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Car noise after car wash

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  • 22-06-2014 11:15am
    #1
    lazyman
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭


    Hi all,
    I got our ford focus washed yesterday in an automatic car wash,
    Within a minute of driving, the brakes started to make a screeching noise and felt off,
    I kept driving for a while pressing the brakes to dry warm them up but the noise still didn't stop,
    I parked up for an hour and took it out again and the noise began when I drove, not just when I pressed the brakes,
    I have left it overnight and both noises are still there,
    Is this just a case of leaving it dry out or do I have a bigger problem?
    Its due a service pretty soon too,
    Thanks


Comments

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    #2
    visual
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,268 ✭✭✭visual


    When your getting it serviced ask them to check the brakes. Sounds like your pads are worn


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    #3
    sham58107
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭sham58107


    Do you have alloy wheels and how bad is noise? sometime a stone gets lodged between disc and alloys.


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    #4
    lazyman
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭lazyman


    visual wrote: »
    When your getting it serviced ask them to check the brakes. Sounds like your pads are worn

    Thanks,
    Would worn pads cause the noise to happen even when I'm not breaking, its now making the noise when I'm driving.


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    #5
    challengemaster
    Registered Users Posts: 16,931 ✭✭✭✭challengemaster


    Potentially just surface rust on the brake discs, usually it just comes off with braking. Depending on how much braking you've done, it could still be there.


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    #6
    lazyman
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭lazyman


    Ya I have alloys alright,
    Ill drive it again and hope the noise stops,
    Is it safe to drive?
    Thanks


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    #7
    rebel.ranter
    Registered Users Posts: 3,570 ✭✭✭rebel.ranter


    The car wash might have washed away the last of the anti-squeal paste from between the back of the brake pads & the calliper.
    When you brake the pads will resonate against the calliper, good pads will have an anti-squeal coating (plastic/rubber type substance) on the back of the pads.
    This is sometimes supplemented (or in the case of cheap pads, substituted) with either copper grease of anti-squeal paste. These are high temperature resistant but cleaning fluids can wash them away.

    This is the most likely thing that has happened. If so then it's not dangerous it's just annoying. Did it happen immediately after the car wash? If so it is unlikely to have been a stone caught in between the disc guard & the disc.
    No harm in having a look to see if the brake pads are worn down, a quick look & you should be able to tell if there is still a decent amount of brake pad material between the disc & the metal backing plate of the pad.


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    #8
    lazyman
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭lazyman


    rebel.ranter wrote: »
    The car wash might have washed away the last of the anti-squeal paste from between the back of the brake pads & the calliper.
    When you brake the pads will resonate against the calliper, good pads will have an anti-squeal coating (plastic/rubber type substance) on the back of the pads.
    This is sometimes supplemented (or in the case of cheap pads, substituted) with either copper grease of anti-squeal paste. These are high temperature resistant but cleaning fluids can wash them away.

    This is the most likely thing that has happened. If so then it's not dangerous it's just annoying. Did it happen immediately after the car wash? If so it is unlikely to have been a stone caught in between the disc guard & the disc.
    No harm in having a look to see if the brake pads are worn down, a quick look & you should be able to tell if there is still a decent amount of brake pad material between the disc & the metal backing plate of the pad.

    Thanks for that, pardon my lack of knowledge now but would the noise still occur if the pads were worn even when I don't brake and just driving?


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    #9
    Meso Harney
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭Meso Harney


    Give it a couple of hard applications from 50kph (obviously with nobody behind you or in the car with you)

    The car wash has washed away all the brake dust, you're just rebedding (for the want of a better word) the brakes. If there's a continuous noise as you describe it's probably the wear indicator touching the disc edge. This means you need to check the brake pads, or if you don't know what you're looking at, ask a garage.

    It's not too hard, and I'd say there's a YouTube video for it.


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    #10
    pred racer
    Registered Users Posts: 4,385 ✭✭✭pred racer


    sham58107 wrote: »
    Do you have alloy wheels and how bad is noise? sometime a stone gets lodged between disc and alloys.

    Like this! Small stone between the pad and the disk, happened to me before.
    Pull the wheel off and have a look.


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    #11
    lazyman
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭lazyman


    Thanks for all the help and advice lads, ill bring it to my mechanic tomorrow.


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    #12
    pheelay
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭pheelay


    lazyman wrote: »
    Thanks for that, pardon my lack of knowledge now but would the noise still occur if the pads were worn even when I don't brake and just driving?

    Yes, worn pads can squeal even when not braking.


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    #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    My car had a squeak before. Only happened at low speeds. My mechanic reckoned it was just debree from the road (trapped stone or such). I never actually got it fixed in the end cos it just kind of went away itself. He blew it with an air compressor though (as i was in a hurry). He said that might help (maybe it did, as i havent heard it since?).


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