After I drive my car for about 15 minutes or so, there starts to be this sound of metal on metal (rubbing action). When I apply the breaks the noise stops and when I accelerate more the noise rises. I’m a complete idiot when it comes to cars, but from people I’ve asked they seem to all be in agreement that it is a break problem. What I am wondering is has anybody ever encountered this problem before, or do you know if a break problem would fit the description of what I stated earlier? Thanks.
Too little information is available to make a competent evaluation.
It appears that you’re fearful of deceptive business practices by those with whom you’ve had previous dealings. See if trusted friends have recommendations about mechanics and shops in your area. Noting that mechanics are ASE certified is a very good sign, and if you still have fears, contact the BBB regarding any complaints filed about the shop in question.
Good luck.
It’s not that I don’t have specific information on who not to trust, it’s just that I figure in a college town with a college kid coming in and asking what’s wrong with his car, that the mechanic may tend to add a few extra things on.
I get that alot too. I will go to one mechanic and he will say I need $1000 every time I come in. Then i’ll go to another mechanic (who is a friend and who doesn’t do work for me) and he says most of it is unnecessary, in the sense that I don’t need to do it to maintain my cars structural integrity.
Here is a good primer site
http://www.autosite.com/garage/symptoms/trblsht.asp
I know nothing about cars either but why would that be a brake problem? If you had the opposite happen (metal on metal sounds when you used the brakes and no sound when you accelerate) then it would probably be a break problem. Your situation sounds like the opposite.
that’s why I posted it here. Thanks for the help and website.
It is a brake problem (most likely).
IANAAM, but I’d guess that you at least need to get the brake pads replaced, maybe more.
This happened to me a few years ago, and at the time, I happened to be dating a girl whose father was an auto mechanic. He told me one day that I really needed to get my brakes looked at. I let it go for a while (couple months), then took it into him. The pads were almost gone, and the rotors and (something else I don’t remember) were bad too, probably from my waiting so long. Total cost was a large number that I don’t remember.
Then the brake pads started wearing out again earlier this year. I recognized the noise, and took it in right away. They replaced the pads and it was much cheaper.
Moral of the story: Get it checked out ASAP. If it just started, you probably just need the brake pads replaced.
Here’s a couple WAGs:
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The pins that your brake calipers ride on have become a bit rusty and the brake pads don’t pull completely away from the rotors when you let go of the brakes, causing the noise.
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The metal bracket behind the brake pads has rusted and come loose or bent or is somehow rubbing against the rotor, and gets pushed out of the way or silenced when the brakes are engaged.
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Hi opal!
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Something else has come loose and is rubbing against something moving (rotor, drive shaft, who knows). When you put on the brakes the momentum forces it forward enough that it no longer rubs, then it falls back into place when you move forward again.
If you have damaged the rotors, it’s going to be an expensive repair. Otherwise most of the things I can think of are relatively cheap, except for maybe #4 above which could go either way.
I’ve heard that many repair shops have a goal of $1000 to $1500 every time a customer walks through the door. Sounds like your $1000 guy is one of those. Avoid him like the plague. Even in a college town you can find a decent mechanic. Ask the professors or anyone who lives there.
I think the car talk web site (the web site for the radio show) has a list of mechanics that are recommended by users. You never know when the “user” is the disreputable mechanic’s brother in law, but it’s worth at least looking at.
Sounds like a couple things.
First, BRAKE PADS. Brake pads have wear indicators (what we shade tree types call “crickets”) which, get this, indicate the pad is worn and needs replacing. The cricket consists of a thin tab of metal which gradually comes into contact with the rotor (the silver diner plate looking thing behind your tire) when the pad wears down. The very light rubbing of this tab against the rotor is what causes the screetch you hear when the brakes are NOT applied. When you step on the brake, the tab comes into contact more forcefully with the rotor and does not screetch. Replace your pads at the very least–you’re into parts for about $40 (for a decent set) at this point.
Second, CALIPERS. The brake pads are held in place by the caliper. Think of grabbing a plate, your thumb is on one face of the plate, your fingertips on the other. If the pads are your fingertips, then the caliper is the rest of your hand. Just like the front brake on a bicycle, the caliper should release the disk when you let go the brake pedal. The pads will rest lightly on the disk (which is why the cricket can chirp) but with negligible force. For carious resons, the calipers can stick. When this happens they do not release completely. When *this * happens the pads and rotor wear out faster (because the malfunctioning caliper is forcing them to ride the disk) and that can cause the rotors to heat up excessively and sometimes warp.
The CURVE BALL. When your calipers are sticking, they hold the pads against the rotors more firmly than they should, right? This can cause a crickety chirp as well, which goes away when you brake and returns sporadically as your calipers decide to loosen their grip.
If the noise you’re hearing is a chirp, replace your pads. If the noise persists it’s calipers.
If the noise you’re hearing is an evil grating sound when you brake, your pads are worn down to the metal and are biting into your rotors. This IS as bad as it sounds.
If your brake guy tells you he needs to resurface, or “turn” your rotors, put him on hold and check the price of new rotors at your local car parts store. For my 89 Camry new rotors cost about $20 each and add all of 5 minutes of labor per wheel to replace. They can be much more expensive depending on the car, but I’m just sayin.
Here there have been a few mechanical type services starting up, that are run by women only. This was based on the fact that many women were being ripped off because they didn’t know what the problems were. We have a lawn-mower shop nearby that sells and fixes lawn mowers, run by women only. I know there is a car service place run by women only, but I haven’t found it yet - my SO gets okay service so haven’t needed to bother.
You are right to worry (although in a different country) - when I was a poor student, our ancient car had a clutch blowout, the garage nearby qouted us $800 to fix, upon hearing this price, my Dad went round there and got a $500 qoute!
I have also discovered that if I get my warrant of fitness done at a garage, I have a number of things that need doing first, but when I go to a testing station, the warrant usually passes.
Note-not all brake pads have audible wear indicators. Beyond that, any professional mechanic will insist on turning rotors to eliminate runout. While you may have a vehicle with rotors so cheap that turning isn’t worthwhile, please don’t dismiss truing of the brake disc as an essential part of brake rehab. It’s a smart part of a total job. 
A shade tree mechanic anymore, I send my rotors to the shop in town while I repack wheel bearings and clean caliper contact surfaces.
You should always resurface (turn) the rotors when the pads are replaced.
But, as Inigo Montoya said, sometimes replacing the rotors doesn’t cost much more than resurfacing them, depending on the vehicle.
For instance, I did a brake job on my girlfriend’s 1998 Chevy Cavalier last spring. New rotors were priced at $14 each. Resurfacing the old ones would have cost $12 each. I bought new rotors.
This is a matter of considerable debate.
Resurfacing rotors off the car, in my experience, stands as much chance of causing problems (in the form of machined-in runout) as it does of fixing them. There are many who feel that, if the rotor is in good shape (runout in specs, no big gouges, thickness OK), it is preferable not to resurface.
This site quotes some major manufacturers on the topic:
There are many strongly-held but conflicting opinions about this. I recently replaced the front pads on my wife’s 2000 Civic, and did not resurface the rotors after inspecting them: runout was measured to be well under 0.001" (too small to measure accurately with the dial indicator I’d borrowed); there were no grooves or scores; thickness was in spec.