[hikingnut62]

Having an issue with the brakes. When coming to a stop now, we hear what I would describe as a "groaning" sound (it's not a high-pitched metal-on-metal sound). I would compare it to the sound you hear when a ball joint is going bad. HOWEVER, this sound ONLY occurs when breaking. Any ideas what might be causing this?

Could this be cause by a caliper sometimes not releasing completely? My wife first noticed it about a two weeks ago, and I never heard it until about 3 days ago. It was more noticeable today even. We both agree the sound is coming from the front driver's side brake (which are disc brakes).

Thanks in advance,

Andy


2004 Honda Accord LX

 

[DreaminAccord]

Andy, you're LX has rotors in the front and discs in the rear, correct? How many miles on the vehicle? Is the groan coming from front or back? The more details/descriptions you can provide, better the chances of quickly diagnosing it.

Also, are you on the original brakes or aftermarket/replacement OEM? When was the last time you had your brake fluid changed?

The easiest and cheapest thing I would rule out without knowing any of the answers to the questions above is to jack up the front and remove both front wheels. Look at your "dust shields" that are the metal plates located behind your front rotors. Ensure that they are straight, not bent in any way, and grab a rubber mallet/hammer and hit them back the tiniest amount (can even be only 1/2 inch or less). But on numerous cars I've had, including the Accord, those dust plates can actually start making contact with the rotors and have been known to cause all sorts of different symptoms (vibrations, noises, etc.) and I have watched people go crazy racking their brain trying to diagnose the symptoms thinking it must be the CV joint, bushings, tie rod ends, control arms, etc. when in the end it was just the dust plate.

So give that a shot (it's free and won't hurt anything) and report back :thmsup:

 

[hikingnut62]

Ben,

In answer to your questions:

disc brakes in front / drums in the rear.

186,000 miles

I bought new pads (from the dealer - OEM) and put them on aout two years ago.

I don't know if the brake fluid was ever changed. I don't believe I ever have (and I've had it since 104,000 miles).

I will take a look at the dust shields tomorrow and let you know. I hope it's that simple.

Thanks for the info.

Andy

 

[Dan]

if a caliper is sticking you can touch the wheels after a long drive. usually the sticking caliper wheel will be hotter than the others

 

[DreaminAccord]

if a caliper is sticking you can touch the wheels after a long drive. usually the sticking caliper wheel will be hotter than the others

Great advice, Dan :thmsup: to add onto that, you can also remove the one caliper bolt (usually top one is easiest to access) and swing the caliper down to expose the brake pads. Take a look at the pads' life - typically with a sticking caliper you will notice that the side with the issue is wearing a lot faster than the opposing side. Also, on that note, (the side of the sticking caliper) the inside pad (against the caliper piston) will be more worn than the outside pad. All good indications that it's the caliper.

Also, it's a good idea to maintain your brake fluid every 30k miles/2 years. Brake fluid is hygroscopic meaning is can absorb moisture which can lead to corrosion of the braking system (calipers, master cylinder, etc) as it will no longer maintain its higher boiling point (DOT 3 is 205˚C/401˚F). It is a very easy procedure to do that can be done w/ 1 person, about 4" of clear 1/4" flexible tubing found in Lowes/Depot (think of the kind you see on fish tank filters), new OEM Honda DOT 3 fluid and an empty soda bottle.

EricTheCarGuy - How to Properly Bleed Brakes

 

[cascivic]

Also If you just "pad s lapped" it I would make sure that the caliper pins are well lubed and slide easily....check the video he posted and then also look on Eric the car guys channel for his newest video..it's for a Subaru but same basic principle.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[Ulysses]

except from what the veterans have posted above, I would also check for warped rotors. That is what is causing the sound you describe in my case.

 

[Aviography]

It could also be the ridge on the disc rotor, the pads do not fully cover the disc surface, so over time a ridge if formed on the outter and inner portion of the braking surface, the ridge rusts over time and grinds unevenly to the pads when brake is applied.

 

[03LXV6]

I had that issue. Turned out to be glazed pads. Brake dust was getting stuck between the pad and rotor. I cleaned it up and the noise came back so I replaced the pads and haven't had the problem since.