Okay first things first:
My fiance took our car in for a state inspection yesterday and they told us we needed brakes. Okay, fine, that is routine maintenance, but I have a few questions:
1.) Is it possible they don’t need to be replaced? We’re not having trouble stopping, no pulling, no grinding, no noises whatsoever.
2.) Say they do need to be replaced. What is a reasonable estimate? We were quoted $361 to replace rotors and shoes, one of the front brake pads, and to resurface the drums. This would be at Meineke, so the pads would have a Lifetime Warranty.
3.) Is it worth paying extra for the lifetime pads? I’ve heard they wear down your rotors and they need to be replaced more frequently.
Okay now onto the other question:
When we run the AC we hear a high pitched squeaking sound coming from under the hood. It is only audible outside of the car, not from the inside. Any idea of what could cause this?
Toyota rotors usually are replaced, not resurfaced. Pads are not that expensive even at the dealership. check with your dealership…brake repair will be comparable to Meineke and with OEM parts, at least mine is. The noise could be the belt operating the compressor or a bearing in the compressor.