My '97 1.3 MPI has developed an intermittent irritating noise. It's a high pitched whine and seems to be coming from the front o/s wheel.

it is independent of speed, road conditions and weather and when I recently left the car with my friendly mechanic to check it out he couldn't get it to make the noise!

He reckons the bearings are fine and brakes were sorted by him at the most recent MOT/service.

The noise continues if I take my foot off the accelerator but stops immediately if I use the foot brake. it then starts again after a short time. If it were something caught in the brake calliper then I would expect to hear the noise all the time.

Suggestions welcome!

Catman

Hi to a fellow Felly owner. You could re-check the bearing but that doesn't sound like the problem. Something lodged in the caliper could present an intermitent problem but equally it could relate to the pads binding on the disc? I'm sure other members will volunteer other ideas, good luck with that.

The noise continues if I take my foot off the accelerator but stops immediately if I use the foot brake. it then starts again after a short time.

it is a classic example of a cheap job on brakes.

have a look at photo below. the marked area is called "brake carrier with guide pin and seals".

there is not always the case to have a foreign object stuck inside brake caliper.

if there's no easy movement of guide pins or rubber seals are damaged, brake pads won't 'float' on disc after releasing the brake pedal, but they will brush the disc slightly producing that high pitched sound.

clean thoroughly the pins, seals and carrier holes, then grease with silicone grease (does not attack the rubber of seals). if you really want to do a top job, slightly smear the BACK of the pads with anti-seize paste based on copper.

Edited 1 June, 201214 yr by masster

Thanks for the advice. I will have a look at the brakes while I'm off work for a few days and not using the car. Will let you know what I find.

Catman

Agreed as above.

I had this after changing my discs and pads on the felly.

Took them off again and a bit more copper grease did the trick.

The wheel was also getting very hot on mine as the brake was rubbing quite a lot.

Phil

possibly the pads are tight in the carrier too, you may need to remove the pads and clean the rust from the carrier and the pad edge and apply a small amount of copper grease to the metal edge's (use common sense here!!)

could also be the sliding pins getting seized into the carrier or the caliper piston starting to seize in the housing.