Hey everyone, first time poster, glad to join the discussions.

It seems that most of you have a general knowledge of problems that pop up on different maximas, well here's my situation, I hope I can get some help from you's..

I have a 1999 Maxima SE-Limited, and hear a VERY annoying whistling type sound coming from the rear wheels up until about 30 mph. once i hit 30 mph, i dont hear it again until i hit the brakes, and it gets louder as the brakes are being depressed. I figured it was time to get new brakes, and this was that brake sensor the manual was talking about. Well, I took it over to a local mechanic and he said the brakes appear to be basically brand new, and he's not sure what the problem is...

Can ANYONE please help me!! It sort of sounds like a marbel is rolling around a tin funnel, just to give you an idea of the sound I hear..

Thanks
Brian

 

Welcome to the forums.

One question and a few things to check:

Are the brakes the original ones that came with the car?

If the brakes have just been replaced, it's possible that the new brake pads are a little on the large side and are slightly dragging on the rotor, this should be fine and go away within a couple of weeks. I actually had this problem after I changed my brakes.

Another thing to check, is check the heat shields and make sure they aren't bent and touching the rotor or possibly some rocks got between them and the rotor and are jumping around making that noise.

I'm trying to imagine a whistling sound combined with a marble in a tin can, and I can't seem to imagine what that would sound like.

The "wear indicator" on the brakes should make a squeeking noise when your brakes are worn down but only when the brakes are applied, so it's probably not that, unless your brakes are somewhat stuck.

 

I was thinking the same thing, can't quite imagain that noise....

The wear indicator sounds like fingernails on a chalk board, only much worse.

I'm thinking the splash shield might be the cause. Your emergency brake cable may be binding and holding your pads against the rotor as well.

How many miles are on the car and are they the original brakes in the rear?

 

I've always noticed the wear indicator only makes a noise when the brakes are NOT applied. When the brakes are applied, they (and the wear indicator) are under load and do not make the horrendous noise (Tom's analogy is a good one. Much worse than fingernails on a blackboard).
I would do what the others suggested. Check the parking brake cable, and also the rock shields. You can lift the rear end and try to spin the wheels to see if a brake is sticking. Maybe even duplicate the noise so you can pinpoint it easier. While the rear is lifted, try shaking the wheel in and out, too.
If worse comes to worse, take the brakes apart, inspect, and put back together right. This has solved problems for me before, and I still don't know what the cause of the noises were. But it worked.

Dave

 

Hey guys, I appreciate the great responses so far..

The noise may not be like a marble in a tin can, its more of a higher pitched noise..

*thinking.. *

To be honest, it's a very difficult noise to duplicate..

But I will check some of the suggestions you have all left me, and will be looking back for more responses..

By the way, they appear to be brakes that were recently replaced as the car has 56,000 on it, and look pretty new

Thanks again
Brian

 

As I press the brakes, from the rear it sounds as if im spraying a can of spray paint.. if that can help anyone explain to me whats wrong..

Brian

 

Sounds like regular new brake squeek to me. I had that problem until my pads wore down after a week or two on my rear. Funny thing, my fonts never did that, only the rears. Although it was only a very light squeeking while off the brakes, but while applying brakes, the volume level went up.

 

I belive there is a TSB on this. Do you hear the noise if you back-up
slowly?

The TSB was for squealing / groaning noise coming from the rear disc brakes. The cables were to short. Replacing the cables was the fix

Check with the service dept. and the can look it up on the ASSIT

 

Hey, what exactly is TSB.. I guess it won't hurt to take the brakes up to the nissan service dept. But yea, it did sound a little worse as I apply the brakes, and I can hear it as I go in reverse.

Brian