Brake pads: warning signs to listen for
Squealing, grinding, low pedal — what they mean and which is urgent.
Brake pads wear evenly through their life, then quickly in the last few thousand km. Five symptoms tell you it’s time to look.
1. Squealing on every stop
Modern pads have a metal “wear indicator” tab that scrapes the disc when the pad is near the end of its life. The squeal happens at every speed, every brake application — not just first thing in the morning. If it goes away once the brakes are warm, it’s likely just morning dust burning off.
2. Grinding
Worse than squealing. Means the pad backing plate is rubbing directly on the disc. Don’t drive on this — every stop chews a groove into the disc, doubling the cost of the eventual repair.
3. Low or spongy pedal
Pedal travels further than usual before braking begins. Causes: pads worn enough that the caliper piston has extended too far; or air in the brake lines; or fluid contaminated with moisture. All three are reasons to stop and book.
4. Pulling to one side under braking
A sticking caliper, a partially-blocked hose, or a worn pad on one side only. NCT will fail this — and it’s also the early sign of a brake imbalance that catches you out in the wet.
5. Vibration through the pedal
Warped discs from prolonged hard braking (e.g. coming down a mountain pass with the brakes on the whole way) or from age and corrosion. Discs can sometimes be skimmed but usually need replacing.
What we do
- Strip both fronts (and rears if specified)
- Measure pad and disc thickness against the wear-limit spec
- Free off caliper slide pins (the most common cause of single-side wear)
- Replace pads, discs, and calipers as needed
- Brake fluid renewal if more than 2 years old
Book brake repair — from €110, phone 01 847 5146.