How do I know when my brake pads are wearing on Peugeot 306 car?

Question

I've just had an mot that passed but as I drive along there is a 'scraping' noise coming from the front of the car. Any ideas?

Answer 1

That scraping noise is there by design. It is a wear indicator and it is telling you that the pads are worn and need to be replaced now. Do this soon, before it wears down and all of a sudden you are metal to metal and then you will have to replace the rotor too. good luck.

Answer 2

get someone mechanically competent or if you prefer a garage (that you trust) and ask them to do a brake check. By the sound of what you said your pads are practacally worn out and need replaing. The scraping noise may be the pads metal backing scraping against the disk and may have caused exessive wear to occour and will result in the disks needing to be replaced at the same time. The mot legal requirement for front pad friction material must not be below 3mm on ANYone pad (there are 4, 2 per disk) if there is one below thats a fail.

If one or more is below 3mm the car should not have passed the mot and I can only guess the test centre may have not have done the mot properly.

Alternitively it could be that the pad holders need lubrication between the holders and the metal parts of the pads. Or it could be wheel bearings or an obstruction of some discription

Answer 3

Every time you step on the brakes you are wearing down your brake pads. The amount of mileage you get on pads depends on how you drive. People that charge from red light to red light will simply turn the gasoline to heat by wearing down the brake pads. You will wear the front brakes about 3 times as fast as the rear brakes because the weight of the car shifts forward every time you brake.

Most of the brake systems have signal bars that make a scraping sound as you describe when they are in need of replacing. There is no such thing as a brake pad that lasts forever by the way.

A fair average for brakes is 25000 to 30000 miles. This varies greatly on the load carried in the vehicle all the time and the driving style.

Answer 4

Absolute best way of knowing = visual inspection. On some cars you don't even need to remove the tires, you can just look and see the pads. Second best, some pads have a wear indicator that begins to make noise to warn you of wear. If you are hearing a metal to metal scraping sound, it's already too late. The pads are down to metal and are destroying the rotors. Stop driving it and get them fixed. If you are lucky and it just started you might get by with just turning the rotors, if no they will have to be replaced at around $50 each minimum.

Answer 5

you will have to take the front wheel of to inspect.....
as you had an MOT they would notice any fade in your brakes.....
check under your car for any obstructions!!!!
does this scraping noise happen all the time or when braking....
it could be many factors.....
wheel bearings would make a whining sound,
if there no pad lining material on your brake pad this would make a scraping sound but as you passed your mot i wouldn't think it that....
see a mechanic....

Answer 6

Pop off the wheel and inspect the pads (you can visually inspect the amount of brake material left on the pad). Of course considering it's a Peugeot I doubt it has run long enough between breakdowns to wear out the brake pads.

Answer 7

erm, if you have scrapping noise may you should take it back to the mot test centre as if its the brake pads scrapping on the brake drum then your car should not of passed.

Answer 8

run ya hand on the disc if it aint smooth providing u aint got uprated discs u will need new discs as well as pads. noise might be wheel bearing. also u will get break fade shudder through the steering wheel under heavy breaking

Answer 9

When you wake up with a head wound and an oak tree in the passenger seat.

Answer 10

Bang!!!! - whoops my brakes don't seem to work.

If they are scraping then you need new brakes - it's as simple as that.