Hey guys,

I've been out of the forum for a number of years but I know I can always come back and relay on you guys.

So after nearly 80,000 well driven miles, I think I ran across my first problem. Here are the list of symptoms:

1) Brake pedal vibrates/pulsate when coming to a stop. Now that sounds like ABS kicking in but I know it's not, because it can happen at any speed. It can happen when I'm turning into a parking space at 3 miles an hour and can happen when coming to a stop at red light. Happens about 50% of the time.

2) When the car is at a stop, and the brake pedal is pushed down, there's a high pitch squeal coming from the driver front wheel well. But I can't really see any part move or find the culprit. Seems like it's coming from behind the rotor or behind the caliper. Happens 100% of the time.

3) When I turn the steering wheel all the way in one direction, the car squeaks but only when the car is moving. Happens 30% of the time.

What do you think the issues are related to? I have plenty of brake pad left. I got them replaced by Les Schwab and they only have 18,000 miles on them. Rotors have been resurfaced (they seem smooth when I run my fingers across them). Can't say much about the calipers other than they are covered in brake dust, left more than right.

If all fails, I plan on taking my car back to Les Schwab since I'm still under warranty.

What are your guys' thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

The vibration sounds like a warped rotor, and the brake dust can cause squeak noises if there's a lot of buildup. If you notice a difference in the two sides, It may be a caliper related issue. It's possible that you could have a locked up caliper which in turn cause excessive heat and warping of your rotor.

Either way, just about every shop does a free brake inspection so skip the bs and get it checked out asap. Brakes are important.

 

warranty it. they were the last to mess with it, they probably didnt do as good a job as they should have.

 

Brake pad compound smeared. Pick a different compound that fits your driving and/or change your braking habits.

http://www.dezod.com/cat-brakes.cfm

 

So I took it back to Les Schwab. That squeaky noise when I press down on the brake pedal is coming from behind the calipers. It's getting stuck when it's activated which in turn results in poor braking and rotor issues. Luckily the rotor is still good but they still ended up turning the rotors. So the conclusion is I got free replacement calipers and brake pads for both front sides! Since then, braking is smooth and no more odd sounds! Thank goodness for warranty (it almost expired too).

 

Now I am planning on painting the calipers to protect them from rust and brake dust. Gotta invest in my free investment It's been awhile since I've seen clean/shiny/metal calipers. Mine has always been brown due to rust and brake dust.