Q. My dealer insisted that they needed to do a brake inspection on my 2002 Saturn even though I had no complaints. Immediately after that inspection, my car brakes began to squeal and screech every time it was the least bit damp or rainy out.

I took the car back and they said “maybe” some dust got in the brakes during the inspection but then came back and said everything looks fine. Is there anything else I can do or suggest to end this horrible noise? It’s not only frustrating because it never did it before the brake inspection, but also it’s embarrassing when people all turn around to see where the horrible noise is coming from.

-RuthAnn Friessner,

Mason, Mich.

A. This an interesting situation. In most cases a brake inspection involves removing the wheels and performing a visual inspection (only) of the brakes. In the case of front- or rear-disc brakes this includes inspecting the brake rotor for scoring and/or heat discoloration, the disc pads for proper thickness and the caliper and brake hose for signs of fluid leakage.

In a best-case scenario, inspection might be possible by simply looking through an alloy wheel’s spokes (sans removal) with an inspection mirror and flashlight. In a few (worst) cases, the brake caliper design obscures viewing the inner brake pad, requiring partial disassembly.

To inspect rear drum brakes the brake drum must be removed. This is normally a simple process although one in 10 might be devilishly stubborn to remove due to rusting-binding of the center hub bore or brake shoe-drum interference. The drum typically contains about a teaspoon of lining dust, which should be safely discarded.

If a technician were to hastily reinstall the drum without discarding the now-disturbed dust, it might be drawn into the shoe surface and contribute to braking noise. The inspection includes checking drum condition, lining thickness, hardware integrity and fluid seepage from the wheel cylinder and axle seals.

Brake squeal is usually caused by harmless brake pad or shoe vibration. Contributing factors include rotor-drum surface finish, friction material composition and condition, the presence of foreign material (grease, dust, other) and looseness of the pad within the caliper, just to name a few.

What should be done about your Saturn’s brake squeal? If the dealer’s inspection was visual only, they have no part in the onset of the noise. If disassembly occurred, and since it was their idea to go there, it’s reasonable to request their participation in rectifying your complaint.

If you are a regular customer it wouldn’t break the bank for the dealer to give you a complimentary friction-surface scuffing-dust removal and send you happily on your way. Further noise reduction efforts (machining, lining or hardware replacement) would certainly require your participation.

Brad Bergholdt teaches automotive technology at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif.

E-mail him at under-the-hoodjuno.com or write to him in care of Drive, Mercury News, 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95190. He cannot make personal replies.)

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