Groaning brakes after driving a while

[betzilla]

I have a 2001 outback wagon with some brake noise.

 

I had new front brakes put on 8 months ago and have had groaning noises from them when I use them after I have driven for a while. I have taken the car back to the shop that installed the brakes and have been told that there is nothing wrong with them. The rotors on the front brakes show circular scarring. The rotors on the back don't show any circular scarring.

 

I have experimented with braking in reverse and find the noise absent or very minor. When I use the brakes on an uphill stop, there is little noise. When I use the brakes on a downhill stop or a level stop, there is more noise, sometimes a lot. When I am just slowing, but not stopping, I usually do not hear the noise or hear it just slightly. Any ideas?

 

Also, sometime about that same time as the new front brakes, my mpg seems to have dropped from a consistent 20 mpg city driving to 18 mpg. Could it be related to the brake problem? That may be a silly question, but I was just wondering.

 

Thanks for any help on this.

[Suba9792]

Are you sure its from the brakes?, if so it could be a poorly reinstalled caliper thats hung up and rubbing, I've seen it happen on cars that go to Les Schwab:rolleyes: . The mpg issue could be related, if something on the brakes is hung up it could be in a way holding things back causing the loss of mpg, someone else will pipe up, I'm still a newbie:). Just for S&G I'd do a tranny flush if you have an AT, drain it,flush it, refill it and top it off with some tran-X.

Edited January 15, 2011 by Suba9792

[tcspeer]

Groaning noise can be caused by brake contamination, this can be from cleaning brake rotors with things other then brake cleaner. Another cause may be grease have gotten on pads or rotors from lubing slider pins,or pads lube contacts.

 

I found this out many years ago when I cleaned the coating off of new rotors with gas. The noise was a groaning noise almost like the conditions you are speaking of. I had to replace rotors and pads to make it go away.

[CNY_Dave]

If they just slapped in pads, could also be the inner/outer rust ridges, where they only really hit the pads when the brakes are applied with the rotors somewhat warm.

 

Mine does this when I just put in pads.

 

Dave

[nipper]

I have a 2001 outback wagon with some brake noise.

 

I had new front brakes put on 8 months ago and have had groaning noises from them when I use them after I have driven for a while. I have taken the car back to the shop that installed the brakes and have been told that there is nothing wrong with them. The rotors on the front brakes show circular scarring. The rotors on the back don't show any circular scarring.

 

I have experimented with braking in reverse and find the noise absent or very minor. When I use the brakes on an uphill stop, there is little noise. When I use the brakes on a downhill stop or a level stop, there is more noise, sometimes a lot. When I am just slowing, but not stopping, I usually do not hear the noise or hear it just slightly. Any ideas?

 

Also, sometime about that same time as the new front brakes, my mpg seems to have dropped from a consistent 20 mpg city driving to 18 mpg. Could it be related to the brake problem? That may be a silly question, but I was just wondering.

 

Thanks for any help on this.

 

 

Find another shop. You have a stuck brake caliper or calipers and may be missing the anti-noise shields on the pads. They also may have used crap pads.