Why does my car's brakes squeak so bad when I back up. It is so embarassing!?

Question

I have a 1991 Volvo 240 and my mechanic says he puts this brake powder in it to stop it. However, it only works for a little while but then again it is squeak-o-thon time! I wonder if he is not diagnosing correctly or just does not know how to fix it. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I do brake maintenance on my own vehicles and have for 35 years. Brake manufacturers say that squealing is just from dust on the pads or shoes and is normal. You don't say if you have a late model car with disc brakes on the rear or not. If they are disk brakes it is doubly normal for them to squeal. On some models of cars it cannot be stopped. If you buy a can or brake cleaner at an auto parts store and remove the wheels and wash down the brakes and drum or disk the squealing will go away for a while but it will come back as soon as a little dust builds up. One other thing if these are disk brakes this may be the wear indicators rubbing. They will sound like a high frequency whistle that may be intermittent only when you break or on curves and they can squeal when backing up.

Go to a reputable car repair shop if you can't do it yourself and tell them to inspect the brakes and to show you any problems they can tell what percent of the pads or shoes are worn and if you need repairs buy the highest grade pad or shoe you can get. Most of these have a lifetime warranty and you never have to pay for pads or shoes again only labor. The national brake specialty chains will not offer this.

If the car is nose diving when you apply brakes in forward motion your back brakes have a problem. If You ever hear scraping metal to metal you have a serious problem that should be attended to immediately. On most cars 70-80% of the breaking is done on the front and 20-30% on the back.

You can spend hundreds on this problem but when it comes right down to it is a design flaw in the disks combined with the dust. You may be able to improve it but you will never fix it unless the maker does a recall and installs better designed disks and then who knows they may squeal.

Incidentally squealing brakes are the worst on European made cars and even the dealers say it is normal. Why be embarrassed about something that is normal.

Gary

Answer 2

If it's only when you back up, the pads are chattering. Your mechanic might make sure there's no anti rattle springs that are off or have slipped. Brake powder? That's a new one on me....they make special grease that goes between the pad and piston and provides a little insulation. If it's only when you back up, were it me, I wouldn't worry unless you spend as much time backing up as you do going forward.

Answer 3

Never ever, put any foreign substance, on your brakes. Do you have disc brakes in back. If not your E-brake may be hanging up just enough to cause this problem.

Answer 4

i don't know a whole lot about cars but i don't think your mechanic really knows your car that well. my first thought is that you should get new brake pads. i could be wrong but i'd suggest going to see another mechanic for a second opinion.

Answer 5

You need to take it to another mechanic and have brakes inspected , If you have a just for brakes shop around they will inspect for free.

Answer 6

Try(in a safe place) backing up kind of fast and slamming the brakes on,that will often cure squeal.

Answer 7

when breaks make noise it usually means that they need replaced but then again new breaks can also make a sqwelch or loud skweak in which case they need to be taken off and something like copper slip put on caliper pistons

Answer 8

if it squeaks it means the drum is rubbin on the rotor which means u need new brake pads

Answer 9

Sounds like it's time to get new brakes.

Answer 10

yeah sounds like you need new brakes and they give you some grease when you buy the brakes at autozone.