Brake Problems/Brake Grinding

[davmcn]

Hi All,

I had a problem around a month or so ago, where my brakes randomly started grinding when braking. It was only for a few seconds and the sound went away after a cash wash and all was well in the world.

Tonight, on the way to pick up my brother, I was approaching a stop sign, and started to break and my brakes started to grind again... I figured maybe this was the same problem as last time and it would only be for a few seconds. I stopped, and then started to go again, and the sound of grinding is still there. I turned around, dropped off the car at home, and took my parents car.


After just getting home and taking the car out for another go, it isn't making the grinding noise, but the brakes don't even start engaging till you hit the floor already. I'm really worried, and wonder what the f**k went wrong?! Is this something that would be covered by Mazda?


Help!

Dave

[jeffjones]

Check your brake pad thickness....

[davmcn]

My brake pads look fine.

[McGuyver_3]

your outer pad will in 99% of cases look fine as the inner pad is always the one that touches first. If you have a seized caliper you most likely wont know. Jack up the car and spin all the wheels, see how easy they are to move. There should not be much force. The fronts more as we do have FWD. You may also see heavy brake dust on the particular wheel depending on how seized the caliper is should you have one. If non of this is a resolution then you MAY have abs kicking in prematurely. It does have a strange sound to it. You say your brakes do not work until you get to the floor, so you mean to say your pedal goes way past where it is supposed to go? If you are under the 3 year 80000km then yes warranty would cover this in my opinion as long as you haven't modified anything.

[davmcn]

I made an appointment with the local Mazda dealer. I drove the car this morning and I didn't hear any grinding at all. But the pedal is still to the floor. Fingers crossed this goes okay tomorrow.


Is this normal for a car to happen within the first year of ownership? Or did someone screw up on the brake service it had a few months ago ?

[loki]

If you're having that much trouble with the brakes, maybe you should have it towed to the shop rather than drive

For everyone's safety

[loki]

Brake service few months ago?

Take it back and let them look at it

[McGuyver_3]

Working at a dealer I have seen the strangest things including a car with 75kms on it with a blown motor. Just take it easy going to the dealer, you should have a road side assistance plan if you are still covered under warranty which I would recommend towing it to the dealer. Since you had a brake service done maybe a brake flush was done. If this was the case then maybe some air is in the lines which would explain your brake pedal travel. These are only assumptions and not a repair. Let us know how it goes

[loki]

The air in the lines would explain the pedal issue but not the grinding

If you really had a brake service done recently those are the first people you should be questioning

[McGuyver_3]

The air in the lines would explain the pedal issue but not the grinding

If you really had a brake service done recently those are the first people you should be questioning


Yes that's what I said as I focused on the pedal travel. Lol

[loki]

Yes that's what I said as I focused on the pedal travel. Lol

Damn it

[davmcn]

Working at a dealer I have seen the strangest things including a car with 75kms on it with a blown motor. Just take it easy going to the dealer, you should have a road side assistance plan if you are still covered under warranty which I would recommend towing it to the dealer. Since you had a brake service done maybe a brake flush was done. If this was the case then maybe some air is in the lines which would explain your brake pedal travel. These are only assumptions and not a repair. Let us know how it goes


Took the car in today and they didn't have much to say. They did a reset on the EPM. Brakes seem to be working properly now and the peddle isn't too the floor either. Odd, very odd.
It doesn't explain the grinding but anyways...

[McGuyver_3]

Something does not sound right about that outcome. If it fixes the problem though then that's all that matters at this point