2006 Corolla LE Chirping noise when braking

[Kevin Yu]

Hi All,

I bought a used 2006 Corolla LE with 41000 miles last summer. I replaced the front brakes and drive belt on May. I found there is chirping noise like "chir chir chir......." under hood (not sure) when you apply brake for a red light or stop sign but it is gone right away when you release the brake (July in OH). This only happens when braking and in warm or hot weather. It also happened this summer and recently. Also, I was not aware of this noise when I bought the car.

I am not sure it is due to the new drive belt or new brakes? or something like pulley, belt tensioner? It is intermittent but a little bit annoying. I would like to fix it if just spend small money.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[Turborolla]

New brakes are the problem. Did you put stop-squeal or a similar product on the back of the pads? It should have told you to do so in the manual...you have a Haynes or Chilton manual right? Make sure you torqued everything according to the manual too! Brakes are important, make sure to follow the procedure!

 

[Kevin Yu]

Thanks for reply. Actually I had a shop replace the brake pads so I am not sure about the details. I posted the noise video on Youtube.

If I want to fix it, how to do it and how much about the cost? If not, does that hurt engine or something else? I mean I can tolerate it and keep driving the car till to next brake work to fix it.
Thanks.

 

[Turborolla]

I can't really hear it over your engine in the video. If you only hear the squeal while braking, it is probably the pads. If there is one thing I have learned, it is to never trust the shop. They probably didn't put the stop squeal or equivalent on the back of the pads. It won't hurt the engine or anything, just your ears. You can get a shop to do it for around 1h labour, but I would be taking it back to the shop that did your pads and telling them to fix it.

 

[Kevin Yu]

Thanks for your help. Either I will check with them or just live with it to next brake work.

 

[impala409]

The slight chirping that you hear may be actually from the rear brakes. They may be over adjusted, back off the adjusters on both drums and the noise will disappear. I've had this happen on a 2003, 2004, and a 2010.

 

[Kevin Yu]

Thanks for your suggestions. It seems the chirping noise appears easily in summer or when the car is completely warmed up in winter when the gear in "D" position with brake applied. However, I did hear it a warm snowing day last week when I parked in "P" position with emergency brake applied. Anyway, I will live with it to next summer since it is cold in Ohio now and I don't hear it too much.