Screech Sound When Braking To A Stop

[posing]

After having had my car serviced 40k, I started noticing wheel screech when i'm braking to stop or to very low speeds. What could cause this? Disk pad worn out? My service report did mention worn disk pads but did not recommend to change them.

[Chris Dance]

Very dry weather and brake dust can cause this. Does it still happen after washing the car or driving in wet conditions? If it does it maybe brake pads as stated on your service report.

[JonFB]

After having had my car serviced 40k, I started noticing wheel screech when i'm braking to stop or to very low speeds. What could cause this? Disk pad worn out? My service report did mention worn disk pads but did not recommend to change them.

Hi there,

I am in no way an expert but can pass on my experience. I noticed my wheels were squeeky when in a queue of traffic or moving slowly - sometimes when breaking others when just coasting.

At the next service I mentioned it to the dealer and after inspection he said something like the brakes were stuck (or locked). He explained that it is quite common with Prius' as much of the time we put our foot on the brake the computer instructs the engine to brake initially and therefore the brakes are not as often used as in normal cars... come to think of it I recall reading a thread about amazing long lasting pads on the Prius.

Your symptons sound similar to mine and all it took was the garage to take each wheel off and "do something" and cost me £60 quid but I am now squeek free.

Perhaps it might be worth popping into your dealer to get them to have a look.

Best of luck.

Jon

[betty]

If you also experience a squeeking noise at low speeds it is probably rust on the breaks, just put the car into neutral whilst driving, preferably on a quiet stretch of road and apply the breaks. I have found breaking at about 40mph in netural clears the problem ;) It is also wise to do this after you have washed the car to dry off the breaks.

[Modena]

My girlfriend had an exact same issue the first day when she picked up the Prius, the car also has around 40,000 KMs.

The noise sounded like metalic screeching coming from the front left wheel.

I got her to take it to a mechanic (under warranty from the dealer) and it turned out to be that the metal plate on the brakes was rubbing agaist the wheel. They fixed it for free.

[Habu]

I don't believe the Prius uses its friction brakes apart from either under about 6mph when there is too little energy to use or if you slam the anchors on. Normal braking, even from high speed only uses regenerative braking and not friction braking. It would explain the way pads last forever too as they're hardly used. The tip above from Betty could work as the Prius wouldn't be using regenerative means to slow the car - it would have to use friction braking.

[betty]

The breaking tip was given to me by a Prius driver in the US, I thought that there was something seriously wrong with my car, and the said squeeking noise was very loud when driving at low speeds and in traffic jams. Perhaps I should have made it clearer in my previous post as after reading it I don't think it is that clear? When you have reached about 40mph select neutral then apply the breaks till the car has stopped... then repeat if necessary. It really does work and is certainly better than paying a garage £60. If you've got a sqeeky car give it a try!!

[spooky]

The breaking tip was given to me by a Prius driver in the US, I thought that there was something seriously wrong with my car, and the said squeeking noise was very loud when driving at low speeds and in traffic jams. Perhaps I should have made it clearer in my previous post as after reading it I don't think it is that clear? When you have reached about 40mph select neutral then apply the breaks till the car has stopped... then repeat if necessary. It really does work and is certainly better than paying a garage £60. If you've got a sqeeky car give it a try!!

I may have the same problem, I've just posted about it. I will give your tip a try although will have to find a quiet road where I can do 40mph

Do you apply the breaks 'hard'? or just normally?

Thanks

[betty]

Hi Spooky, you do not need to do an emergency stop or anything :) You can always just do it when going down a steep hill or similar. Just make sure you apply good pressure. Remember the car needs to be in neutral, to do this you will have to put your lever into the reverse section, you will hear 2 beeps and it will show on your display, on my car if you just select neutral it does not work as you are going along. Mine is an '04 model it may be different on later ones I dont know. Hope it works for you, I have been doing it periodically over the last year and my break pads are still fine after 55,000 miles ;)

[spooky]

Hi Spooky, you do not need to do an emergency stop or anything :) You can always just do it when going down a steep hill or similar. Just make sure you apply good pressure. Remember the car needs to be in neutral, to do this you will have to put your lever into the reverse section, you will hear 2 beeps and it will show on your display, on my car if you just select neutral it does not work as you are going along. Mine is an '04 model it may be different on later ones I dont know. Hope it works for you, I have been doing it periodically over the last year and my break pads are still fine after 55,000 miles ;)

It seems to work! I wonder what we are doing to make it go away?

So how often do you have to do this?

[betty]

Hi Spooky, it is just removing rust from the discs, I need to do it after the car has not been used for a few days or after it rains, which means quite often in the winter To be honest you just get used to doing it after a while, I may need to do it more as I live by sea and my car is kept outside, glad it worked for you ;)

[spooky]

Hi Spooky, it is just removing rust from the discs, I need to do it after the car has not been used for a few days or after it rains, which means quite often in the winter To be honest you just get used to doing it after a while, I may need to do it more as I live by sea and my car is kept outside, glad it worked for you ;)

Dear Betty

What a great tip! I did notice it happened more when it was a wet day

Thanks

[Makiwa]

Putting Copper Grease on the brakes will usually stop this problem. Also usually there is a backing plate/spring on the pads, sometimes this is left off. It is on this plate that the copper grease is applied, and also generally all around the fittings, (not on the face).

I had a Merc that did this really bad, unbearable if standing next to the car when stopping, and this is what the mechanic told me. After that, silence!

Ciao.