zsubie15 Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 New issue arose a month or so ago: Lets say I back out of my garage, and brake. Then shift into drive, and brake again; when I do this, the front brakes make two sort of loud clack clacks, as if they're adjusting for the new direction. Again, they have never done this before a month or so ago. My brother has a brand new '17 Legacy, and it certainly does not do this. The dealership told me that this is 'normal, many cars do this'; bullshit. We have had numerous cars over 50,000 miles that have never made this sound; my car is barely at 16,000. I'm absolutely furious that they refused to give me an actual answer, when this is blatantly not true. Has anyone else had this problem? It only occurs when I press the brake, so I'm thinking it may be the pads? They have never been replaced. The car is pushing 3 years this year, but low miles (as I said, 16,000). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoda_One Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 A thought came to mind just Don't Do It! Here's your sign. Laughter is the key to happiness Laughing at Oneself and with Other is good for the Soul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsubie15 Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 A thought came to mind just Don't Do It! Here's your sign. Laughter is the key to happiness Seriously? Come on dude. I don't have time nor patience for incoherent crap; you sound like my dealer's service dept (Royal Subaru in East Bloomington; stay away!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upstater Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 jack up one side see if there is play in the caliper (those should not be moving around) or if you can move the pads forward and back (not in and out toward the rotors, they are supposed to move back and forth that way). check other side. get back to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsubie15 Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Picking up the car today, I'm going to press the service guy. If he doesn't budge, then I'll go down that route. On another note, anyone know if ASE certified mechanics can do warranty work, if necessary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsmith Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 If I had to guess from what you are describing, it sounds like a caliper slide bolt is missing, allowing the whole caliper to pivot forward and back. This happened to me years ago and sounds like that. It would clunk when it could not rotate any further. I cannot see how a dealer would miss this if they took off your wheel though.... Did they look at it or just tell you that it is normal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 There should be a dictionary for things the dealership people tell you. "They all do that" seems to mean "We don't consider that a warranty issue or a safety issue". It can be difficult to diagnose noises over the internet. Do you DIY? This could be a good time to check out your front brakes -- there is a thin layer of brake grease on the back of the pads and the slider pins that tends to dry out after a couple of years. If you have hand tools and a couple of hours, you could do a little preventative maintenance to clean and re-grease your brakes. There's no harm in doing it, and it might be all that's needed to get rid of the noise. It might also shed more light on what might be causing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsubie15 Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Left it over the weekend. Said 'They all do that. Even some here'. I said then why doesn't our new one at home do that? He said because it's new. I said so you're telling me it took two and a half years for a 'normal' thing to just randomally occur, only to the front brakes? He just kept insisting. I'm going to look at it myself, I doubt they did shit. Probably did not take off the wheel. I'm going to get a certified ASE Tech's report and take it to the dealer and say 'you've got to fix it now', unless the ASE certified guys can do warranty repairs? I think that went unanswered. Otherwise I don't DIY, not yet. Later I'll get far more hands on, but this isn't the time for me now. I'll just check it out myself, that's all until I take it to be inspected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewf631 Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 I've been replacing disc brakes on vehicles since the late 70's. In the old days, the pads had no wear indicators, no spring clips, or any silencers. Back then, the noise you describe was quite pronounced. But no one knew any better. Over the years, the pads and calipers have advanced, so now those additions have helped prevent a lot of the extemporaneous noise, including the pad-shift that I suspect is causing the noise. If I were to guess, I'd suggest that either the new pads (the metal, not the braking surface) is smaller than it should be, and/or, the pad clips are worn (not as springy as they should be). Having said that, most of these changes are designed for normal operation. I'm not proposing that you drive/brake hard, but a sudden stop, followed by a reversing of direction, could possibly cause such a noise (would be more intermittent though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chowser51 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I don't know of any independent ASE mechanics that will do warranty work. They want to get paid. Subaru won't be paying your mechanic. So forcing your dealer to fix it under warranty is your only hope to get Subaru to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spect2k Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I had an issue that may or may not be what you describe. I have seen others here on the board with a similar issue. For me, it was the pad hardware that loosened up. I just tightened it back up and the noise went away for a bit. Came back when it got loose again. Subaru replaced them for me under warranty at that point. I'll be going to the aftermarket when ready for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsubie15 Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 I had an issue that may or may not be what you describe. I have seen others here on the board with a similar issue. For me, it was the pad hardware that loosened up. I just tightened it back up and the noise went away for a bit. Came back when it got loose again. Subaru replaced them for me under warranty at that point. I'll be going to the aftermarket when ready for a change. It certainly sounds like something is loose. I'm calling a mechanic today to see how much they would charge to inspect the brakes and give me their