Squeaking when brake applied, but brakes good?

[dougthegreat]

Hey everyone!

I took my new '99 Honda Accord EX-V6 to a mechanic because, when I slow down for stoplights or stopsigns, it SQUEAKS. And not just a little bit, it's pretty annoying. Anyway, they told me that my brakes were pretty new, and didn't need to be replaced.

The mechanic told me the reason why it was squeaking was probably because I had cheap brakes, but that my brakes weren't anywhere close to being worn down. Should I get a second opinion? It's not like I've ever had premium brakes before, and I've never had a squeaking like this with my other "cheapie" brakes.

What can I do to stop this infernal squeak?

[deaz]

Could be vibration from the rotors, maybe they need to be cut? Also, could just be dust collected between the pads and rotors, too. Try some anti-squeal compound next time you do your brakes (if you are the one who does them). Also, if you do do them, next time remember to get your rotors checked.

[dougthegreat]

No, I don't do my own brakes. I do a fair amount of things on my car (oil, filters, distributor cap, replace distributor, change plugs etc) but I've always left the brakes up to an expert because if I ever screwed up... yeah.

So is there some kind of compound I can apply to these suckers to get them to stop squeaking? I know that dust can sometimes build up and cause it, but I've had the car for about three and a half weeks now and it's persisting, so I'm thinking it's not dust. You think I should get the rotors/calipers checked?

[deaz]

Well, can't hurt. Just pop em off and run them over to a shop and ask them to check them for you. (Correct width, no warping, etc.) I doubt they'll charge much, unless they have to pull them off for you, but thats where they get you, hehe.
Its not too hard to remove them. The drum brake rotors pull right off after you remove the tire, and you should just have to remove the calipers on the disc brakes to pull the rotor off. You might need a soft hammer to loosen it up, but it should float.

[whyte Gsr b0i]

just change them what 20 bucks in pads??

[dougthegreat]

whyte_gsr, I don't want to change them if I don't need to. They gave me the numbers on the brakes and they really are pretty new. I suspect that deaz is right and I probably need to have my rotors glanced at to make sure they're not warped.

Geez I really hope it's not expensive to fix this. 1,300 down payment + 230 a month for the loan + 180 a month for the required comprehensive coverage + 30 in gas = one already very expensive car.

[Master Tech Dude]

Try this!

http://www.bendixbrakes.com/tech/Tip...Prevention.pdf

Dude

[Igovert500]

Ok, alot of info that has been said is correct. Here's my .02. Brake squeal is caused by 2 things, 1 being that the pads are low and the metal prong warning system is rubbing your rotors and signaling you that the pads need to be replaced...this is not your problem as you said
#2 reason is vibration in your brakes. This produces squeals at low speeds and can cause it to get pretty loud and annoying.
Any vibrations between your calipers, rotors, pads,shims...can cause squeal. So First off, take off your wheel. Now run your fingers over both sides of the rotors, are they smooth or rough? If smooth then thats good. If there are grooves on either side, uneven wear on the rotors, or any rust, you should remove them and have them resurfaced at almost any mechanic or autostore (cost approx 7 bucks a rotor) Also, it could be brake dust, so try cleaning your rotors( just make sure that whatever cleaner you use doesn't leave any residue that will reduce friction, because that would be dangerous and reduce braking ability) Also, you can get anti-squeal compound for 4 bucks, if you know your brake system spray your shims(not the side of the brakepad that is in contact with the rotor) but spray the back of the pads, the shims, the piston(s) in the caliper, any contact points that the shims have with the caliper, and the screws that mount the caliper. Any vibration of these can produce that squeal. If you do all this yourself, it is REALLY cheap, and will definantly stop/drastically reduce brake squeal. Your mechanic is right, kinda. Some pads create more squeal then others, although it is usually the higher quality pads that cause more squealing because they have higher friction coefficients. So while that could be part of the cause, the other things will definantly help. PS. brake jobs really aren't that hard, and you save plenty of money if you learn to do it yourself. I would recommend that you find someone who knows how to do it and have them help you once then you try on the other wheel and have them supervise. It's nice to be able to do it yourself and fairly simple...good luck~ Geoff