intermittent whine from brakes

2001 Tribute V6 has good brake pads and disks but from time to time, a
low-volume, high-pitch whine can be heard, that appears to come from the
front of the vehicle. When I just tap the brake pedal the whine stops
but comes back some seconds later. This goes on very intermittently. The
first time it happened for about a week. The second, about a month
later, lasted only a day or two. Recently it happened and it lasted only
one day (getting better?!?!?!).
A service manager says he knows of another Tribute with exactly the same
symptoms. But cannot find the answer. A $600 brake job did not fix the
problem.
Any ideas?
Alan Andrew
Frustrated in Vancouver, BC

It is alleged that Alan Andrew claimed:

> 2001 Tribute V6 has good brake pads and disks but from time to time, a
> low-volume, high-pitch whine can be heard, that appears to come from the
> front of the vehicle. When I just tap the brake pedal the whine stops
> but comes back some seconds later. This goes on very intermittently. The
> first time it happened for about a week. The second, about a month
> later, lasted only a day or two. Recently it happened and it lasted only
> one day (getting better?!?!?!).
> A service manager says he knows of another Tribute with exactly the same
> symptoms. But cannot find the answer. A $600 brake job did not fix the
> problem.
> Any ideas?
> Alan Andrew
> Frustrated in Vancouver, BC

Cold up there in Vancouver?

My '03 6 is doing something similar, and it seems to be related to the
outside temperature. My guess is that the brake cylinders aren't
retracting fully when I release the parking brake when it's that cold.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

"I want to see Captain Sheridan now, and the rest! I want to see
everyone all together, I don't want to be alone with any of you!"
"Why?" "Just give him a message tell him that someone here, one of
you, is a traitor and I can prove it." (Lyta Alexander and Dr.
Franklin, B5 "Divided Loyalties")

It's likely plain old disc brake squealing. If nothing is leaking, the
car stops OK and the pads are not wearing funny, you are probably better
off ignoring it.

Ken

Jeffrey Kaplan wrote:
> It is alleged that Alan Andrew claimed:
>
>> 2001 Tribute V6 has good brake pads and disks but from time to time, a
>> low-volume, high-pitch whine can be heard, that appears to come from the
>> front of the vehicle. When I just tap the brake pedal the whine stops
>> but comes back some seconds later. This goes on very intermittently. The
>> first time it happened for about a week. The second, about a month
>> later, lasted only a day or two. Recently it happened and it lasted only
>> one day (getting better?!?!?!).
>> A service manager says he knows of another Tribute with exactly the same
>> symptoms. But cannot find the answer. A $600 brake job did not fix the
>> problem.
>> Any ideas?
>> Alan Andrew
>> Frustrated in Vancouver, BC
>
> Cold up there in Vancouver?
>
> My '03 6 is doing something similar, and it seems to be related to the
> outside temperature. My guess is that the brake cylinders aren't
> retracting fully when I release the parking brake when it's that cold.
>