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Car brakes squealing or grinding: what to check

Which brake noises can wait a few days, which cannot, and what to tell the garage.

20 items · 4 sections · car, mechanic, driver, safety

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Stop driving if (5)

  • Metal grinding on every stopPads may be worn to the metal. Have it towed or drive only to the nearest garage at low speed.
  • The pedal feels soft or sinks towards the floor
  • The red brake warning light is onCheck your handbook. Red means stop safely and get help.
  • The car pulls hard to one side when you brake
  • You see fluid on the inside of a wheel or under the car

Listen and note (5)

  • Squeal only on the first few stops of a wet or cold morning?Light surface rust often clears by itself after a few stops.
  • High squeal on every stop?Often the built-in wear indicator on the pads. Book a check this week.
  • Note: front or back, left or right
  • Note: only when braking, or also when driving along
  • Note: any shaking in the steering wheel when brakingOften points to uneven discs.

Look, engine off and cool (5)

  • Park on level ground with the handbrake on
  • Look through the wheel spokes at the padUnder about 3 mm of pad material is due for replacing.
  • Look for deep grooves or a heavy ridge on the disc
  • Check the brake fluid is between MIN and MAXLow fluid can mean worn pads or a leak. Do not just top up and forget it.
  • Do not touch discs after driving: they get very hot

At the garage (5)

  • Tell them what you noted, and when it started
  • Ask to see the old pads and the disc measurement
  • Ask for a written price for pads, and for pads and discs
  • Replace pads in axle pairs, both left and right
  • After new pads, brake gently for the first 300 km or soFollow what the garage tells you for your pads.

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