If it's not the brake wear indicators

… then what is that intermittent chirping sound?

2004 Camry, AT, 4-cyl, about 96K miles. Had the front rotors and pads replaced several weeks ago at Trusted Independent Shop. Noticed increased break squeal, but than MIGHT be separate problem. About a week later, started hearing intermittent high-pitched chirp, especially proceeding at very low speed from stop. MAYBE from the rear. Sounded like brake wear indicators. Took it back to T.I. Shop, who spent a lot of no-charge effort finding nothing. Sound has gotten more consistent, but on another trip to the Shop all they heard was “some brake noise.” (Like most intermittent problems, it will persist for as much as 30 minutes – until I pull into the shop!)

The noise has evolved to where I pretty sure it is related to wheel rate (and not to, e.g., road bumps), and it goes away if I touch the brakes lightly. Any ideas what else to look for? (My own next guess – if it’s really not the wear indicators – is that the pads are dragging lightly on the rotors, and squealing.)

Sounds like the pads are slightly dragging causing a chirp. If the brake place didn’t add a little brake grease to the back of the pad, this could happen. It might also be a brake splash shield slightly touching the rotor, but they should have found that. Take it back and ask them if they put anti-squeal grease on the back of the pads when they replaced them.

Grease could help. Toyota uses rubber coated anti squeal shims. Sometimes after market brakes sqeak. OEM pads and shims would fix it if the grease doesn’t.

Thanks. I’ll go check about the grease (I bet they will say yes). And next time I’ll ask for OEM pads and rotors. (At the rate I use the car, the OEMs might not be available by next time :>) )

The Toyota pads and shims will most likely solve the problem. Toyota has 2 grades of pads if the cheaper pads are used the rotors need to be resurfaced on the car. There is a TSB for the installation of these pads as long as it is followed they will not squeal. They also come with the shims and grease.