You are coming to a stop sign and there is a noise like a cat is caught in the fan, but as you release the pedal the noise goes away. You have the screeching brake syndrome. This is caused by a sounding board effect such as a record player. The grooves in the pad and the grooves in the rotor produce a phonographic effect. The Caliper piston is mounted in rubber so a vibration is possible and thus the noise. Several methods to cure this. The one I recommend is to replace the pads with a ceramic based pad, turn or replace the rotors, clean and lube all slide point with a high temperature brake grease, also be sure there is no binding at any points you may have to use a file to clean some of the junk off the pad base or corrosion off the caliper slide points. Use a good anaerobic adhesive to secure the pad to the piston I also use a shim if there is room use caution when applying the sealant; do not get it on any attachment or sliding points. You can also remove, clean and lube the pads and attachment and sliding point’s sand the pad smooth apply sealant and reassemble. I would use a shim here as the pads have some miles and there should be room. I don’t know if turning the rotors is necessary but it wouldn’t hurt. Many of today’s rotors are so thin that they will not turn more than once, so keep this in mind but rotors are not that expensive. If you do a lot of dusty driving it may work to take the vehicle to a car wash and pressure wash the brakes. Simply turn the wheels all the one way wash both front and rear and repeat on the other side.A quick word about ceramic pads, they are definitely worth the extra money. They will eliminate almost entirely any brake dust and noise. Everyone says it is in my head but I think they have a better feel when braking they seem to have a solid and even application. Remember the old saying “if it doesn’t start it is a problem but if you can’t stop you have big problems”.
All posts by John
Front Tire Leaks
You are one of the few who check your tires on a regular basis and they are all fine except on one vehicle that is front wheel drive with aluminum rims. You have had it checked several times to no avail. Your problem is corrosion between the tire and the rim and it is worse because the front wheel drive causes the tire bead and rim to flex. The cure is to take it to a tire shop and have the rim bead sealed. I have a 94 Pontiac Bonneville, my second 94 Bonny, with aluminum rims and this had to be done. The other solution is to inflate with nitrogen it is very dry and has no moisture also the molecules are larger so the leak is less. The other thing you may have to do when you install nitrogen is to have the rim cleaned so you may just as well have the rim bead sealed and save the hassle of nitrogen. Nitrogen seems to have dropped out of the limelight lately I thought it would take off if the Manufactures installed it originally, but they are having trouble affording air right now.
A Chinese Hummer
Walking down an aisle at Sams or some other big box retailer and you are car shopping. This may not be that far from reality in the near future. Penske is considering buying Saturn and putting the nameplate on some cars from China and So Korea. A china company is buying Hummer minus the military version. There will not be a lot of profit in these vehicles and what idiot would build an expensive showroom after GM and Chrysler pulled the plug on several new facilities. Of course these may be for sale cheap. Chrysler is forecast to fall from there present 11% of sales to 3% by 2012. That along with the investment by Fiat capped at 6 billion there is a long road ahead for Chrysler. GM however is leaving 10 years of debt and has a solid lineup of cars in the future. With the government pushing mileage requirements and cleaner cars they are going to be spendy so the time to buy is now, but with money tight that is hard for many of us to do. With the fire sales going on right now search the money it is out there. My heart does go out to the many dealers who have lost their franchises I along with many others thought that if you had a profitable dealership it would go on forever. But this has not been the case, not to wish anyone bad luck but I hope in some fashion this comes back to bite Chrysler and GM in the rear. As in the repair business I have an idea these dealers were the ones doing business the old fashioned way with no high pressure sales IE you can’t go home without buying a car because we lost your keys or we made a mistake and sold your car.I doubt if Chrysler can make it even after bankruptcy I think it will be Ford GM and Toyota. You need to change the direction and leadership to become profitable and Chrysler has done neither and any big changes are forecast for 2012 way too late.
Charcoal Canister Replacement
I have heard of instances where the cost to replace a charcoal canister being upwards of $700. This is a DIY job if there ever was one; first locate the canister it is either by the fuel filler neck or in one of the front fender wheel wells. Most local libraries have an online source you can find the location if you have a problem. You may have to remove a wheel for access to the rear or possibly the battery if it is in the front, worth it to save several hundred dollars. Dispose of the old one properly more of a problem if it is saturated with fuel. If it is saturated with fuel find the reason before replacing or the new one will do the same. Several causes for fuel saturation, overfilling your tank is the usual cause. No you cannot dry them out but I have thought about using one to start a bon fire however. Guys used one to start a barbecue at the shop once and it melted the barrel they used, wasn’t much of a barbecue to start with.
