Noise When Braking at Low Speed – What Are The Causes?

This is a problem that many car owners face. Whenever you hear a strange noise coming from your car, you know something is not right.

When braking at a low speed, the noise can be the same. It is more likely that your brakes aren’t functioning properly if you hear noises while you brake.

How can you get your brakes fixed when you are emitting these noises?

How Does The Braking System Work?

You can propel your car at high speeds with the help of your engine’s energy. It’s only half of the job of your car when you go fast. It needs to come to a halt too.

This is what causes the brakes to be put into the car. The brakes are the most important safety feature in your car, even though there are so many other safety features.

The principle on which the brakes work is not static. The force transfer to the brake pads might vary, but ultimately when the brake pads engage the car is stopped using friction.

All four wheels of the vehicle have brakes. Disc brakes on all four wheels are present in some vehicles.

On others, the rear wheels have drum brakes while the front wheels have disk brakes.

The wheels on the front of the car are the most important. They are usually fitted with disk brakes.

Modern cars have a system for stopping the car. To understand how the braking system works, let’s focus on the system that does not work.

The force you put on the pedal with your feet needs to be transferred to the pads. It also needs to be amplified, so it needs to be transferred.

The amplification of force is accomplished with mechanical leverage. When you use your leg to press the pedal, the force is increased many times. Then, the system comes into action.

As you push the pedal you force the fluid out of the cylinder with the help of pistons. The fluid is spread to the rest of the system by a system of brake hoses and lines.

The brake pads come into contact with the wheel as they are pushed by the fluid. The entire process of stopping a car is done through the use of the brakes.

Any one of these parts can malfunction. When this happens, it creates noise when it brakes at a low speed.

Types Of Noises

There are a few noises that can be heard when you brake at low speeds. Different noises are caused by different problems.

If you can differentiate one noise from the other, you will be able to identify the cause of the problem, which will make repair procedures easier.

Grinding Noise

One of the worst noises that you could hear is this one. There is always a serious problem associated with grinding noises from the brakes.

This isn’t a problem that you ignore and keep on driving. You shouldn’t continue driving if you hear grinding noise when you brake.

The noise of grinding is followed by damage to your brake rotors and calipers. It is possible to minimize the damage by having the sound checked and fixed quickly.

There is a good chance that you will lose your brakes quickly if you keep driving ignoring the grinding noise.

Squeaking

The noises might cause more damage than the grinding noises. The most annoying noises are the squeaking noises. Low-quality brake pads are to blame for this.

Large metal particles are found on low-quality brake pads. They create a loud noise when they come into contact with the brakes.

The squeaking noise is not the only issue that you will face due to low-quality brake pads. The quality of the brakes will affect the brake rotors.

If you hear squeaking noises you need to check the quality of your brake pads. A similar sound could be produced by worn breaks.

The wear indicator on the brake will let you know if the brake is in good condition. You could use that to identify when your brakes should be replaced.

Squealing Noise

This could be the result of rust build-up on your brake rotors. If you leave your car parked in a wet or moist area for a long time, you might hear a noise when you brake at a low speed.

When a layer of rust covers the rotors, it causes this. A loud noise is created when rust comes into contact with metal.

If your car has been sitting for a long time and you notice a loud noise when you brake at low speeds, it’s not going to bother you.

When you apply the brakes a few times, the rust will begin to clear. The noise would disappear.

Possible Causes

You know how to distinguish one noise from another. There are different causes for these noises.

To fix the problem that is emitted from your brakes, you need to identify the cause. You can only think about fixing the problem after that. Let us look at some common reasons.

Worn-Out Brake Pads

This is one of the reasons why you hear noise when you brake at a low speed. The brakes work on the surface of the ground.

Break pads are made from a mixture of elements such as copper. This is the layer that comes into contact with the rotor when it’s raining.

The outer metal cover comes into contact with the rotor when the layer wears out.

You will hear an unusual sound when the outer metal layer is in contact with the rotor since it is not the material that used to come into contact with it.

The noise is a squeaking noise. There are brake pad indicators that will light up. The only thing that is supposed to come in contact with the rotors is the brake pads.

There is a chance that the rotor will be damaged when the metal surface comes into contact with it.

