Brake problems

P

pillar

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Im driving a 2000 Honda Accord and I believe that I am having really bad squeaking problems from the brakes. Whenever I reverse, you hear it big time. When im driving around 30-40 mph, you can hear it slightly. Im thinking about buying the disc brake quiet stuff to knock out the squeaks.

Last year I bought some brake pads thinking that the pading was really shot & thankfully my moms next door neighbor happens to be a mechanic, so we checked em out. Found out that the pading is just fine (there was really no difference between the pading of my current brakes versus the new ones), so I returned the new ones.

Any other ideas besides using the disc brake quiet spray stuff?
 
First question: Is it a manual transmission?

Second: How long has it been since you checked the rear brakes? They have the same design to make a noise when wearing thin (often called brake indicators) but they need attended to much less often.

If it's neither of them, prepare for a possible expensive ride. It could be transmission related based on when it's doing making the noise. And depending on how well maintained your vehicle is, it is unfortunately more expensive to replace or repair the transmission then to actually get another car a lot of the time. Before you do anything, pop that back wheel off and see what shape those pads are in. Good luck!


Edit: After thinking about it, the squeaking from the brake indicator generally doesn't alter in volume as far as I know. It could be a timing belt issue. Where exactly is the noise coming from? Does it happen only when in motion?

Add me on steam if you want and I'll try to help you with a more accurate diagnosis.
 
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Also, be very careful using products that cover up squeaky brakes or things like that. They usually make that noise as a warning, and covering it up could cause serious safety issues for you.
 
Actually, ive already had the transmission replaced around 2 years ago. I can check the transmission fluid tho, but other than that, the transmission should be fine. Also ive checked all 4 pads at my moms neighbors place (it was his suggestion to check them all) & they all looked fine.
 
Ya that was my next guess was the CV joint. Not too much else it could be unless the transmission is going out again. Also inspect your timing belt to see if its loose or showing signs of wear. They can make noise when they are going out.
 
Mine screech a little from time to time, one mechanic told me it was just a stone caught in the brakes but i've since found that it's probably a bearing gone in the axle
 
Professional mechanic here

So we have many possibilities here, let me list them off

1) Cheap brake pads
Cheap brake pads squeak. Its as plain as that. Brake pads are made out of a mixture of metals, cheaper pads are cheap for a reason, because they lack the more expensive metals that make the pads quiet.
If this is the case, a few brands that I know make quiet pads are
Centric posi quiet pads.
NAPA Adaptive ONE
Advance Auto Wearever GOLD

just so you know, all brake pads are HARD. brake pads do not get soft. You cannot tell by hand a bad brake pad vs a good one. Its all in the metals inside the pad material

2) Stuck Caliper
If one of your brake calipers start sticking (the caliper is what squeezes the pads against the rotors) it can start dragging (applying the brakes when you don't push the pedal, and not releasing the brakes when you release the pedal)
Hondas and toyotas are common for having sticking rear calipers, cheap designs and materials

3) wear indicators
all new brake systems have a metal wear indicator that rubs on the rotor when the pads start to wear out (the pads get smaller and smaller). Metal rubbing on metal = squeak. This is a sign you need new pads. A quick visual inspection by a mechanic can see if the wear indicator is rubbing

4) Debris stuck in the pad
Some brake pads have grooves cut in them to help with cooling. While these work, they also are a spot for debris to become lodged into. I've seen everything from metal to rust to wood chips get stuck in here. A mechanic would have to disassemble the caliper and remove the brake pad to look for things stuck in there


All in all...a spray can of brake quiet DOES NOT FIX THIS
do not waste your money
Please just send me the $5 instead, you are really just burning money if you buy that stuff

Spend the money to get a professional mechanic at a professional shop to diagnose the problem. The faster you act, the cheaper the fix. If there is an odd noise, and you wait too long, other things will become affected. What could be a $15 set of brake pads could turn into pads, $100 a piece calipers and hardware, $200 in brake rotors, and $200 in labor
 
Well let me give a little update here:

I talked w/ my moms neighbor (who happens to be a mechanic) & he said the noise is because of the cold. We've been having some crazy weather changes & its been causing squeakes in the car. He says that his suv is making the same noise as well.

I would like to bring up a good valid point. It is possible that I may indeed have cheap brake pads. Im not really quite sure if my aunt (who is the previous owner) had the brake pads changed while she owned it or not. I did buy some brake pads from Autozone (the Duralast brand), which did come w/ a lifetime warranty if anything happened to them for any reason. But like I said, since we didnt notice any visible difference in the pads, I decided to return them. Also I will have to talk w/ my moms neighbor about the possible rear stuck calipers and see what he says.
 
Look... Duralast is solid brake pad, but it's going to make noises... order some aftermarket pads from Summit Racing and just change them out... you'll be ok. also do some hard braking... i.e. speed up to 50 and slam on the brakes-in an empty parking lot...
 
Heck, I live in San Antonio. We're known for doing some hard braking due to stupid drivers slowing down for the dumbest reasons. 1 of the most annoying reasons is because a cop is on the left side but drivers in ALL lanes feel that they need to slow down because their lives are dull & feel the need to slow down just to see what the cop is actually doing. Makes me wanna honk at each of em for their stupidity.
 
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