This morning, I dropped my car off at the dealer for the second time to have my brakes looked at, because for the 8 months that I've had it, there is a high pitched squeal every time I apply the brake (the salesman said it would go away in a couple of days when i picked the car up) but I've been too lazy to take it in until now.

The first time I took it in, the response was 'there's nothing visibly wrong with them, so we've sprayed some 'no squeal' on them and they're fine'. 100m up the road I had to put the brakes on, and they squealed, not as bad, but its still there. I took it back and they told me to 'drop it off again tomorrow'.

When I dropped the car off this morning, they guy said they will shave the rotors and 'face'(?) the pads, but that his wife has a VRX and as far as he's concerned there is no way of getting rid of the squeal, its a 380 curse... He said that all 380's squeal when the brakes are cold (mine's not just when cold, BTW).

I've never heard another 380 squeal under brakes, so, my question for today is do/did your brakes squeal, how did you fix it; and is this bloke telling me fibs so I don't keep bringing my car back?

Mine are squealing currently, started about 2 weeks after I picked up the car in April. Could be sand, have you had the pads replaced? Is it under heavy braking or when you slow down casually to a stop light? I dont get any when I have to break hard.

My 380 brakes squeal, always have. Probably more so that most because like TreeAdeyMan, I have the manual - and manual drivers tend to use brakes a hell of lot less than auto counterparts. At my 45,000km service I was told my pads were something like less than 10% worn.

You can fix temporarily using a few measures:
1. Keep them ridiculously clean, take the wheel off and get rid of that brake dust regularly with a bike pump or air compressor. A real pain in the backside. Creates a heap of dust which ends up all over your paint work and in your lungs. Not ideal.
2. Do a few really heavy stops concurrently. Mitsubishi tech told me to do this when they start squealing, and it works. A few heavy applications seems to remedy the problem for a few days for me (but I don't like doing it).

You could more fix a little more permanently by:
1. Changing brake pads. Get advice from other members who've had different pads and read through the forums, try and work out which types are less prone to squealing. Older asbestos pads were quieter, but obviously dangerous to mechanics, and have been outlawed for years and years. The materials used to replace them (metals and ceramics) are more prone to squealing than the old school pads.
2. Various adhesives or anti-squeal compounds can be used with varying success. Quite often though, they will need reapplication.
3. Replacing or skimming damaged/pitted/warped rotors. Be aware that skimming rotors leaves them thinner and may make the squeal a slightly higher pitch as the mass of the brake assembly goes down. Also, they will be more prone to warpage the thinner they get. In my experience, more than about one skim on your rotors and no matter what you do, they will warp fairly quickly thereafter because there is less mass to absorb heat.

Good luck!

Do a couple of very hard stops from high speed. That is usually a temporary fix.

Did they use pad grease on the backs of the pads?

Is it under heavy braking or when you slow down casually to a stop light? I dont get any when I have to break hard.

both :( I guess if they squeal when I get it back this time, I'll just deal with it until I have the money and energy to replace the lot?

Do a couple of very hard stops from high speed. That is usually a temporary fix.

Did they use pad grease on the backs of the pads?

I honestly have no idea. I just let them do their thing, it was serviced when they got it in and I bought it soon after.

I use high temp copper grease between back of pads & plates, also a bit on the end of pistons & along the edge of pads (short sides & keep away from pad surface obviously).
About $8 for a tube.

As I'm looking at replacing mine soon, any suggestions on type? I used Ferodo on my TS.

I swapped out the front pads to QFM HPX ages ago and still had a bit of squeal at very low speeds.

Same thing with my second set of HPX pads (nothing wrong with the first set, just upgraded to slotted rotors and new HPX pads came as part of the deal).

Both times I sprayed CRC De-Squeak on both sides of the front rotors and never had a hint of a squeal since.

But each time it took two applications a few days apart.

And you have to burnish it on by getting the rotors & pads good and hot.

I get the squeal mainly just under light braking. Always notice it as I reverse out the drive.

The skim seems to have fixed it. We'll see how long it lasts....

Mine has always squealed since i got it 2nd hand at 45kms on the odo. I took it un, they said nothing was wrong. It has squealed ever since but only at light applicattions and only when cold. Mist of the time i have the aircon on windows up and dont really hear it so all good. Have now done 90k kms and going to get dba slotted rotors for the front and just machine the rears. Will try a dif pad too. See wha happens...

The problems with pads is that you basically can either pick something that doesn't squeal, or you get something with good performance.

I had Bendix General CTs on my Magnas old brakes. They were great for daily driving. Pedal feel wasn't crash hot (no worse than stock though) and they faded rapidly when pushed hard, but no dust and no squeal.

I'm now running QFM HPX on my 380 brakes. They do squeal and they're a little dusty, but they're pretty good for performance, and don't fade (or at least I haven't gotten them to fade yet).

Take your pick!

I fit new rotors and pads before they were due just to stop that squealing! It is terrible. Not a sqeak since fitting RDA slotted rotors and Bendix GCTs in December last year. The RDAs cost $200 and the Bendix $60 on ebay. Worth the price to permanently stop the noise.

ps - i had my previous rotors machined and whilst that stopped the squealing it was only a short term thing.

I *HEART* Brake Squeal!

The RDAs cost $200 and the Bendix $60 on ebay.

If that's all it will set me back, it's probably worth it. I'd much rather replace my pads more often than have them squealing!

A friend of my family had this problem on one of his car, and also noticed the braking was not as good as it should be.
we took the pads out and gave them a light sand as they had glazed over. I'm sure this happens on many cars, and is a good simple and cheap thing to do as a 1st attempt, with little to no counteraction or negative result.

Just had front rotors replaced with slotteds and the rears machined, and while the squeal is gone, i have noticed i have to hit them hard to stop esp when theyre cold. Is this just due to them being a higher temp tolerant pad? Worried about needing to stop in emergency after running on highway....when they dont get used for ages til u really have to hit them hard...

Anyone else notice this with slotteds and high temp pads?