It’s common to hear worn-out brakes squeak, especially as they get older. To hear new brakes squeaking, however, is not right. It could be trying to warn you that something really serious is happening.
This sound might frequently make you feel uneasy and make you wonder if the car is safe to drive.
Your new brakes are likely squeaking as a result of moisture, too much heat, or a normal break-in period. The noise could also be from cheap, low-quality brake pads that you could have fitted. Some other possible causes include worn-out rotors or a brake caliper sticking.
What causes new brakes squeaking noise?
Here are the most common reasons why your new brakes are squeaking:
- Moisture.
- Worn, thinning, or low-quality brake pads.
- Break-in period.
- Dust or debris between your pads and rotors.
- Stuck brake caliper.
- Lack of lubrication.
Moisture
The most common reason for new brakes squeaking is moisture. Brake pads and rotors are susceptible to moisture buildup of any kind. It may only be necessary for the brake pads to dry out if there has recently been rain, snow, or ice.
Surface rust can develop on the metal surface even if condensation builds up over night. Fortunately, braking a few times should fix the problem.
Worn, thinning, or low-quality brake pads
Brake pad wear is one of the most evident causes of new brake squeaking. This is due to the metal indicator that brake pads purposefully contain, which produces a high-pitched warning when they reach their minimum thickness.
Even though this isn’t really related to new brakes, it can still occur if you’ve replaced your rotor or caliper without changing your brake pads.
You can tell when it’s time to replace your brake pads by the annoying squeak they make. Similar squeaking noises can be produced by brake pads that have a thin layer of rust on them, but these noises usually stop after a few brake applications.
Make sure that you have your brakes sorted out right away if the noise continues. You may need new rotors in addition to new brake pads if you ignore the issue and the continuous squeaking turns into grinding. You can also hear some squeaking if you install a new brake pad set with a high metal content.
Most brake pads have some kind of metal composition, typically consisting of graphite, copper, steel, and iron. Depending on the material, you may hear squeaking as the pad makes contact with the rotor.
Different brake pad materials, however, might squeak less. Although organic brake pads made of rubber, glass, or resins are a possibility, ceramic brake pads can be the best choice.
Break-in period
Another possible cause of new brakes squeaking is during brake in-period of a new brake pad. You need to allow for a break-in period if you change the brake pads yourself.
While proper positioning is essential to guarantee the pads are making optimal contact with the rotors, you might also need to drive for a while.
If you replace the brake rotors at the same time, the break-in becomes much more crucial. Drive across an empty parking lot repeatedly, braking slowly to accelerate the process. Avoid slamming on the brakes; instead, aim for soft, gradual stops.
Dust or debris between your pads and rotors
Mud, dust, or other debris on the surface of your brake pads or rotors is another common reason why new brakes are squeaking. This may occur under different driving conditions or if your vehicle sits for an extended amount of time collecting dust.
In this situation, a short spray of cleaner or some light sanding of the surface material will typically solve the issue. After a few brake applications, it might also go away by itself since the contact between the brake pads and rotors removed the debris.
Stuck brake caliper
In order to separate the brake pads from the rotors, the caliper pins need to contract, which causes your brake pads to move. A caliper pin that sticks could cause the pad to slam into the rotor at an angle and cause squeaking noises.
You haven’t solved anything if you changed the pads before realizing there was an issue. You might also smell a burning odor if both of the caliper pins stick.
Lack of lubrication
Only cars with drum brakes are affected by this particular cause of squeaking brakes, which can occur on both new and used brakes as the pistons push the shoes outward against the drum.
If the brakes on your car are drum brakes, the squeaking may be brought on by a lack of lubrication at the contact points where the shoes and drum meet. Without lubrication, a squeal is produced as the shoes begin to rub on the backing plate.
When the bare metal is exposed, check for signs of this type of scraping to determine where the problem is. Applying brake grease to the backing plate where the piston contacts the shoes is a simple way to fix or prevent noisy drum brakes.
How do my car brakes work?
The two types of braking systems are drum and disc. Automobiles’ front wheels use disc brakes, while their rear wheels are equipped with drum brakes. Nevertheless, some high-end, recent vehicles have disc brakes on all four wheels.
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When the driver applies the brakes, a force is created that is then increased by the engine’s vacuum. Boosting enhances how quickly and effectively the brakes respond.
The vacuum booster’s force pulls the master cylinder’s piston up against the spring. By creating pressure, this causes the braking fluid to flow. Through the fluid lines, this pressurized fluid reaches the brake caliper (for disc brakes) and brake cylinder (for drum brakes).
What are some other noises defective brakes can make?
Here are some other noticeable noises that defective brakes can make.
Grinding noise
A serious issue is evident if you hear grinding noises when applying the brakes. This is due to the fact that grinding is often caused by metal-on-metal contact. It could be the brake calipers, or there could be another issue.
Take your vehicle back to the mechanic right away if you have new brakes and hear a grinding noise, so they can fix it for you. Metal-on-metal grinding can easily result in additional damages, so you should check the work as well. They should also fix those for you.
Rattling noise
One of three things happens if you have new brake pads and hear rattling when you apply the brakes. First, it’s possible that the repair shop misled you and charged you for brake repair when they actually didn’t. Another possibility is that they forgot to retighten something. Lastly, a broken component could be the problem.
It might be anything from a bolt to a caliper, but either way, it’s a pretty big issue, and if it started working right away after you left the repair shop, they probably fixed it. In either case, it’s a serious issue, so you should return to the repair shop and hear from them.
We strongly recommend not driving the car until the brakes are fixed if you feel that there are any loose parts.
Thumping noise
When you have warped rotors, thumping noises frequently happen. The repair shop botched up the job if they surfaced the rotors for you even though you didn’t want to have them replaced.
If you decide not to replace the rotors at all, the repair shop is probably not at fault, and you only require new rotors.
How can you fix the new brake squeaking noise issue?
Here’s how to fix the new brake squeaking issue:
- Wear off the moisture.
- Replace the pads.
- Break-in pads.
- Replace or resurface rotors.
- Adjust calipers.
Wear off the moisture
Depending on what the issue is, there are different ways to fix brake squeaking. If there was heavy condensation or overnight precipitation, you only need to drive a short distance to get rid of the excess moisture.
There shouldn’t be any more squeaking after the brake pads have dried off. Consider one of the other options if the squeaking continues.
Replace the pads
Your car may require another replacement if you install inexpensive brake pads. Using the less expensive pads doesn’t always make sense, especially when you consider how frequently you might need to change them.
Due to the absence of metal, ceramic pads squeak the least. However, they are more expensive and not the best for hard-braking situations.
Break-in pad
New pads need to be broken in as well. They should be broken in for you by the repair shop if you had them professionally installed.
To ensure that the pads are correctly inserted and operating smoothly with the rotors, you should drive cautiously while replacing them on your own. To complete this job, pick a secure area, like an empty parking lot.
Replace or resurface the rotors
You might have to put in more effort to fix the problem if you attempted to change the pads without considering the requirements of the rotor. Bad rotors prevent new brake pads from making the best possible contact with the rotor surface when they are fitted.
The replacement brake pads will sustain additional damage, and the noise will persist until it is fixed. The rotors may be resurfaced in some cases. However, if there isn’t enough room left over or your rotor is too thin, you’ll have to completely replace them.
Adjust calipers
The only options for fixing a stuck caliper are to lubricate it or replace it. Sticking brakes will also cause the vehicle to pull to one side and possibly emit a burning odor.
The material will wear down significantly more quickly in this situation since the brake pad is kept in contact with the rotor. The transmission is also affected, which causes early wear.