Weird intermittent brake issue
Discussion
I would be grateful for some advice on the following -
I replaced the front pads and discs on our 2019 Skoda Scala six months ago; when I tested it afterwards all appeared fine. My wife is the main user of the car and she didn’t mention any issues, but when I drove it sometime later I could hear an intermittent noise from the front, which could best be described as a speed sensitive “chuffing” noise. Whilst it comes and goes, it is there more often than not. Depressing the clutch or increasing revs does not change the noise, so I think it is brake related. It’s still there when I depress the brake pedal but reduces as I slow.
I removed the discs and cleaned the hub, and reseated them, thinking they perhaps were out of true. This didn’t help. Sometime after I thought I had narrowed the issue to discs when the steering wheel juddered under braking. This happened a couple of times then it stopped doing it. Today under braking it juddered again quite badly, but when I tried to replicate it, it wouldn’t to it.
What would cause the intermittent juddering, which I think also relates to the aforementioned “chuffing” noise? I was inclined to replace the discs, but when I purchased the last set they were £100, now they seem to have gone up to £170 in six months so I want to be sure I am doing the right thing before throwing parts at it.
Thanks
I replaced the front pads and discs on our 2019 Skoda Scala six months ago; when I tested it afterwards all appeared fine. My wife is the main user of the car and she didn’t mention any issues, but when I drove it sometime later I could hear an intermittent noise from the front, which could best be described as a speed sensitive “chuffing” noise. Whilst it comes and goes, it is there more often than not. Depressing the clutch or increasing revs does not change the noise, so I think it is brake related. It’s still there when I depress the brake pedal but reduces as I slow.
I removed the discs and cleaned the hub, and reseated them, thinking they perhaps were out of true. This didn’t help. Sometime after I thought I had narrowed the issue to discs when the steering wheel juddered under braking. This happened a couple of times then it stopped doing it. Today under braking it juddered again quite badly, but when I tried to replicate it, it wouldn’t to it.
What would cause the intermittent juddering, which I think also relates to the aforementioned “chuffing” noise? I was inclined to replace the discs, but when I purchased the last set they were £100, now they seem to have gone up to £170 in six months so I want to be sure I am doing the right thing before throwing parts at it.
Thanks
Did you clean and lube any slide pins.
Don't forget to exercise the pistons in their bores, ie leave the pad in nearest the piston (assuming single piston caliper) because it makes levering the piston back easier, and get someone to press the brake to push the piston out to say 2/3rds of its max travel, do thios a few times, if there's any resistance to the piston moving freely gently peel back the dust cover and have a look at the piston itself to judge if that too would benefit from a wipe with the correct brake grease...not coppaslip.
One other thing people don't often do is ping those stainless steel spring clips off the caliper that the pad itself slides on, crud can buid up under those clips which needs cleaning off with wire brush and sharp chisel or screwdriver, when that crud is gone its surprising how easy it is to get the pads in and out and how freely they will move on the clips.
edit, one other thing i recall.
I'm usualy well up to date with brake and other servicing which i do myself.
Couple of years ago or might have been last year, hadn't yet carried out that year's brake service, summer slow drive taking mutiple B and back roads due to motorway traffic problems, had the dogs in the back so no flying about even if twer possible, under mild braking as the car slowed to a final halt you could hear and feel a slight grumbling which appeared to come from the front brakes, now i know the pads and discs were in good condition and everything sliding and moving freely but did wonder if a pad was distintergrating.
Back home had the pads out, as new, however that groove in the middle of the pads was choc full of brake crud, cleaned the groove out and the noise has never reappeared.
I'm fairly gentle on the brakes anyway unless deliberately giving them a work out.
Don't forget to exercise the pistons in their bores, ie leave the pad in nearest the piston (assuming single piston caliper) because it makes levering the piston back easier, and get someone to press the brake to push the piston out to say 2/3rds of its max travel, do thios a few times, if there's any resistance to the piston moving freely gently peel back the dust cover and have a look at the piston itself to judge if that too would benefit from a wipe with the correct brake grease...not coppaslip.
One other thing people don't often do is ping those stainless steel spring clips off the caliper that the pad itself slides on, crud can buid up under those clips which needs cleaning off with wire brush and sharp chisel or screwdriver, when that crud is gone its surprising how easy it is to get the pads in and out and how freely they will move on the clips.
edit, one other thing i recall.
I'm usualy well up to date with brake and other servicing which i do myself.
Couple of years ago or might have been last year, hadn't yet carried out that year's brake service, summer slow drive taking mutiple B and back roads due to motorway traffic problems, had the dogs in the back so no flying about even if twer possible, under mild braking as the car slowed to a final halt you could hear and feel a slight grumbling which appeared to come from the front brakes, now i know the pads and discs were in good condition and everything sliding and moving freely but did wonder if a pad was distintergrating.
Back home had the pads out, as new, however that groove in the middle of the pads was choc full of brake crud, cleaned the groove out and the noise has never reappeared.
I'm fairly gentle on the brakes anyway unless deliberately giving them a work out.
Edited by Smint on Sunday 20th August 13:44
Many thanks for the replies -
GreenV8S - The car was recently mot’d by someone I trust so I would hope the bearings are okay but will check.
Smint- I think you might have solved it….and I have been a bit stupid! I remember when I fitted the pads, the spring clips didn’t really fit very well and I made an attempt at bending them out to fit but I wasn’t particularly happy about how they fitted. Will investigate tomorrow and report back!
GreenV8S - The car was recently mot’d by someone I trust so I would hope the bearings are okay but will check.
Smint- I think you might have solved it….and I have been a bit stupid! I remember when I fitted the pads, the spring clips didn’t really fit very well and I made an attempt at bending them out to fit but I wasn’t particularly happy about how they fitted. Will investigate tomorrow and report back!
tim0409 said:
I replaced the front pads and discs on our 2019 Skoda Scala six months ago
Where did you get the parts? OEMs put a lot of work into making brakes quiet - aftermarket suppliers aren't always as careful. Bear in mind there are no pull-off springs in a disc brake system so pads can be touching the discs even without brakes applied.amongst other things it's possible there's some glazing on the discs.
Panamax said:
Where did you get the parts? OEMs put a lot of work into making brakes quiet - aftermarket suppliers aren't always as careful. Bear in mind there are no pull-off springs in a disc brake system so pads can be touching the discs even without brakes applied.
amongst other things it's possible there's some glazing on the discs.
Carparts4less - Pagid pads, and originally Pagid discs but I had to return them as they didn’t fit, and swapped them for Brembo.amongst other things it's possible there's some glazing on the discs.
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