hello! so last week, i heard a high-pitched scraping sound at times (not always when braking, often when in reverse, sometimes when just driving), and now this morning, i heard a flat scraping sound, like two bricks or pieces of bumpy metal being rubbed together. this happens when i’m braking. is this my brake pads? and, how long can i go on like this? i’m a little poor to have a big repair right now. thanks!
[b]If the brakes are making noise when they’re applied, it probably means the pads are worn.
Anytime brakes make any kind of noise, they should be inspected immediately. As it could be dangerous to operate the vehicle with a brake problem.
How long will it last? It depends on how worn the brake pads are. For all you know, what you’re hearing are the backing plates of the brake pads chewing up the rotors. Get it looked at!
Tester[/b]
It’s a lot cheaper to fix brakes than to fix cars and people when you rear-end somebody!
Plus, if you don’t replace worn-out pads, then they start to chew up the rotors, and you have to pay even more to fix the car.
thanks folks. i’ll get it looked at. (or just take the bus for a while until i can afford it!) any idea how much a brake pad job would cost (let’s estimate a $50/hr labor fee)?
Most shops quote a flat rate for the job. It varies by region but about $90 per axle seems a typical rate.
However that amount is for the simple brake pad replacement and rotor resurfacing. If you have let this go on for too long you may have to also replace damaged rotors. If so, add $50-$200 for the job.
No need to take the bus. They’ll do it while you wait.