My breaks on my 1997 stock GXE maxima began to start squeeking about 2months ago...I went to my local mechanic and he told me that they were fine that they had another 5,000 miles to go and he said that the Nissan's or the Maxima's have this problem often. He also said that if i got the more expensive maxima break pads that they wouldnt' squeek.

Is it my break pads or my rotors...or something ele that's making this noise?

thanks.

 

Were they squeeking while braking, or squeeking while your car is in motion without the brakes applied? If it squeaks while braking, that can cured with some anti-squeal goo or deglazing the rotor. If it squeaks due to the wear indicators, then it's time to get new pads. In terms of quietness, I would stick with OEM pads.

More expensive pads for the Maxima, such as Axxis or Porterfields, are not as progressive feeling as the OEM pads. I have Porterfields and am not too thrilled with them...in the morning they need to be warmed up to even perform close to OEM pads. I would go with aftermarket performance pads if I were racing, but I think next time I will just go back to Nissan OEM.

 

No, the breaks squeek only when i apply on them by pressing the break. And it doesnt' seem that its squeeking because its time to replace them because as i said my mechanic said they have another 5k to go before u gotta replace them. The only thing is that he puts some basic/regular pads that aren't OEM maxima pads. Could that be the problem? Should i get the maxima OEM pads...if so how much do they run for about and is there anywhere on the web i can get them for cheaper price. Also where and what brand of break squeeking fluid can i get , how much does it cost, and would i be able to apply it without lifting the car at home?

thanks.

 

i've noticed that when i apply a small amout of pressure on the brake, the brakes squeal, but as soon as i apply more pressure on the break, the squealing dissapears. i've asked my mechanic and he also said it's nothing. same thing happens for my Eurovan. i guess it's not biggie, but the sqealing does get annoying from time to time.

 

This shrill sound could be coming from the brake pad wear indicators. Here is a quote from the Owner's Manual.

Brake pad wear indicators
The disc brake pads on your vehicle have audible wear indicators. When a brake pad requires replacement, it will make a high pitched scraping or screeching sound when the vehicle is in motion whether or not the brake pedal is depressed. Have the brakes checked as soon as possible if the wear indicator sound is heard.


Front pads typically wear out sooner than rear pads, so check the fronts first. If the rotors are not conspicuously worn and you have not felt any pulsation in the brake pedal, you may need nothing more than new pads. Replacing worn brake pads is something which may be done by the home mechanic. You will find good coverage of this subject in the Haynes manual, pages 9-5 through 9-9. Doing the front pads is easier than the rears because the rear calipers have the complication of the hand brake mechanism.

Brake pads can wear out in 20K miles or 100K miles. It depends on your car (brakes wear faster with automatic transmission), your driving style, your driving environment. In a stop-and-go urban area brakes wear quickly. In 100% highway driving the brake pads never wear out because they are lightly used.

Pads with hard friction materials last longer than those with soft materials. However, hard pads tend to wear the rotors faster than soft pads. Pads are less expensive than rotors, and easier to replace. For that reason I prefer soft pads.

 

Brake squeal is a common complaint with disk brakes, on all makes of car. Volvo is especially bad in this regard. Anti-squeal compound applied to the steel backing plate of the pads is effective in many cases. Please refer to the Haynes repair manual, page 9-7.

Some owners insist that you must use Nissan factory brake parts to avoid brake squeal. However, I've had good results with name-brand replacement parts such as Raybestos.

Some brands of replacement brake pads come with a single-use tube of anti-squeal compound right in the box. These products may be bought separately. Ask for Permatex Disk Brake Quiet or CRC Disk Brake Quiet. See
http://www.permatex.com/products/pro...m&item_no=8007 7

These anti-squeal products are sometimes referred to by the slang name Blue Goo. The Permatex DBQ is blue but the CRC DBQ is red.