Hi everyone,

Bought a 1999 Honda Civic Dx Coupe at 112,000 miles (180,000 km) last month and I just noticed an issue tonight. When she (it's a she) speeds up I can hear a high screetching noise (a rotating noise that goes faster when speeding and slowing when slowing) - almost as if two metal parts are barely rubbing against each other. When I break - the screetch becomes more constant and smooth and a little more prominent to hear. It sounds like it is coming from the front right area (looking out from the driver seat) - could be wheel or under the hood.

I know the break pads are at 25%, could this be the issue? Timing belt, Break fluid, Plugs need to changed soon too.

Any ideas or suggestions, should I take to mechanic? Car still runs fine but I want to nip problems before my baby gets sick

Thank you!

 

Replace brakes and have them check for broken brake parts.

 

Maybe a rock stuck under your break pad?

 

Sure you didnt' break your brakes?

I'd get the wheels off the check to see that you aren't gouging the hell out of your rotors. Cheaper to have to just replace pads and turn rotors, than it is to have to replace the rotors too. Don't forget to check front AND BACK of the rotors, as the pads make contact on both surfaces.

 

Can you hear it when the car is stopped at all? If you can, figure out if its in the engine bay or the wheel and then we'll help you out more. But it kind of sounds like brakes/wheels rubbing.

 

Can't hear it all when the car is stopped.

It makes the noise backing up usually though and it is much louder.

Funny thing - I was driving it the today and the car sounded fine. I asked another friend who knows about cars and he said it is probably the breaks too (so thanks for the help guys!). He said that break pads have this screetching warning noise they make when they are getting low - so he suggested that that was probably it. (is this true?) In two weeks (cause I don't have time before then) I'm going to get the break pads looked at and redone - hopefully that will fix it.

 

I had this sound too when backing up extremely loud when i bought the car. When I checked it out, a break dust thing was rubbing on the rotor. I just bent it out some and the problem went away. it was quiet when going forward since it was in the direction of the contact, going backwards, it was torquing the shield harder into the roto causing the loud shrieking. Check it out and let me know if it was the problem, PM if i didn't explain it well enough.

 

Just to let those know in the future in case they have a similar problem.

Went and had the front break pads changed, fixed the breaks - now the noise is gone and the problem is fixed. Thanks for all your help everyone

 

Dude,I think you're talking about the warning tab that causes the screaching to let you know it's time for new brakes. Ya might wanna have those looked at.

 

It's more of a screeching sound when the brakes are worn out. Brakes are easy enough to do, but don't buy Raybestos brakes!!!! I had the same problem and it was the dust shield rubbing the rotor. Most shops are just throwing new rotors on now, they don't even turn rotors anymore. Unfortunately the new rotors are cut to size, you can't even turn them once.