Squeaky Brakes
 

Hey guys,

Took my '03 Boxster to a local Porsche authorized dealer/service place and asked them about my incredibly squeaky brakes. They told me that Boxsters are notorious for having very squeaky brakes... even in brand new models. Is this true, or do they not know what they are talking about? I find it hard to believe that squeaky brakes on a Boxster cannot be fixed long-term.

Along those lines, does anyone know what is costs to replace whatever is causing the squeaking? (Brake pads? Rotors? I don't know, I'm not really a car guy. Just a car lover. :))

If they squeak a little under light braking but quiet down under hard braking, that's normal.

If they do not quiet down under heavy braking, that's not normal.

Changing out my plain front rotors with drilled rotors (and new factory pads) has eliminated the squeaking for me, at least for the past thousand-odd miles.

My '98 has never had squeaky brakes.
Not the original brakes that were on the car that set off the brake wear warning light and had one heck of a ridge on the rotors, nor the all new OEM pads and rotors that I installed on the car to replace the ones that came off.

What are the condition of the rotors, and what brand brake pads are you using on your car? The OEM stuff should be perfectly quiet. I'm using Zimmerman solid rotors front and rear, along with Textar pads, and I've done 2 track days at HPR on them over the past 8k miles.

BC.

OK, I think something needs replacing then, because they squeak louder when I press harder... if I do it lightly then I can kind of mask the noise, but it sucks having to drive with the feeling that you can't stop because of how loud and obnoxious the noise is. I'm going to take it in to a shop. Any authorized Porsche dealership should be good right? I'm in Tampa, FL.

I don't know any technical details about the situation or I would respond to your guys' questions. I appreciate the help though :)

No squeaks what so ever with the brakes on my '03 S. I had really squeaky brakes on my TR8 and it was fixed by simply replacing the brake pads.

I'd expect any Porsche Dealer to be able to replace the pads and resurface the discs on your Boxster. I'd expect it will cost a small fortune.

That's what my Boxster S does. Damn annoying. Then recently I bought a Carrera 4S and it does the same thing. Always seems to come from the passenger side rear on both cars. I just figure it's normal too. I've checked both cars, pads have plenty of life left in them and my rotors measured fine with a digital caliper. I'm not worried about the squeak, but it can be a little embarassing at times. :o

Heck if you've got a Les Schwab near you take the car there as they're doing free brake checks now. You don't have to be a Porsche dealer to tell if the rotors or pads are bad!

Kirk

Different brake pad material will be more prone to squeaking. The harder the pad, the more likely it is to squeak.

Just wanted to update you guys on this...

My brakes are beyond words. They are SO LOUD and the screeching sound is just unbelievable. I get physically angry every time I have to stop. It's very embarrassing when stopping in front of a crowd of people... so loud and obnoxious. First thing on Monday I am going to call the Porsche dealer here and I don't care what it costs to make the noise go away, it's getting fixed... no excuses. I guess a bigger reason I am upset is because the Porsche dealer in Fargo told me that it was normal for Boxsters to have brakes that screeched. I could have had this problem fixed then.

Anyway, with most things in life, if someone tells you something isn't possible, find a way to get it done, because most likely there is a way/solution.

Have you tried sanding the discs with #40 paper and a wood block? Rough them up (both sides) and then re-bed the pads. If no joy, take a file and chamfer the leading edge of each pad 45°. I bet that takes care of it.

:cheers:

Do you have any friends that work on cars? Changing disk pads on a Box is soooo easy. It takes longer to get the car jacked up and the tire off than it takes to change the pads - really. You could watch and learn for the next time.

The dealer is feeding you a bunch of horse hockey. My 08's brakes have never squeaked. The brakes on my previous 01 were squeaking a bit after I bought it so I changed the pads. Used Ferodo pad's along with a shot of CRC Disc Brake Quiet on the dog ears on the pads where it slides on the caliper and the brakes never squeaked again.

You should also spray your calipers when washing your car so the brake dust is hosed away. This will also help reduce the chance of squeaky brakes. But it sounds like you're past this situation. If your brakes are squeaking during hard braking, it's time to replace them.

The OEMs shouldn't squeal to embarrassment in any shape or form.
My brakes only started to squeal when I changed to track pads, and they only squeal when cold.
Are you the original owner? do you know for sure what pads you have on there?

Hey guys,

I seriously love this forum. You guys are so dedicated and you know what you're doing. Me, on the other hand, well, I can't even change my own oil. :( I guess I was just trying to share my experiences/frustration with you all. :)

That's what is great about forums like these, whatever you can come up with, chances are that someone else has experienced it before you and can give you a hand.

It's an easy DIY to swap pads, and we can walk you through it if you want.

:cheers:

When I say they squeak a little under light braking, I mean a little - a wee bit. Certainly nothing I'd term as screeching or squealing in any way.

What I thought you were first describing was this little (sometimes annoying but tolerable) squeaking... but it sounds like it's much more drastic than that. My '03 Boxster does NOT do what you're describing - so yeah, further investigation is required.

As far as doing your own brake pads - if you can change a tire, you can change the brakes on an '03 Boxster. It is by far the easiest car I've EVER done brake work on.

Buy & apply, you will never hear a squeak again..


http://www.************************************************************/product.asp?pf_id=P910821&dept_id=4218

might just be brake dust... take the garden hose rinse the brakes/ wheels... my brakes squeal sometimes... rinsing them stops it every time.

just to do due-diligence here:
Your "break wear" light is NOT on - right ?

There is no "brake wear light" on... which is good. I called a VERY reputable Porsche service place here in Tampa and they told me that without even seeing it, they would most likely have to replace more than the brake pads, which I could see being very true.

A side note... the guy who is doing the work sounded very knowledgeable and he apparently has some sort of certification that only five people in the United States have. He was also German (I could tell by his accent). Haha, so that's pretty cool.

The place is Reeves Import Motorcars (Tampa), if anyone is curious or has had experience with them before.

Last update, I promise:

Got my rotors and brake pads changed. No more squeaking. :D Of course, I am about $1300 less rich. :'(

He said there was a huge "lip" on it which was causing the squeak and he couldn't believe the other Porsche dealer said that was normal.

ALSO, completely ironic... when I was giving him my address we found out that he lived in the EXACT SAME apartment as me. Pretty cool guy as well. Small world!

I'm glad you got your brakes sorted out, but I feel for you that you had to part with so much money in order to get there. But I bet the brakes feel great, don't they? :)

Enjoy your Boxster!

BC.