Nothing's more annoying than having to hear your car or truck squeal at you whenever you try to come to a stop. Besides this ear-piercing sound, you should interpret it as a signal of something going wrong within your brake system. Brakes are a vital safety feature of your vehicle, but they can pose many safety hazards without proper care.
Not all noises coming from your brakes are bad. For example, they may screech when they are not warm or newly replaced. They may also squeal when you brake when their components get wet from the weather. Besides these reasons, they should not make any lingering sounds.
What Can Cause Your Brakes to Squeal?
Worn Out Pads
Worn-out brake pads are the most common reason for the loud squealing sounds you may be experiencing. The sounds you hear are a warning to replace the pads before they cause damage to the brake rotor.
Braking Too Hard
Sometimes you may have no other choice than to slam on your brakes for your and everyone's safety. Hitting the brake pedal too fast and with too much force can produce the loud noise that we all fear. Doing this too often can cause your brake pads to wear down prematurely.
Rusted Rotors
Rotors lose their smoothness over time, causing squeals. Rust or debris buildup is the leading cause of this problem. However, an experienced technician can easily remove the contaminants and stop the sound from producing.
Other Loose Parts
Your brake system has several components, including the disc, rotors, and calipers. One or more of these may become loose over time, causing the squeals whenever you brake.
Some brake screeches require cleaning, lubrication, tightening, or replacement of parts. Unless you are an automotive expert, then it may be hard to pinpoint the cause of the vehicle cries you may be hearing. Please seek professional help if you encounter these noises. We invite you to call or visit The Car Guys today to have your brake problem fixed!