Mione

I have a 04 reg which has done about 31000 miles, and in the past 2 weeks I am getting quite a lot of "squealy" noise when I brake. Most noticeable at pretty slow speeds, coming up to junctions. (It might be that I cannot hear it at higher speeds.) I thought it might be slightly uneven brake pad wear, which would sort itself out after a few days, but the noise is still there. Seems to be no issue with brake performance, just this noise which is a bit embarrassing as it make the car sound ropey. Is this common in S2s or should I get it checked out?

98CoupeV6

Spend 10 minutes to take the wheels off and inspect the pads?

Mione

Cheers - yes that would be an idea... just being a bit of a girl avoiding that, and thought I'd check to see if it was a common problem first.

98CoupeV6

Brake squeal is typically associated with worn pads (or cold performance pads, but that's not the issue here). If you were hard on your brakes in the 31k miles then they certainly could be worn down.

killers2k

sounds like it could be 2 things
a) your brakes are worn and you are hearing the alarm on ur pad when u brake.
or
b) your brakes are crystalized and are going to squeal regardless meaning they got pretty hot at some point and when they cooled they sorta glazed over..

Mione

Thanks guys. Fairly sure I have not been too hard on the brakes (avoid using them actually - esp in the rain!) but I will get it checked.