Corrected Synthetic Oil Post
A few techs corrected me on a couple of things I missed in the synthetic oil article. When you change to synthetic it is a good idea to flush the engine either with a engine flush additive or diesel oil 15/40. Run the diesel for about 250-500 miles and it will clean out your engine 2 warnings first use a top of the line filter and be aware that a clean engine with high mileage can result in problems. This is not a bad idea no matter what oil you use to keep ypour engine clean.AMZOIL is not an additive it is oil in a category all by itself, normally I would recommend it but in my area it is hard to find.When switching always go up never down if you have been using it for some time. Always use quality oil.When using synthetic use a high quality fuel low quality fuels can cause a carbon build up and this is more prominent when using synthetics. One question I was asked do oils have a shelf life and yes they do 4-5 years. If they go bad they develop a cloudy color and gel up.I apologize for any problems or questions that I raised, no excuse but I was interrupted to many times when writing. Thank You to all who put me back on the correct path.
Tony Is Gone
As I along with many others anticipated Rick Hendricks has removed Tony Eury Jr as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt JR. Brian Whitesell will crew this weekend at Dover and Lance NcGrew will become interim next week. Whitesell is known as a no nonsense, do it my way leader. I think this is exactly what Jr needs. He lacks the skill to convey what the car needs to the crew and this puts them chasing the track and loosing. I also think he expects more from the car then it is capable of. Rick said they never caught up to the COT and no testing has hurt them. They had the car full time last year and part time the year before when testing was available and that didn’t seem to help. Nice spin Rick, but I don’t buy it. Seems like every since he caught fire in that Corvette a few years back he has slowed down. This is Jr last crack at proving he can drive, he used DEI as an excuse has had Tony to fall on lately but with a new crew chief and 2 of Hendricks top chassis engineers in his camp it is time to fish or cut bait. I don’t think he is the driver his dad was but I think he is capable of doing better. The other drivers in the Hendricks stable are doing great so time will tell. Dale and tony are Grandsons of Robert Gee one of Hendricks first employees. Where Tony is going in the organization has not been announced. There are a number of excellent crew chiefs out looking for employment right now. Brad Keselowski won the Nationwide race Kurt Busch led the most laps but after being nudged by Joey Lagono, watch your back Joey, He either had a flat or one was caused by his run into the marbles hard to tell and he did a normal Busch exit walked off pouting.Keslowski did not qualify for today’s race at Dover in a car owned by Dale Jr and Hendricks. Also Jeff Gordon had to use a provisional and will start last, Dover is a tough track and I am sure his bad back will take the blame. Would not be surprised to see him give it up soon. Fatherhood has slowed him down.
Mileage Errors
A recent response stated that many cars had their speedometers turned back when they had high mileage. This is very true in fact one of the lot guys, years ago, had the nick name of spinner and it wasn’t because he was a good dancer. In those days you depended more on the cosmetic appearance of the vehicle rather than the mileage, and this was usually a good indication. With the reconditioning methods they have today this would no longer be the case. Turning back speedos is no longer a problem either, it is impossible to turn back cars that have a digital dash without the use of very sophisticated and expensive equipment. An analog dash is also very difficult to do; there are also many laws, some of them federal, which cover speedometer tampering. I have also bought my share of cars at auctions that I am sure the mileage was not correct but again this was years ago and this has not been a problem for many years.
Coke 600
The end of the Coca cola 600 is a trivia question in the making. What driver won a race and never lead a lap under green. David Reutimann winning the 600 after staying out after everyone else pitted. It seems like most of these rain shortened races are won by drivers who would not have stood a chance if the race ran to a conclusion. They really have nothing to lose and a chance to win if they take a risk. A win is still a win, they take home the cash and the trophy, which is special as this was the 50th anniversary of the race. As Reutimann said “ these wins are hard to come by and they will take it” also out of 43 drivers his crew chief made the right call. This really can’t be called taking a risk because there is no down side. In a race where Dave Blaney held the lead, long enough to pass the start finish line but not for a full lap, almost anything can happen. Should NASCAR have called the race sooner or should they have held off. It was an official race, and many of the drivers were in street clothes I think they had an inside track to the fact the race was over of course they were also wet. My one concern is how much of the timing on calling the race is controlled by allowing the networks to have enough time to get in all there commercials. The fans pay a lot of money and sat through the rain they should, if at all possible, get to see a finish. On to Dover, a rough track for everyone, many are introducing new engines at Dover which is a strange place as power is not that much of a concern there. To survive with a car you can still drive is a major accomplishment.