If you don’t replace your brake pads when they’re worn out, you could end up having to replace the rotors as well.

Dirt And Debris

The brakes of your car are so close to the road that they are constantly bombarded with pollutants.

Some foreign particles can find a way through the protective covers that most of those impurities are blocked out by.

Particles are lodged between the brake pads and the rotors. Different particles of different sizes may emit different noises when the brakes are engaged.

There is no way to determine which type of noise this will cause. 

You might not need to replace the brake pads if you end up hearing a grinding, squeaking, or squealing noise. It’s possible to disassemble the brakes and then have them cleaned.

Worn-Out Rotors

Other maintenance errors can lead to a worn-out rotor. If you use low-quality brake pads or have been using worn-out brake pads, you could end up damaging your rotors.

The wear and tear will affect the surface of the rotor and make it no longer flat. It is possible to hear squeaking sounds when the brakes are engaged.

As you try to clean your car, you could damage it. After a drive brakes tend to get hotter.

If you wash your car with cold water and it comes into contact with a hot rotor, the rapid temperature change could cause damage.

It is hard to say what kind of damage your rotors will suffer. If you brake at a low speed, you could hear weird noises. When you press on the brake, there may be some noise.

Brake Pad Material

Since automobiles were introduced, a variety of different materials have been used for the preparation of brake pads.

The temperature of the brake pads can be as high as 1300 degrees Fahrenheit. The brake pads must be able to handle hot temperatures.

There are a lot of materials that have been tried on brake pads. In the past, brake pads made out of materials such as ceramic and metal were the only ones available.

The sounds that these materials emit are vastly different from one another. Compared to other brake pads, kevlar and ceramic pads produce less noise.

If you have recently changed brake pad materials, you might hear a noise when you brake at a low speed.

Damaged Shims

Thin rubber strips or metal glue are placed between the brake pads and the caliper to reduce the sound that comes from braking.

These are prone to get damaged or wear out over time. When the shims don’t function as they are supposed to, you start to hear more noise than usual.

When the shims come into contact with the rotor, there is a problem. If your shims are damaged or worn out, you need to get them replaced.

Lack Of Lubrication

You may be wondering where lubrication comes in for a system that is based on friction.

The main components of the braking system don’t need lubrication, but some components need lubrication. As needed, the bolts and screws need to be lubricated.

When braking at a low speed, there will be grinding noises or squeaking noises due to lack of lubrication.

Rust 

There is a lot of room for rust with all the metal components in the braking system. It doesn’t matter where rust settles, it can cause havoc on a car.

When you brake, rust will form on your brakes. Rust will build up if you leave your car in a moist or wet area for a long period.

You will hear a loud noise when you press the brakes. The rust will clear itself after the brake pads are scrubbed.

How To Fix?

First, you need to diagnose the issue. The easiest way to do this is by distinguishing the noise that you might hear. 

Though it won’t directly pinpoint the cause of the noise, it will limit the number of suspects. This is why we looked at the different types of noises earlier.

Common Procedure

There are not many ways to fix faulty brakes. The noise might narrow down the list of suspects, but you still have to get it fixed.

A physical inspection is the best way to deal with this problem. The brakes should be inspected and the tires removed. While you are doing that, inspect the rotors as well.

It is a good idea to check for signs of wear and damage. You have nothing to worry about if there are no non. Most of the time you don’t see damaged shims.

Get them replaced if they have been damaged. If there is a need for lubrication, lubricate the screws and bolts. The solution for the noise can be worked on now that the inspection is over.

If the components aren’t to blame, then the problem could be caused by loose parts. It is possible to wiggle the components by hand.

When trying to wiggle them by hand, they shouldn’t wiggle. Those components need to be tightened if they do. When braking at low speeds, loose components can make strange noises.

If you disassembled the brake pads, you need to clean them to make sure there is no dirt stuck on them.

A water-based compound called a dampening paste can be used to reduce vibrations. It’s an effective solution for reducing noise when they break.

After applying the paste, leave it for two to three hours to dry before you reassemble your brakes.

The problem of noise when you brake at a low speed should be solved with this. If that doesn’t happen, you need to have your brakes checked by a professional.