BY MATTHEW C. KEEGAN / ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 / NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION / Wouldn’t it be great if our cars told us when&hellip;{"id":11622,"date":"2019-11-26T11:00:01","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T19:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/?p=11622"},"modified":"2019-11-26T11:00:01","modified_gmt":"2019-11-26T19:00:01","slug":"brake-noise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/26\/brake-noise\/","title":{"rendered":"Noisy Brakes: Telltale Signs of Trouble You Shouldn&#8217;t Ignore"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5><span style=\"color: #000000;\">BY MATTHEW C. KEEGAN \/ ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 \/<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION<\/a>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\/<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Wouldn\u2019t it be great if our cars told us when something is wrong? In a way, they already do. Modern cars have instrument panels with dozens of symbols and warning indicators. These notify you of basic issues, like the windshield washer fluid is low, as well as possibly dangerous problems. Cars make a lot of noise, but there are a few telltale noises that signal your brakes are the culprit, and certain types of brake noise spell trouble. Here\u2019s what the different noisy brakes signs mean.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>1. Squealing brakes when brakes are not applied.<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When you step on the brakes, you expect to hear some noise as you begin to decelerate. The brake linkage may creak, the brake booster may huff, and the tires may complain a little if you are really stopping hard. What\u2019s disconcerting is when the brakes squeal and your foot is not pressing on the brake pedal. In all likelihood, a brake pad needs replacement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Most of today\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/knowhow.napaonline.com\/changing-brake-pads-the-when-and-how\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">brake pads<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">come with wear indicators, a small metal protrusion attached to the pad\u2019s backing plate. Before your pads wear out, the indicator comes in contact with the brake rotor or disc, making a squealing noise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In this case, noisy brakes serves as a warning to replace the pads now or risk a more costly repair later when the pads are gone and a metal backing plate comes in\u00a0contact with the brake rotor. Check all four wheels for signs of wear.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>2. Squealing brakes when the brake pedal is applied.<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">What if you hear the squealing noise when you step on the brake pedal and as you come to a stop? As with the first example, your brake pads may be shot and the wear indicator is telling you it is time to replace your pads.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But don\u2019t fret: Sometimes the squealing is telling you that a build up of brake dust is present and simply needs to be removed. Drum brakes in particular can be affected by brake shoe dust, but pulling the drums and hitting them with a\u00a0quick shot of<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/en\/p\/CRC091847?cid=social_blog_052016_brakecleaner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">brake cleaner<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">can do wonders. Your brakes may never be squeak free, but with the dust removed, they\u2019ll be quieter to the touch.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>3. Screaming brakes when the brake pedal is applied.<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Step on the brakes and you don\u2019t hear squealing, instead, you hear a more vigorous and loathsome noise, one that puts your teeth on edge and gets the attention of everyone nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\u2019s at this point the brake wear indicator warning has been superseded by metal on metal contact. The brake pads are worn down and the metal backing plate is now rubbing up against the<\/span>\u00a0brake rotor<span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Guess what? This is a serious safety issue. Make the repairs immediately or take your car to a mechanic. You can also expect to be informed that a resurfacing the rotors is required. In a worse case scenario, damage to the rotors may be so severe it\u2019s time for replacement.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Beyond Noisy Brakes<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Brake noise is not the only indicator of trouble. If the vehicle pulls to the left or to the right when you brake, it may point to a possible alignment issue. Shaking that happens only when applying the brakes can indicate a warped rotor. Also, if the brake pedal feels spongy to the touch or travels closer to the floor than usual, the master cylinder may be giving out. It could be something else, but neither problem should be ignored.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Check out all the<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/en\/c\/brake-systems\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">brake system parts<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">available on<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501695836713000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFnxYpPU7QhUQrpCiKq_YvPNrGlKA\">NAPA Online<\/a><\/strong> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">or trust one of their 17,000<\/span> <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.napaautocare.com\/store-finder.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=http:\/\/www.napaautocare.com\/store-finder.aspx&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501695836713000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHyas20adcix3EGLbzbwsie7_RMrA\">NAPA AutoCare locations<\/a><\/strong> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on noisy brakes, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/en\/store-locator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=https:\/\/www.napaonline.com\/en\/store-locator&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501695836713000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGtO7UCz55uyhwoXUDauwwz9FUlcA\"><strong>local NAPA AUTO PARTS store<\/strong><\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Photo courtesy of the Pomona Swap Meet.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>This article has been reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder, National Automotive Parts Association. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Click here for more\u00a0<\/em><\/span><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/category\/classic-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">automotive tips and stories<\/a><\/em><\/strong><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, or here for more information on<\/span>\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/event-info\/car-show-hours-dates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the next Pomona Swap Meet &amp; Classic Car Show<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":11625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cos_headline_score":0,"cos_seo_score":0,"cos_headline_text":"","cos_headline_has_been_analyzed":false,"cos_last_analyzed_headline":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[805],"tags":[3056,7377,5325,4958,7364,3494,7366,4586,7371,6003,4590,3493,7379,7372,4373,7362,6701,6006,3497,7374,7375,2382,3696,3626,3491,3037,3026,7376,7373,7378,7367,7363,7369,7368,7370,4595,7365],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Ford-F150-With-PowerStop-Z36-Drilled-Slotted-Brake-Rotors-Pads.jpg?fit=1280%2C960&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9nnZN-31s","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11622"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11622"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11626,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11622\/revisions\/11626"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}