Screaching

[dragonfighter60]

Im getting this nasty screeching sound when my car is in reverse. Sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Its not making the car run any differently, but it is really annoying and embarrasing when parked between Hondas. If someone could give me a clue as to what it is and if I need to fix it or not it would be very much appreciated.

[DJ Hellfire]

Probably your rear brakes!

[dragonfighter60]

The self adjusting stuff or what? Just so you know, It does it wether or not the brake pedal is down.

[TheWickedestOne]

Your brake pads touch your rotor whether your brake pedal is down or not. Make sure the pads aren't worn down to the indicators.

[dragonfighter60]

What do I check on the rear drum type?

[cclngthr]

You need to pull the drum and check how close the friction material is to the metal.

However, it might not be the brake shoes having a lack of pad. Glazing can cause this as well and one way to solve it is carefully run backwards fast and stomp on the brakes several times to cut the glazing or physically sand the drum and shoes. If that don't cure it, there might be something else wrong.

[dragonfighter60]

I'll try that and tell how it comes out.

[DJ Hellfire]

I just recently started having this problem. There was a constant screeching noise from the passenger front wheel while driving that went away when ever I hit the brakes. So I pulled the brakes pads out on the right front today and noticed that the brake pad sensor was scraping the rotor indicating that it is time to change the pads. But there is still a decent amount of pad left. I don't know why the sensor sounds so early. I just filed down the sensor so that it no longer touches the rotor and the noise is completely gone. I am still gonna change the brakes, but at least I don't have to hear the noise until I get them. But I think I may be able to squeeze another 1000-2000 miles out of these pads before the become a danger.

[cclngthr]

The sensor normally leaves a decent amount of pad before replacing it. Sometimes the pad itself can be cocked a bit and not be level, which would cause the sensor to hit the rotor sooner.

[dragonfighter60]

Ok, Ill start off with the report on going backwards and slamming brakes..... It got quieter but didnt go away totally. I did it 10 times.

I also get the same thing as DJ there, I've got around 55K on the car so it probobaly is the pads. BTW, I think the the reverse screaching I notice now is coming form the front right only. So, do you think its time to change my pads?

[Leviathant]

I let my brake sensor screech go for a while.
Waiting ended up cracking my rotors... and now the replacement rotors are warped (UGH!). If your wheels are screeching, might as well fix em ASAP, or you might end up paying more later.

[dragonfighter60]

Well, I don't want to start a new thread, so if I could, request a DIY for inspecting/changing brake pads.

[DJ Hellfire]

The sensor normally leaves a decent amount of pad before replacing it. Sometimes the pad itself can be cocked a bit and not be level, which would cause the sensor to hit the rotor sooner.

Yeah, my pads on the driver side were still pretty meaty. The ones on the passenger side which was the screeching side were different. The outside pad was about the same as both the drivers side pads, but the inside pad was quite low which was causing the sensor to touch.

I let my brake sensor screech go for a while.
Waiting ended up cracking my rotors...

Man, the minute I started to hear the sound, I knew it was ****ing my rotor up. So I pulled that side off and just grinded off the sensor until I could get some pads the next day. But like I said, there was still enough pad to go another 3 or 4 months. But I just changed them and put new rotors on and the breaking is also 10 times better now. I don't have to push the pedal nearly as hard for the car to slow down as I did before.

Well, I don't want to start a new thread, so if I could, request a DIY for inspecting/changing brake pads.

1. Take off the wheel
2. Turn the steering wheel so that the caliper is coming out of the wheel well, not so it goes into the well
3. Take off the 14mm bolt on the bottom of the caliper.
4. Now the brake pad holdster should flip right up. At the top of the caliper you'll see another 14mm bolt. This is what allows the brake pad par of the caliper flip up. Do not remove this bolt.
5. Remove the pad on the inside of the rotor and inspect it. It slides right out with a little strength. The sensor is the small protruting tab at the top of the inside pad. This sensor should not be sticking out as far as the part of the pad that is supposed to touch the rotor. If it is lined up with the actual pad, this is your noise.
6. Grind off the noisey sensor and reassemble until you can buy new pads.

