QuestionMy 1992 Olds 88 has 110,000 mi. I had some problems with it last year and replaced the ignition module and several other things. It has run great since, but has developed a screech and a squeak that are driving me nuts.
The screech seems to me to be coming from that big coil in the wheel well over the left front tire. It is almost constant (worse on rough roads), and only stops when I apply the brakes. My mechanic replaced the bushings, but that did not help.
The squeak happens when I make a left turn or pull the steering wheel to the left, even slightly. The mechanic oiled something in the steering column, but that didn't help, either. The noise seem louder when I roll the window down, so I assume it is coming from under the hood rather than inside the car.
Thanks for any ideas you might have!
AnswerIf the noise goes away when you APPLY the brake pedal this tells me that the noise is most likely the brake pads are rubbing against the rotor. Over time the brake pads will get a shiny surface on them and will squeel against the brake rotor. Like chalk on a chalk board. If you ROUGHEN up the surface of the chalk the noise goes away.
So, If you machine (resurface) the front rotors (roughen them up) and install a SOFTER compound brake pad material this squeel noise will go away.
Make sure you machine (resurface ) BOTH left and right front brake rotors and replace BOTH sets of pads.
If you want a short time fix for a couple of months, Just remove the brake pads and ruogh up the surface of the pads using a course flat hand file.
Without hearing this noise, This is the most common suspect.
The next common suspect would be a faulty wheel bearing.
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