Hi guys, I tried to post this in the ask a tech section but wasn't allowed to post.

Having an odd squeaking problem with my VRS. Here is what i gave to the mechanic to describe the problem:

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High pitched squeaking that seems to be coming from front drivers side wheel.

The noise doesn't seem to be there from cold and usually starts after 20 mins or 5/6 miles (but even then I don't think the noise is constant).

It is quite quiet so you will need the windows down and you can usually hear it best when going past a wall or parked cars etc.

I think the sound is rotational as the noises get further apart as you slow and closer together as you speed up. A couple of times when doing full lock turning right it seems to squeaks badly, I'm not sure if this is related though.

The squeaking stops completely as you touch the brake pedal (even lightly) and starts again as you lift off the brake pedal.

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The mechanic said the brake pads were down so fitted new ones and said he also cleaned the disc (I think it's referred to it as 'trued'?)

Anyway sound is still there (and possibly even louder than before), one thing i did note today was when i turn left the squeak seems to stop for a second but that's not the case when I turn right. Anyone got any ideas? I have been told by a mate that it sounds like the bearings are going and throwing the rotor/disc off slightly? Does that sound right?

Back to the garage today with me!

Any ideas would be great.

JRE

Hi

I have the exact same problem and its drivin me mad lol!

no idea what it could be either so any response on here would def help.

my car is due for a service soon so may mention it to mechanic if i cant find a fix on here.

thanks

DC_VRS20 - Yeah, it's a pain, glad it's not just me though! I know very little about cars but I think its the bearings from what I have read. Taking it back today so hope it can be fixed. Will repost once I find out!

The real pain of this for me is I am selling the vrs soon and want to make sure everything is great before I sell it.

Gah

JRE

Just back from garage. Went out with mechanic who, after a while, heard the sound. He doesn't think it's the Bearings as there is no play in the steering and if it was bearings related the sound would be there pretty much all the time (and not just after 15/20 minutes of driving)... So he is a little stumped, he is going to look at the front brake and discs again and then have a peek at the rear, it sounds like it is coming from the front but it could as easy be the back.

Why does stuff like this always come up when selling a car?

JRE

Edited 21 April, 201115 yr by jre

same problems here mate brakes have been done and problem persists, think its the rear though, infact convinced its the rear, driving me up the wall, also think mines is louder today after cleaning the pads up :/

Garage checked pads front and rear and found no problems. Mechanic took it for 8 mile run and said he couldn't hear it. Thayer say it's fine to run and just keep am eye on it. I hate stuff like this but maybe I should stop worrying until it becomes an actual problem?

couldnt go with that, noises annoy me so i would have been telling him

Yeah, know what you mean. Getting to the garage is a real pain so will wait and see then maybe find a closer garage in Aberdeen city. The noise for me is quiet, have to have the window down, radio off and be listening for it. Is that the same for you?

If as you say, the application of the foot-brake the sound stops, most definitely it's the brake pad/s..

The brake pads are the culprit, smear some copper-based grease on back, top, and bottom location lugs. ( Don't get any on friction pad surface.) OK

Mechanic was quite correct it's not the wheel bearings.

I had brake-pad slap, where pads moved up/down when braking moving backwards or forwards,

so put small shim on top lug with a touch of copper-based grease to stop it permanently giving a knocking sound.

Small shim DIY, narrow short strip of metal bent over each side of brake pad top lug ( 'U' shaped)then slide pad carefully into anti-squeal guides.

Some good information here folks.

i dont think its my wheel bearings either but its pretty loud after about 6 mile.

on a run yesterday i found braking abit heavier now and again took the noise away conisderably (not totally though)

would it be anything to do with this warmer weather were getting after that horrible winter?

dont know about cars much to be honest but can the pads and dics expand ever so slightly in warm weather?

cheers

Giandougl- its a squeaking sound I am getting, you think it could be the same culprit? As long as the car is safe (is it?) I am quite happy to be honest... Will give it a few weeks and run it back to garage with the info you gave me mate

Cheers

My squeeks were driving me mad, I finally took the pads out for about the forth time and ground the lugs down so that they could slip in and out with out binding. I also used copper gease on all the mating surfaces, now had two whole weeks without a squeek.I've also changed the back discs and pads and installed the Sharon pull off springs so don't have the grinding sound following me around too.I have so much more confidence in driving the car knowing it will also stop.

hi ive posted this on another page but ill wright it again

try this:

drive as you would so the car makes the noise, as it makes the noise GENTLY pull up the handbrake one or two clicks so the pads just contact the disc if the noise stops you know the noise is from the rear (as you said the noise stops when you apply the brake).

