Q: Brakes squealing

asked by on January 12, 2017

Brakes, calipers and rotors were all changed with in the past 6 months. This squealing noise will come and go but recently seems to be getting louder. I hear the noise when i start to step on the break, it seems to get quieter the farther i push down the brake. What could this be. The brakes are not cheap and are lifetime brakes.

My car has 30000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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This circumstance is not unusual and I suspect is often related to the use of non-OEM rotors and brake pads and also the failure to re-apply factory specified shims and/or appropriate anti-squeal compounds and lubricants. Unfortunately, once non-OEM parts and materials are used, and thus in essence an "experiment" is set up, brake noise can be a result. In all events, though, the increased frequency of occurrence of the noise, as you are reporting, is not normal so there is something amiss that should be resolved. If there is a warranty, of course your first recourse is to simply return to the vendor and have them thoroughly address and resolve this problem. Missing shims should be considered and the possibility of a lubricant solution should be considered. If the pads are non-OEM and are of low quality materials, for instance if they have lots of metallic chunks, such low quality pads will be inherently noisy. If the noise arises from pad material, really the only solution is to remove the pads and install the more appropriate OEM friction material (rotors should be re-surfaced and/or de-glazed if any pad substitution is attempted). In the event that your car might have been retrofitted with something like high-performance carbon-metallic brake pads, note that those friction materials are well known to be more prone to squealing. If you would like a second opinion regarding this issue, please simply request a brake noise diagnostic and a certified mechanic will be dispatched by YourMechanic to evaluate your brakes and address all of your concerns.

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