QuestionI had squealing from brakes on my '07 Hyundai Sante Fe. Brakeswere checked by my son & brakes were fine, but squealing continued. I had car checked at dealer. Mechanic said there was dust on them & he cleaned them. The next time, they will charge around $65 for this. The brakes are doing it again.My son said he would do it if he knew what to do b/c he tried everything he knew to do last time. Can you help?
AnswerYour vehicle is equipped with four wheel disc brakes. The construction of disc brakes is such that they don't accumulate dust; the system is not enclosed. In this sense, the dust is not causing the squealing.
On the other hand, depending on the circumstances, some squeal from disc brakes on application can be normal. This noise is caused by very small vibrations that set up in the brake pads. It rarely happens with factory pads, but replacement pads from other sources can be constructed with different friction materials, making them more (or less) prone to squealing.
Applying disc brake grease (not wheel bearing grease; it will break down under brake system temperatures) to the pad backing plates will sometimes reduce or eliminate the squeal. There are also products made specifically to combat brake squeal which can be applied to the pad backing plates or the friction material itself, depending on the specific product. Check with your local auto parts store.
Make sure you do not apply anything to the friction surface of the pads unless the product specifically states it's designed for that application. Otherwise, your brakes may not work properly.