i had this problem with my fabia vrs and it was the o/s/r brake caliper carrier slide that had seized up the slide snapped as i tryed to free it up so i had to replace the whole carrier not a biggie it got one from TPS for about £50 + vat but that was trade price not sure how much they are retail.

if its the front its probably the pad shim got a little bent when the pads were fitted. if you have a lip on you front discs this can cause a slight queal to. also cheap pads or high temp sport pads squeal too. if it is the shim that is a little bent or could be the back plate rubbing slighlty also the fault of the garage that fitted the brakes

its a common fault and have scince rectifyed it on a couple of my customers cars

feel free to message me if you want any more info or part numbers of the fitted parts dont leave it too long because if you catch it early you maybe able to free up the slider i left it for ages and it seized up and broke :(

i did notice that nearside rear had 1 shim missing, could that be the issue?

Giandougl- its a squeaking sound I am getting, you think it could be the same culprit? As long as the car is safe (is it?) I am quite happy to be honest... Will give it a few weeks and run it back to garage with the info you gave me mate

Cheers

Hello

You need to eliminate the idea you have sufficient brake-pad thickness, ASAP.

If brake-pad/s have worn away completely the metal brake-pad backing is directly coming into contact with brake-disc, when braking. (NOT GOOD)

If sufficient brake-pad thickness is present, you can put-up with the squeal/squeak and do as suggested at a later date.

i agree with baldy guy about pad thickness issues but as i posted i decided to leave it a little while before i sorted it out and it totaly sized up and snapped costing me money. as for the missing shim i wouldnt think it would cause a squeak more of a case of a rattle or click when you take your foot off the brake pedal but probably so slight you wouldnt notice it but get a shim to replace it as it should have one and are peanut money and dead easy to replace.

i agree with baldy guy about pad thickness issues but as i posted i decided to leave it a little while before i sorted it out and it totaly sized up and snapped costing me money. as for the missing shim i wouldnt think it would cause a squeak more of a case of a rattle or click when you take your foot off the brake pedal but probably so slight you wouldnt notice it but get a shim to replace it as it should have one and are peanut money and dead easy to replace.

how would i get hold of 1 shim thought?

how would i get hold of 1 shim thought?

See above, my initial entry regarding shim.

See above, my initial entry regarding shim.

your above post doesnt tell me how to get a new shim though

your above post doesnt tell me how to get a new shim though

The answer is in post #9, ie:

Small shim DIY, narrow short strip of metal bent over each side of brake pad top lug ( 'U' shaped)then slide pad carefully into anti-squeal guides.

dont make your own shim it is a waste of time!!! and if you dont secure them properly they can slide off and touch the disc causing another squeak/squeal. and if you use the wrong metal they can distort with heat and cause the pad to stick i say this from experance not on a ferby but still same principles(sorry to seem rude dgw) you get a new SET with every genuine set of brake pads or ask the dealer if they stock them (probably wont but woth a try). or if you want i can have a look in my tool box at work an see if i have one (i think i do). which your welcome to?

dont make your own shim it is a waste of time!!! and if you dont secure them properly they can slide off and touch the disc causing another squeak/squeal. and if you use the wrong metal they can distort with heat and cause the pad to stick i say this from experance not on a ferby but still same principles(sorry to seem rude dgw) you get a new SET with every genuine set of brake pads or ask the dealer if they stock them (probably wont but woth a try). or if you want i can have a look in my tool box at work an see if i have one (i think i do). which your welcome to?

would greatly appreciate that mate. PM me if you have one and i will let you know my address. top man

Thanks for all the help guys, much appreciated.

Got it back from garage and seemed ok for a few days (though only did a few short journeys). Yesterday it has started squeaking again.

The garage have fitted new pads to front and taken apart the back brakes and see no problem there.

I took the advice below and if i pull the handbrake up even one notch the noise stops (it also still stops when using the pedal brake, I'm not sure if that changes things?)

Drive as you would so the car makes the noise, as it makes the noise GENTLY pull up the handbrake one or two clicks so the pads just contact the disc if the noise stops you know the noise is from the rear (as you said the noise stops when you apply the brake).

Does the pedal brake use all 4 brakes and the handbrake just the rear 2? And if the noise is stopped by the handbrake does that rule out the front brakes as the source of the noise? The squeak sounds to me like its coming from the front... But it is hard to tell when driving.

With the new pads on front and rear brakes being checked I am now confident it is safe, it's just bloody annoying (though to be fair I do have to have the window down and radio off to hear it, I guess most people may never have heard it!). I have a 250 mile trip coming up so will be interested to see if it gets louder over the course of the journey or if it even goes away.

Cheers

James

Edited 28 April, 201115 yr by jre