As for the rear drums, I don't really see how they can be making a constact screeching noise while in motin. Usually, they only squeal when applying the brakes. But maybe yours are out of adjustment. Anyway, heregoes:

1. Remove a rear wheel.
2. Locate a small screw on the drum somewhere next to the lug studs
3. You have to find a the exact same as this one but much longer.
4. Once you find a screw, screw it into the hole opposite the one that the stock screw was in. You'll notice the drum face will come forward a bit. Keep turning the screw until that side of the drum is noticably uneven with the other side.
5. Now back the screw out and screw it into the hole on the other side of the drum where the stock screw was. You'll notice this side start to pop out too.
6. Continue until you are able to pull the drum face off.
7. With the drum face off, do you see the dirty black lip inside the drum? This is what the rear pads grip onto when you hit the brakes. Knowing that, you should be able to tell what the rear pads are and locate them.
8. Inspect the rear pads. Are they low? Is one side of one of the pads lower than the other side of the pad.

This is as far as I can go. I haven't changed my rear pads yet so I can't tell you how to do it. Anyway, there will be a lot of dust on all the rear brake components. Hose them down with some brake kleener and try to lubricate any parts where metal slides against metal when you hit the brakes. I.E. somewhere around the spring area. Then reassemble until you get rear breaks and find out how to replace them.

[dragonfighter60]

¡Mucho Gracias!

EDIT: BTW Im getting new pads tommorow hopefully. I have to buy autozone ones. Anyone know if they are good or not? Problem is, Now I REALLY have to change the pads. Been about 6K miles since I started hearing the screach faintly. Its 15.99 for the front set with a lifetime warrenty. And Im kinda tight on cash... you know how it is.

[DJ Hellfire]

DO NOT GET THAT CHEAP AUTOZONE CRAP! They are $15.99 for a reason. I had the $39.99 Pepboys special and they still sucked, so imagine $15.99. Just get the OEM pads if you aren't going for high performance! They are only $50. Just shave the damn sensor off until you can get $50 up! Believe me!

[dragonfighter60]

Im sure they can last a couple months while I save up for the OEM ones. A friend of mine that happens to be a mechanic says I have about 500 miles left before the rivets start hitting the rotor. When that starts im by something like the rotors cracking. I don't plan on keeping the crap ones very long but I NEED pads now.

It doesn't take long for me to rack up 500 miles due to the amount of driving that I do, and I don't have the cash on hand to get OEM. I barley have enough to buy the el cheapos.

Now the screaching is constant and is loud enough that I hear through windows up with AC on and radio at a semi loud level.I can hear it clearly.

Rest assured I WILL be getting at least OEM quality pads AFTER I get some cash on hand to do so. In the mean time, I will have to do with what I can get my hands on.

I would rather have a decrease in stopping power than cracked rotors.

[OPZ]

I had a very similar problem, twice, and it was only with the front right tire. The first one was early brake pad stuff, but the dealership fixed it "under warrenty" and the second one which happened recently... well you'd be driving down the road all happy and the like, but all of a sudden this noise would start that would be so loud and annoying, and you'd have to slam the brakes to make it stop. Took it in for inspection, they said the slider was sticking, and that they would have to replace it to pass the car. Turns out "warrnty's over." But we fixed it and the car runs great now.

[dragonfighter60]

Well, this I do believe is the pad sensor because it is constant and if you press the brake it goes away until you let off of the brake then it just starts right back up just as loud.

DJ, in your DIY you said "4. Now the brake pad holdster should flip right up. At the top of the caliper you'll see another 14mm bolt. This is what allows the brake pad par of the caliper flip up. Do not remove this bolt."