DIY Era Over
Is the era of the do it yourself repair over? I don’t think it is over but it is definitely on life support, today’s cars have a number of computers, brakes, Heating AC, body, engine, among others and soon it will take a special tool to replace your wiper blades. The average DIY does not have a lab scope or scanner or several other special tools necessary to do even minor repairs. The auto techs of today need special skills and knowledge never even dreamt of ten years ago and the tool boxes they have cost more than my first house. Ask the management of any auto repair shop if they, not all but a few, have an attitude and are hard to manage and you will get an ear full. The truth is that it is something they have to live with the good ones are hard to come by and have a good reason to be a little cocky and expect a few extra perks. Today’s cars are lasting longer, it is not unusual to see used vehicles with well over a 100K for sale, and a decent used vehicle is becoming harder to find. If you buy one of these it is going to need repairs, there are many vehicles that can still be worked on in the driveway but they are becoming few and far between. Also our nation is getting older and many senior citizens cannot do their own repairs because of health concerns. The second part of the problem is a good repair shop is getting almost impossible to find it almost seems as if they are not ripping off the motoring public they can’t stay in business, and good service is a thing of the past. Many of you are not old enough to remember the Texaco add where 4 guys come out to fill your tank one to put in gas, one to wash the windows, one to air the tires, and one to check under the hood. I worked in a service station in this era and we never provided that kind of service but it was a more then what you see now.I don’t have an answer for this problem, and I don’t see any relief in the future Hybrid cars are going to be hard to find a shop for let alone do any repairs yourself. There is one bright side tire pressure should no longer be a concern as that is the only thing we will be able to do, no I forgot about nitrogen, well wax the car then, no many finishes do not require wax. There has to be some excuse I can use to go hide in the garage or buy a new tool but I don’t know what it is going to be.
Synthetic Oils
To use or not to use is the big question when it comes to using synthetic oil. There should not be any question about using synthetic oil in your engine. With a few exceptions, you can’t afford it, have a ton of miles on your engine anything in excess of 90K, your engine is using or leaking oil. Cost is always a concern in today’s economic situation and it is critical to change your oil on a regular basis. Synthetic will only save you $ if you put on a lot of miles but it will provide superior lubrication and prevent cold start wear on the engine. Any engine with a lot of miles is going to have a problem when switching it cleans too much of the crud out of the engine causing problems if you have serviced the engine regularly you may get by with it but I hesitate to risk it. I switched my pickup at 60K and had no problems but it has had regular oil changes but it does have a lot of in town miles. I have since switched it back as I don’t drive it much and I feel it is more important to change it on a regular time table. If your engine is using or leaking oil it will get worse, synthetic oil tends to shrink the seals slightly and it clinks to engine parts mainly the cylinder walls allowing loss of oil. If your loss is less than a quart between changes then go ahead and switch. The engine that uses some oil between changes is going to last longer because lubrication is improved.There are 2 types since separated into 4 groups, the first developed by Mobil in the seventies is PAO. The second is unconventional base oils or UCBO which most premium oils are today. There are several variations, Amsoil, Royal Purple are true synthetics Castrol is syn tec.These I stay away from not for any reason I just prefer the UCBO oils. Unless you are a chemist or a lubrication nerd the only thing you have to remember is to any brand name is OK just stay away from the bargain basement brands also stick with one that is available in most markets. Semi or partial synthetics are a waste of $ they usually contain less than 10% synthetic stock. They will help but to a very minor extent. The major advantages of synthetic are longer change intervals, cleaner engines, improved lubrication and less cold start wear. At -40 you can definitely tell the difference if you have synthetic in the crankcase. Talk to any Tech about oils and you will get as many opinions as you will on blonde’s brunettes or redheads. So go with what you can justify $ wise what is available locally, I went to the same shop for a number of years they had great oil change specials and used Chevron, which I had been using, but they have been overfilling about a quart lately so I don’t know what I am going to do. I may switch back to synthetics and start doing my own changes, cheaper when I do it myself.