2003 Honda Accord EX V6 182k

So i've got my squealy sounds from like 0-20mph from both the fronts... and i'm ASSUMING these are wear indicators, but I dont honestly know... this is the newest car i've ever owned to be honest, i've actually never had a vehicle that had brake wear indicators before. So i'm honestly not quite sure how to tell if it's worn or not.

My assumption was they SHOULDN'T be worn, i'd swear I remember doing the front brakes not all that many miles ago. (it was quite a few years ago, when the vehicle was owned by a friend, after which he barely drove any more so... it seems like it's way too soon to be getting wear indicator sounds) But since the squealing isn't going away I better figure out how to ID what it is. I thought it was supposed to be some kind of metal feeler thing but unless i'm blind I didn't see anything obvious on the outside of the wheel. (being snowy and dirty I didn't have a convenient way to check the inside pad)

What am I looking for and what should it sound like to know if it's the front brake wear indicator? >_< And is there any suggestion of 'how many city miles' I might have if it is squealing (it didn't start all that long ago) before it's goes from minor to major warning? Because I literally can't afford a brake job right now. (i'm so overcharged on the credit card i'm wondering if i'm going to face an out of control debt cycle to bankruptcy) All my driving is highway miles, I can baby the brakes, and i'm trying to limp thru until late feb or something if I can.

 

With wear indicators you will get a squealing noise while braking. You will also see the rotor start to have a wear pattern deeper at the indicator location. When the wear indicator starts to squeal you want to replace the brakes as soon as you can or you will either be having the rotors resurfaced or replaced (that depends on how long you drive on it). The indicators are built in to the brake pad clip. The amount of time brakes last depend on your braking and driving habits.

I would suggest since money is tight purchasing a cheap set online for around $20 and do them yourself or ask a friend who knows how to replace brakes if you do not know how. In the end riding on them too long can cost unnecessary money being spent.

 

Sounds like a reasonable approach - replace the brake pads now.
I buy parts at NAPA for a bit more $ and have had good reliability.

Luck

 

"What do they sound like?" isn't a dum question...

I had a set that sounded almost like a musical tone when moving, and silent when I applied the brakes. Drove me nuts because that's not what they were "supposed to" sound like. Then after several days they changed to the screeching sound that they're supposed to - like fingernails on a chalkboard.
So when they first begin to sound, sometimes they're just strange.

 

Well I dont have the squeal while braking... I have it when NOT braking which is why i'm confused. :-P Wondering if something is dragging somehow... or if it's related to that slight squeal I got on the highway when drifting towards the right (with wheel at like 15 minutes to the right/a quarter of an hour on a clock just barely over). The brakes dont seem worn or thin or anything but i've got that squeal...

For whatever reason i'm not getting EITHER squeal at this moment either the one I was getting from 0-20mph originally or the 65mph driftover one. But I had it for 2000 miles so I dont want to act like it was nothing and wasn't occuring. Then I was briefly having the squeal at all speeds from 0-65mph until it just stopped on the recent 250 mile highway trip. I want to be sure I didn't ignore something important. (but was barely even walking so was in no shape to be inspecting much of what was happening at the time, now that there's no sound maybe I can't catch it at all)

 

What you are describing sounds like brakes have just been done and the clip was not adjusted right. If it sounds again just do a visual check on the rotor. If the pads look good me personally I wouldn't worry about it unless I get a continuous screeching noise or the rotor is showing abnormal wear

 

Have you done brakes yourself on any car?
You could remove wheels & look at the brake pads to actually see how thin they've become. Then decide what to do...

 

You can check outer pad thickness w/ a straw or calipers. see following video. If the pads are < 3mm time to replace.


good luck

 

It's even possible that your rotor could be worn some, and have a lip that's hitting the caliper. My wife's car did that about a year after we got it.

 

This is when the wear indicators make the noise. When you apply the brakes is when they stop making noise. How are you determining how thin or worn they are? I would take it in for brakes or at least have a shop look at it.