by Budianto Dermawan Ng

Created on: April 20, 2008

There are many factors that brakes can produce noises. We start from brake pad.

1. Worn off brake pads
This is normal, sometimes it's because of the warning lamp in panel has a failure sensor. We can check this by looking at the disc brake plate had a deep frictions with the base of brake pads. Change with the new pair of brake pads.

2. Failure of ABS divergence

This is common behavior, an electric appliance can have one in thousands chance of giving wrong signal of electric circuit. ABS alone can make it "thinks" to brake even though we didn't push the brake's paddle. This needs to bring to the dealer maintenance to check on ABS condition if is still tolerable to apply it or not. ABS can create error of divergence is because of possibility the cord/cable leak, cable's plugs contamination and causes short-circuited when washed or drove in high flooded road, or by the age of the car.

3. Detained of brake shoe pad's holder
This is usually caused by corrosion or bunch of dirts stuck around the hinges area that must have a loosen range, so the brake pad won't budge releasing from the plate and keep pestering the brake's capacity. It just need a little treatment by spraying anti-corrosion spray or dirt-removal around the hinges. But for maximum treatment, bring to maintenance for full cleaning whole parts and lubricated adequately.

4. Brittled of piston's oil seals
This needs a highly treatment, to change the oil seals that grasping the pistons. Brittled oil seal can detain the piston won't budge from pressing the brake pad shoe to the plate. This will cause a continuously friction even though we are not pushing the brake's paddle.

5. Using wrong DOT for the oil brake
This is sometimes skipped by the car's owner who didn't have a knowledge on the oil brake's viscosity. It makes a BIG difference. DOT-3 and DOT-4 can produced a different traction on the braking system.
Some cars is industrially-spec using DOT-3, else is DOT-4. DOT-3 has a lower viscosity than DOT-4, this depends on the capacity of the car, size of wheel, traction percentage, and sort of. The bigger size means needs bigger DOT, but this depends on the research and development division whether they need apply on which one.
Using a different viscosity will cause an indirect damages to the plate because of receiving different traction, not other else will soon follow. Furthermore, the ABS had been computerized with the same level of oil brake's viscosity.
While it's rare to produce noise in the earlier stage, but as soon as the endurance is down. The braking system produces problem including noises.

6. Miscellaneous
There are many other factors that will produce noises in the wheel sector, like the age of hose of oil brake, thickness of disc plates, usage year of oil brake, the master's kit condition, the effect from the car which ever hit hard in the accident around the footage, and many more. This need to consult to the car's maintenance division to have a check up. Minimum of 6 months a time is needed for the full check up on footage sector.

For Brake Shoe type.

It's rare the brake shoe worn off like the brake pad, but commonly the noise produced by the friction of solid asbestos-powder with its rim. Change for a new pair of brake shoes and clean the area of the rim, make sure the surface of the rim is not greasy, you may rinse with soap and clean with water, then dry it out before changing the new brake shoes. Another possibility might come from the mechanic bolts that was detained by dirts or corrosion, so it won't budge for the reflect of pulling back when the ABS told it too release. Oil those hinges after washed.

Brake is very important for your safety in driving, the noise had warned you earlier.

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