Brakes
Brakes Grinding, Squealing or Feeling Soft
Squealing often means the brake pads are getting thin. Grinding usually means they are worn through and metal is touching the rotor. A soft or sinking pedal can mean air in the lines, a leak or a failing master cylinder. Grinding and a soft pedal are not things to drive on.
- All makes and models
- $125 diagnostic, credited if you go ahead with the repair
- Nephi to Ogden, including Eagle Mountain and Heber
What do grinding and squealing brakes mean?
- Squealing when you brake. Many pads have a built-in wear indicator that squeals when the pad is nearly worn out. It is a warning, not yet a failure.
- Grinding when you brake. The pad material is usually gone and metal is touching the rotor. This damages the rotor and can reduce stopping power.
- Squealing that goes away after a few stops. Light surface rust or moisture on the rotors can cause this. If it keeps coming back, have the pads looked at.
- A soft or sinking pedal. Air in the lines, a fluid leak or a failing master cylinder. This is a different problem from worn pads and is urgent.
- A pulsing pedal or a shake when braking. Rotors can wear unevenly or warp.
- A red brake warning light. First check that the parking brake is fully released. If the light stays on, especially with a soft pedal, stop driving.
Is it safe to drive with grinding brakes?
With squealing only and a normal pedal, drive gently and only as needed until the brakes are checked. With grinding or a soft pedal, stop driving the car. Grinding damages the rotors, and the longer it goes the harder it can be for the car to stop.
Brake fluid on the ground near a wheel is also a reason to stop driving.
What to do right now
Decide whether it can be driven.
Squealing only, with a normal pedal: drive gently and only as needed. Grinding or a soft pedal: do not drive it.
If it only squeals, leave extra distance when you drive.
Give yourself more room to stop until the pads are looked at.
Note when it happens.
Only when braking, all the time, at low speed or high speed, and whether the pedal feels different.
Call or text.
Say what the car is doing and what you hear or feel.
Having it diagnosed
Call or text and describe the problem. The diagnostic visit is $125 on every job. If you go ahead, the $125 is credited toward the repair. Without the repair, the $125 is not refunded. The travel fee runs $75 to $100 in addition to the diagnostic, depending on distance and fuel.
Questions
Questions about grinding and squealing brakes
Why are my brakes grinding?
Grinding usually means the brake pads are worn through and metal is touching the rotor. That damages the rotor and can reduce stopping power. Stop driving the car and have it looked at rather than waiting.
Why are my brakes squealing when I stop?
It may be the pad's built-in wear indicator, which makes noise once the pad is thin. Moisture, dust or glazed pads can also cause noise. If the squeal is constant, have the pads looked at, and drive gently until then.
Why does my brake pedal feel soft or go to the floor?
A soft pedal can mean air in the brake lines, a fluid leak or a failing master cylinder. If the pedal sinks or the car will not slow down while you are moving, pump the pedal, shift to a lower gear, apply the parking brake gradually and steer to the side. Once stopped, do not drive it again.
How long can I drive on squealing brakes?
There is no safe number to give. Squealing is a warning that the pads are wearing thin, and how much is left varies. Drive gently and only as needed until they are checked, and stop driving if the noise turns to grinding.