report. Provided they find something amiss (I'm sure they will), if the dealer won't fix it after I show them the report then I'll raise some hell for the service dept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerbomark Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 My 14 Legacy did this same thing. Never an issue past the click noise. Inspect and if all is OK just move on. Also I thought I remember reading that it could be the CV joint (nothing wrong) when I researched the noise. IMO it s just the pad which has broken in now moving into the new direction when backing up. It only does it the first time when backing I bet. If you stop when backing and then continue backing again it will not make the click. update us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surmiser Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 It certainly sounds like something is loose. In case this helps: Aftermarket calipers and pads often make exactly the sort of noise you've described. In those cases, it's the pads shifting. Because there's a lot of allowance for heat expansion, they clack when changing direction even with an anti-rattle clip in place. My aftermarket brakes clack on every single change in direction. So it sounds to me like it could well be your pads shifting. Maybe bend the clips to give them more tension and see if that's enough to hold the pads in place. @redvenetian on Instagram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnbnatiojnsbest Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Just set it on fire and move on.... #insurance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capttris Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 my 2013 2.5 has been doing that since new (or close to new, as I remember). 79,000 miles now, and it still does it, no more and no less. I never took the time to figure it out. I'm still curious what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsubie15 Posted April 6, 2017 Author Share Posted April 6, 2017 Kept forgetting to post with a final update: Took it to the mechanic, and they inspected it. Said that simply put, this happens because the clips that hold the calipers lose their elasticity over time, hence the click as they adjust to the new direction. They adjusted them but it didn't do much, EXCEPT it did significantly dull this rattle that had been coming from the drivers side wheel well over small & continuous bumps. The technician gave me a considerably more in depth explanation than the dealership did, and (somehow) quelled the rattle. Very glad I took it in, even if it ended up being normal/unfixable until the calipers need replacement. The sound is annoying but I can live with it knowing it isn't a sign of anything bad. Certainly won't stop me from upgrading to the refreshed '18 model with a 3.6R engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Grey Goose Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Sheesh, that sucks. If the dealer told me it was normal, I would've had them take me for a ride in a different car on the lot to show me. That's such bs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsubie15 Posted June 15, 2017 Author Share Posted June 15, 2017 I always forget to check this in a timely manner, my apologies. Since it poses no legitimate issue, I'm moving on from it. The lease is up in a few months anyway, and I'll be moving up to the '18 3.6R- very excited for it. Even if this issue appears in that one, they claim to have made it quieter, so it may not even be noticeable. Either way, doesn't detract from how much I've loved this car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeuEmMaiMai Posted June 15, 2017 Share Posted June 15, 2017 There are a few things that you can check 1. 5th gens had issues with the guide pins wearing excessively, check yours 2. anything that is metal to metal contact outside of the stainless steel to brake pad contact area should be lubricated with something like this: This includes a. the area between the stainless steel shims and the caliper bracket b. back of pads between shim (if any) and pad c. contact points between the shim and caliper d. between caliper piston and back of brake pad Eric O has an awesome video on brakes here: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsubie15 Posted June 15, 2017 Author Share Posted June 15, 2017 Considering I've already had them inspected and they perform perfectly fine, and the car is going back soon, I won't do much about it. If the next one does it perhaps I will look into it in more detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkywitness Posted June 15, 2017 Share Posted June 15, 2017 I have a front brake clacky issue, when I release the brakes or sometimes push them in they make that metal clink sound. I took it in and they said it has to do with some kind of clip thing, they told me they greased it but that didn't work, and said it's fine and cars do it? I guess I am forgetting about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTG Posted June 15, 2017 Share Posted June 15, 2017 I have been following this thread but I did not want to jump in earlier and said that it is "normal" My 15 Legacy did it and my '16 5 series is doing it as well. I learned to live with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsubie15 Posted June 15, 2017 Author Share Posted June 15, 2017 I have a front brake clacky issue, when I release the brakes or sometimes push them in they make that metal clink sound. I took it in and they said it has to do with some kind of clip thing, they told me they greased it but that didn't work, and said it's fine and cars do it? I guess I am forgetting about it. Said the same to me- the clips that hold the pads in place have some play but normally have some springyness to keep everything in place quietly. However, as does everything, it loses this over time and results in the braking sound. I went to World Wide Auto in Bloomington IN, and they were very courteous and had good reviews. The mechanic told me he's seen plenty of Toyota's do this, and that a past Camry he had did this as well. I trust what he said as he gave a good explanation and didn't have a shady vibe about him. Given my car has been trouble free and a joy to have, I'm happy to accept a flaw here and there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pronkie1 Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I had the dealer check the right front caliper as when I back out of the garage I hear a noise when applying the brakes...The dealer inspected and stated the brake pads are shifting when the brakes are applied while going backwards and normal....Really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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