to help them seat properly.

My problem with them wasn't that it took so many times, .. it is the fact that the ops manager told me I need to change my driving habbits because the rotors were tinted blue. (probably from trying to seat them) WTF?? he also told me that the mechanic who sat in the car to go for a ride with me said i drove aggresive. .. well how the fork are you supposed to demonstrate medium to heavy braking on a drive around the block.

I reported the squeak when I got home from purchasing the car, I've had to take the car in 5 times for the same problem, I've purchased 2 cars from them, and he's putting some blame on me? I'm 28 and he's talking to me like I'm 16.

Even if he wasn't blaming this exact thing on me, it's none of their business how I drive my car. I'll pay for pads if they wear out due to 'spirited' driving. My god, it's a freaking sports car. I wasn't trying to get anything for free, and it wasn't my fault that they could not figure out what the problem was the first 4 times I brought it in. They had to bring in a regional manager to finally get it taken care of.

Fortunately the regional manager was there to take over since i got a little hot headed. Handled everything completely professional and talked TO me, not down at me like that other asshat.

Anyway, I'm once again completely happy as I can now slow to a stop in silence

one phrase: brake modulation

You can brake hard, but you gotta brake smoothly.

Keefe

well whatever, after the dealer could not fix, i was trying everything.. including the stop-tech method of breaking down to 0 about to the point of engaging ABS

here is the comments on my invoice .. keep in mind this is referring to me showing them the sound under medium to heavy braking.

TECH WENT FOR DRIVE WITH CUSTOMER. TECHNICIAN NOTED CUSTOMER BRAKING HABITS ARE AGRESSIVE. IF CUSTOMER CONTINUES TO BRAKE IN THIS MANNER, PROBLEM WILL REOCCUR. CUSTOMER BRAKING IS CAUSING EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILDTUP CREATING A GLAZE ON ROTORS. CUSTOMER HAS BEEN INFORMED OF THIS ISSUE

well, they asked you to brake hard? that should also be in the invoice.. definition of "professional": to make money based on the skills posessed; to charge for one's service.

And that's what they did, nowhere I know of that had to be smart to be professional.

Oh well, all I can say is, brake with modulation as I am pretty sure I am one of the hardest braking guys around, since I am already on my 2nd set of pads at 15k miles, and I am about to see my 3rd set for auto-x and 4th set for track use.

Keefe

brake squeak is cause by a high frequency vibration.

I put some goop called CRC brake anti-squeal (?). It comes in a little red bottle at the brake fluid section of the autoparts store. Put the paste on where the pad contacts the piston and where the little wings contact the caliper bracket. Takes about 10 minutes to tack up, then re-assemble the brakes.

1st application will be soft, but it will prevent the sqeak.

Now, if you have a pedal pulse and a shimmy, that's where you need to do the bedding procedure, perhaps more then once. DO NOT take the car to a stop on hot brakes when you do this. They need to cool for 15-min or so while driving.