To actually change the pads, do you take the top bolt off too or what?

How long does it take to actually reaplace the pads?

BTW: I ran into a few extra bucks and im goin OEM pads. So no worries.

I appreciate everyones input in this and further input would be appreciated. Im hoping that through this my lack of braking system knowledge will change.

If anyone wants to add advice or something to that effect please feel free.

[DJ Hellfire]

If you have to jack your car up with the stock jack to take your wheels off, it could take you up to an hour to change the pads. But if you have a lift and an impact gun, an experienced person can change just the pads in 20 minutes.

Anyway, do not remove the top bolt to change the pads. that top bolt acts like a door hinge for the pad holdster. Just remove the bottom 14mm bolt and flip the caliper up and pull the pads out. Pay attention to the way the pads are in there because the inside pads are side specific. The outside pads can go on either side of the car. On the part that flips up, you'll notice a circular thing sticking out that may either look rusty or black. Most likely it will look rusty. This is called the piston. This is what pushes the pads against the rotors when slowing down. You have to squeeze this back into the caliper. You can buy a piston releaser from Peboys for anywhere from $12-30. You could probably just use some needle nose pliers. They worked for my rear brakes of my Mazda.

Before you push the piston back in, remove you brake fluid resevoir cap which is under the hood near the drivers strut top. Is the resevoir filled to the lip or is there room for more brake fluid? If there is room for more, just put the cap back on. If it is filled to the lip, remove some of the fluid with a turkey baster then put the cap back on. If you have no turkey baster, just leave the cap off. Now squeeze the piston back in. When you do this, the brake fluid get's pushed back up the brake lines and starts to fill up the resevoir. If you have room for more fluid either because it wasn't topped off or you had a trukey baster, the fluid will just start to fill up the resevoir. If you had no turkey baster and you resevoir was topped off, the fluid will just pour over the lip and fall to the ground which can just be cleaned up later. If the resevoir cap is left on and the fluid is topped of, the piston will not go back into the caliper completely because there will be no room for the fluid to go. Not knowing this will cause you to push harder on the piston which will just make the fluid leak out of the resevoir by sneaking under the cap and dripping to the ground.

Once you've squeezed the piston back in, open up your brake pad box. You see the nice shiney new shims that are in the box with the pads? Remove the old ones from the top and bottom of the caliper. They will be dirty black. Put the new ones on. Apply some Permatex brake grease (the black kind) from Pepboys in the silicone aisle to prevent squeaking. One $5.99 box should be enough.

Here is what you should grease:
1. The little nubs on the top and bottom of each pad
2. The shim slots that the pad nubs slide inside of (these are the shiny things that came with the new pads)
3. The back of both outside pads where they touch the caliper (not the inside pads)

These are all the contact points. These are all metal to metal points that will squeak when they start to get dirty if they aren't greased. Once you are done greasing, pop the new pads in. Then close the caliper and put the bottom 14mm bolt back on. Repeat for the other side.

If you have any problems closing and bolt back the caliper even with the piston properly pushed in, post on here immediately so I can tell you what to do. There is one possible minor problem that you could run into, but I am not going to get into it unless you actually run into it.

Oh yeah, if your local dealer says they want $70 for the pads, find the next closest dealer to you by entering your zip on the hyundaiusa.com site and call them up for a price. I have a Hyundai dealer 10 minutes away from my house, but they charge a lot more for parts than other dealers. I am talking about Brad Benson Hyundai and Mitsubishi. They want $27 for a stock air filter when other dealers charge like $22. They charge $94 per front rotor when I paid $74 per rotor at another dealer. They want like $70 for front pads when I pad $50 at another dealer. They wanted like $4 each for the cheap little clips that hold the door sills on. They are rediculous!

[dragonfighter60]

You see the nice shiney new shims that are in the box with the pads?

Ummmmm uh oh? there arent any.... all i have is the pads...