Brake Squeel

Oxide™

Oxide™

Oxide™

Soldato
Joined
26 Dec 2007
Posts
2,702
Location
Broadstairs
So when I lightly touch my brakes, they are starting to give off a high pitched squeel. Does this mean the pads are worn and it's now metal against rotor? Is this massively bad for the car and expensive to repair?

Is it time I immediately get new pads?

This looks to be a bargain? If I order them and take them to a dealer to replace, would I save money or just get odd looks and not save anything? How much would they charge if I provided parts and would they do it while I wait?

I've read about changing them myself but I don't have the correct tools (jack stands etc) or have any mechanical experience (wish I did)

apologies for the wall of questions :eek:

e46 330i
 
I've been plagued by squealing brakes throughout my driving life. :(

There are a number of causes other than dead/dying discs and pads:

It could be grit stuck somewhere or it could be the pad rubbing in the calliper.

One thing to try (although you say you don't have the tools) is to apply new copper grease to the back of all the pads. This would eliminate option two from above.

It usually doesn't mean they need replacing and it's going to be an expensive exercise to replace all the discs and pads on a 330i just for a squeak!
 
ah Thanks for that, I don't want to replace them if it can be avoided. Also I think it is the front drivers side brake and apparently this has a pad wear sensor which isn't illuminated so maybe it is just a bit of grit and nothing to worry about?

that link is a good price though ye? maybe I should order them for future use?
 
worn pads make a horrible grating noise, very low pitched and you can feel the steering wheel vibrate.

Brake squealing is a totally different noise and is often caused by poor lubrication. Might be an idea to take the wheel off and remove the pads from the carrier and give the back of them a coat of copper grease, and grease the carriers as well while your at it.
 
Stupid question but can I just use the standard jack that comes with the car to prop it up, take the wheel off and grease the calipers?

Can I get this grease from halfords or something?

I admit I'm unprepared and total noob at cars guys. computers yes - automobiles clueless and weary :confused:

EDIT: I saw a diy clip on youtube how to replace them, seems complicated to me and the guy mentioned that squeel can also be caused by vibration? that doesn't sound cheap :(
 
yeah the standard jack is fine

Only needs to be there for 20 minutes while you take the pads out and grease them.

Alternatively if your worried by all this just take it to a garage. Ask them to have a look and call you before they do anything.

Ive also known squealing to be caused by warped brake discs which in turn caused the vibrations. Replacement discs will be a couple of hundread including fitting.
 
Any noise made by anything in the world is vibration ;)

Squeal caused by no copper grease on the back of the pads is just the pads vibrating in the carrier at an incredibly high frequency as the disk turns. A bit like running your fingernails down a chalkboard ;) If the pads aren't worn, the disks aren't warped and that's all you get, then greasing the back of the pads will cure it :)
 
My 330ci is exactly the same at the moment. Since the weather started to pick up I've had a bit of squeeling whenever I brake. The pads have a fair bit left on them and the discs are also in a fairly new condition. The front discs are brembo once apparently but I can;t imagine that having anything to do with it. I was going to take them off last weekend in the hope that it was a bit of grit stuck but ended up working all weekend.
 
I had this terribly in the cold weather, and a little recently. Pads and discs done not too long ago, after telling my guy, when he serviced it he 'deglazed' the rear pads (it was the rears). He told me "they're pretty high performance pads, if you use them more it should go away" and then charged me some money.

I may be paranoid but I didn't think the rear pads on an octy vrs were high performance pads, whatever that means. Either way, when it returned I went on a long drive where I did brake a lot, and it went away for some time. In my daily commute I use the brakes sod all though.

I tell great story yes!
 
I use to get it all the time in the summer. Then I got new discs fitted last year and asked for lashings of coppaslip. Problem solved!
 
mr tommo said:
My 330ci is exactly the same at the moment. Since the weather started to pick up I've had a bit of squeeling whenever I brake. The pads have a fair bit left on them and the discs are also in a fairly new condition. The front discs are brembo once apparently but I can;t imagine that having anything to do with it. I was going to take them off last weekend in the hope that it was a bit of grit stuck but ended up working all weekend.
Click to expand...

I have exactly the same on my 330i, had new brakes fitted all round three weeks before I bought it, they are also brembo discs and also squeak! I'm thinking its normal for these discs then?
 
Panzerbjorn said:
Did you ever get this sorted Oxide?
Click to expand...

Not yet - I purchased the copper grease but lack the lifting gear to do it myself. The brakes squeel intermittantly, mostly on hot days it seems.

I'm thinking it can wait until I take it in for a service later in the year.
 
i got a really cheap trolley jack from Lidl when they did their car maintenance stuff.

Might also be worth trying places like Costco etc.. ?

If your only going to be taking one wheel off, a trolley jack is fine.
 
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