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Stop here! Let's talk about brakes

2025 messages,  Last post on May 03, 2013 at 4:53 PM

You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Brakes

Messages Page 1 of 203

#1 of 2025 Brakes by kirstie_h HOST

Nov 06, 2001 (4:24 pm)

Do you know or suspect you've got brake trouble? Got a tip? Talk about it here.
 
kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

#2 of 2025 Hmmmm by cyranno99

Nov 06, 2001 (5:59 pm)

well... here's one. My old car had a strange brake problem. It was hard to detect even by the garage mechanics. It was only noticeable when the car has been running more than 10 minutes and with the A/C on. I would noticed that the brake pedal would really became looser as I braked more.... repeated brakings.
 
The mechanic had to open the whatchamacallit and found that the fluids were leaking inside! So if you feel that your brake pedal gradually becoming "depressing" then have it check out as soon as possible

#3 of 2025 altima by kirstie_h HOST

Nov 08, 2001 (3:46 pm)

I used to have an Altima, and even when new the brakes squeaked a lot. The shop said it was because of the type of pads used and roughed them up occasionally to kill the noise, but it was still really annoying. I haven't had that problem on any of my vehicles since. Is this folklore that he was sharing with me?
 
kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

#4 of 2025 disc brakes by cyranno99

Nov 08, 2001 (3:53 pm)

It's true that some new disc brakes will generate unnerving noises. I believe that there are some sort of brake sprays that you could buy to reduce that noise. Check it out at an auto parts. That should help.

#5 of 2025 Kirstie_H by shipo

Nov 09, 2001 (12:26 pm)

Back in the early to mid 1970's, I learned to turn a fair wrench learning on the cars of my own and my friends in college who could not afford to pay a professional to keep them running. I was fortunate in that I bought most of the parts that I needed at a local shop that had a Geezer (as he called himself) working there who had been working on cars since the late 1920's and had more tricks up his sleeve than a magician.
 
He taught me that the “Sure-Fire” way to eliminate disk-brake squeal was to slap a piece of high quality “Duct-Tape” on the back of each pad before mounting them inside the caliper. Since that time, I have used that technique on well over 100 cars (through the mid 1980’s) and have never had anybody complain about noisy brakes again.
 
Interesting side note, since 1980 I have never had a car that had the infamous “Brake Squeal”, however, in the mid 1990’s, I had the opportunity to develop the Customer Service system for MBUSA. During the development process, I was working with a lot of live data, and noticed that a fairly common complaint from MB owners was brake noise. I suspect that Duct-Tape might just solve their problem, however, I am “just a programmer”, what do I know about cars?
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#6 of 2025 brake problem symptoms by cyranno99

Nov 09, 2001 (2:45 pm)

* The vehicle pulls to one side when the brakes are applied.
    * The brake pedal sinks to the floor when pressure is maintained.
    * You hear or feel scraping or grinding during braking.
    * The "brake" light on the instrument panel is lit.

#7 of 2025 Cyranno99 by shipo

Nov 10, 2001 (8:21 am)

It sounds like you have 1 or 2 different problems.
 
First, the pulling to one side, the pedal sinking to the floor and the "Brake" suggests to me that you have air and/or water in your brake lines, more on this later.
 
Second, the Grinding you hear might imply worn brake pads where the metal backing plate (or their rivets if so equipped) is grinding on the disk rotor; it might also be simple pad shimmy. The difference is that worn pads can be fatal when your brakes fail all together, while pad shimmy is simply annoying.
 
Back to your brake fluid. Brake fluid has a tendency to absorb water over time; BMW recommends a complete fluid replacement every two years because of this. When a sufficient quantity of water builds up in your brake fluid, you have two problems. The first is that under braking, your brakes generate LOTS of heat, and any water in the brake fluid is likely to boil. When that happens you essentially end up with a bubble (which is compressible like air) and loss of pressure on the brake pads for that wheel. The second problem is rust; there are plenty of parts inside a brake system that can rust under prolonged exposure to water. The most serious is the pistons used to actuate disk brakes, if they rust, they will be unable to move freely and as a result, you will not get full stopping power on that wheel. Air in the brake lines is in some ways worse, it is compressible and when you push the brake pedal, the air in the line compresses and the brake pads do little if anything to stop the car.
 
If I were you, and if I intended on keeping the car beyond an hour from now, I would get the car to a shop for a complete 4-wheel brake job including new caliper seals and a complete brake fluid replacement.
 
I hope this helps.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#8 of 2025 99 by joe3891

Nov 10, 2001 (10:12 am)

I would say your pads are worn out & you popped a piston o-ring due to excessive piston travel.Better get them fixed ASAP.

#9 of 2025 Squeal like a pig fer me ... by brorjace

Nov 10, 2001 (4:03 pm)

kirstie, brake pads are asked to do a lot of things ... and it is not uncommon for them to squeak and squeal a bit here and there. It may be annoying, but as long as the friction material is not worn out, they are fine. OEM pads are usually the best all around bet for most cars but you are also well off getting the best grade of friction material from Bendix, Raybestos or Ferodo America (The Spectra Premium brand). Usually, they have an OE replacement grade and that's your best choice.
 
Excessive brake squeal is usually caused by vibration between the pad's backing plate and the caliper's piston. This is why shipo's trick works ... although I'd prefer a material more resistant to heat than regular old duct tape. Better brake pad sets come with anti-squeal shims. A membrane anti-squeal goo is also available.
 
Even if installed properly with the correct shim material, some high-performance pads can make a racket ... especially at low speed. Hey, that's what you get for installing the latest, super high-temp carbon fiber racing friction on your daily driver! >;^)
 
--- Bror Jace

#10 of 2025 Ooppsss by cyranno99

Nov 12, 2001 (2:59 pm)

I didn't mean to ask for help... it was a list of possible brake symptoms. But I am sure that someone will appreciate the feedbacks though
 
My current car is running just fine... not a problem... love it!

Messages Page 1 of 203

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