16-Feb-2012 :
Around 5PM I am driving home from work and halfway I think I heard a kind of grating/creaking sound from the car. Naah, it must be the abused Indicab running along side me !!! But when the sound persists even after the Indicab has long gone, I get worried. I switch off the FM and find that it comes when I brake - not the braking in B2B traffic at slow speeds, but say if brakes applied at 20kmph or more. It is audible even with windows up. Braking efficiency does not seem down. I can't make out though whether it comes from front wheels or rear.
Anyway I check with friends and a mechanic who happens to be a friend and the unanimous verdict is that the disk pads might need to be replaced. And if I don't do it quick, the discs/rotors could get damaged. Take the car to Ignite on ECR and check the pads, they are good. Infact quite good - see pic below. We anyway replaced the pads with a new set of Ceradrive pads (Rs1600) just to confirm, but it does not eliminate the noise during TD. So, put back the old disc-pads - I have kept the new ones as a spare for future replacement.
Funny thing is MASS asked me to change pads at the 30K km service and I told them to take a hike because I dont think brake pads need to be changed so early in the life of a car. Looks like I was right.
Tip# 1 : Don't go blindy by your A.S.S. - get a second opinion. Infact it is an easy DIY to open and check disc-pads - a thread exists on the forum I believe.
Now while doing TD, the mechanic pulls the handbrake and the noise comes, which means the issue is with rear brakes.
Tip# 2 : (For newbies, like me) : If you have an issue with the brakes, do the handbrake-test first to help narrow down to where the issue is rear or front. Be sure to do this on an open road and with all necessary precautions - would not be fun to end up doing a handbrake turn and find yourself perpendicular to traffic.
Now they jack up the car and first check the rear-left brakes. Brake-shoe is good with lots of life left in it (thickness-wise) and brake-cylinder is also good. But since the shoes have some wear on them, the drum has got serrations, which will need to be milled at a machining-shop, else it could damage the new shoes. Ask them to get the drum on both rear-wheels milled.
The car jacked-up at Ignite
The mechanic (a good experienced guy) now opens the rear-right wheel and we have the culprit. The brake-shoe has come off its metal 'holder' - so no wonder I got the noise. As if this was not enough, the brake-cylinder is busted and the whole place is gooey with brake-oil - no wonder, I once had the check-brake light come on some months ago after which I topped-up brake oil and it went away.
Tip# 3 : It is a possible sign of bad things if the brake-fluid level goes down - would help to check the brakes.
The dirty drum - with the brake-shoes missing
The brake-shoes that came off
All brake-fluid gooey stuff
The interiors are cleaned with RustOff, damaged cylinder is changed, new brake-shoes fitted on both side brakes & the milled drum is fitted back. I go for a TD with the mechanic and the sound is gone and it looks good.
The wheel after cleaning & fitting new cylinder, brake-shoes
While we were waiting for the drums to come back after milling, I see this poster about cleaning K&N air-filters and remember that after plonking a filter in many years ago, I never got around to cleaning/oiling it - I do dust it off now and then. Get that done.
Damage was Rs.3250, with the break-up being :
Brake shoes : 1600
Labour - brake overhaul - 300
K & N air filter cleaning & oiling - 100
RHS wheel cylinder - 650
Machine shop labour charges - 300x2 = 600