[fuzzybunny]

There have been a few posts on here about brake squealing and seems to be a BMW thing but cant actually see much in the way of a real solution.
Cant imagine all 3/4 series do this so must be a reason why some do and some don't. Mine are getting worse on the squeal front, seems to come from the front and I have 7000 miles to go to replace front-pads on my standard xdrive SE suspension and brakes. My local service department tells me its just dust on the pads and they can clear it out. Not sure I believe that, anyone found this to be the case. Should I just replace the pads as normal and hope for the best?

[Marksw76]

Originally Posted by fuzzybunny

There have been a few posts on here about brake squealing and seems to be a BMW thing but cant actually see much in the way of a real solution.
Cant imagine all 3/4 series do this so must be a reason why some do and some don't. Mine are getting worse on the squeal front, seems to come from the front and I have 7000 miles to go to replace front-pads on my standard xdrive SE suspension and brakes. My local service department tells me its just dust on the pads and they can clear it out. Not sure I believe that, anyone found this to be the case. Should I just replace the pads as normal and hope for the best?

They said the same to me. Apparently they cleaned the pads and discs and the squeal went away for a few months. Soon as we got the cold weather the squeal came back and now it's worse than ever.

I always assumed it was a characteristic of M Sport brakes but I'm sure mine is worse. Like yours, squeal comes from the front.

I'm going to book mine in again and see what they say.

[thescouselander]

Noisy brakes here too and my car only has 3000 miles on it. I reckon BMWs pads are a bit carp - I've never see so much dust! I'll be changing to a different compound when I can get round to it.

[smorg99]

Since I had my car back following EGR replacement and brake fluid change, when coming to a stop they make a squeal, quite embarrassing really. I need to get them to have a look really. Weird though how it never happened prior to the fluid change?
Both front discs and pads were changed recently and probably have 1000 miles tops on them.

[willjames]

Mine same, been doing for a while now. Although mine is on 47k. Next time it's in for service front pads are getting changed in the hope that this solves it...I won't hold my breath though!

By the way mine sounds like a 30 year old Vauxhall when it rolls up up to the lights

[speedski]

Mine does it on ONE wheel and apparently that doesn't mean its a problem. I've had it for a long time and the dealer wanted to charge to clean them to fix it. They also said my sticking handbrake would not be covered under warranty on a two year old car. Mine has 23k on the clock, but I don't know if the discs and pads are the originals - iDrive reports 60k left on them and there is limited if any lip on the disc.

The one that squeaks has a clear gap in the contact point, but all BMW say is clean them and it will go away. It doesn't. It does it if I drive for two minutes or two hours.

Its very embarrassing.

[RENT-A-GOAT]

I have the odd one or two squeals from my Msport when they are cold/damp and I'm just getting into it on a morning. Once they have been dabbed a few times or a couple of stops in and they are perfect have noticed the harder you are with them the better they perform I've put it down to being MSports and most probably running a harder pad compound than the norm.

[SkyJawa]

My f31 330d never suffered in 20k miles, my f30 335d did but in fairness the pads and discs were near end of life. Just have new discs and pads all round and squeal gone, hope it stays like that!

[teaston]

Remove the pads and clean them, then either apply ceratec grease (short term fix) or Brake Disc Quiet (long term fix).

[Pobsey]

My 330d started at 3k brakes got looked at at 16k 1st service and within 2k were as bad as before, by 25k in the dry they were really bad, lent the car to the wife today and by the looks she fixed them for good by writing the car off 😪

[bmwchue]

my driver side squeaks so i carry a bottle of brake cleaner. first start up of the day ill spray it and it will go away til the next day. Lots of people have switched to EBC pads because they have mininal brake dust(which causes the squeaks) and are happy with it. They are expensive but well worth the money. I plan to go this route when mine wear out

[teaston]

Originally Posted by bmwchue

my driver side squeaks so i carry a bottle of brake cleaner. first start up of the day ill spray it and it will go away til the next day. Lots of people have switched to EBC pads because they have mininal brake dust(which causes the squeaks) and are happy with it. They are expensive but well worth the money. I plan to go this route when mine wear out

If they're redstuff it's because they're ceramic pads that they don't squeal. There's no metal in the pad material to cause the squealing.

[Wills2]

Only ever had brake squeal on the M5 brakes, are you sure you guys clean your brakes and do a few hard stops every now and then as cooking BMWs shouldn't suffer from it, they are just run of the mill brakes after all.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by Wills2

Only ever had brake squeal on the M5 brakes, are you sure you guys clean your brakes and do a few hard stops every now and then as cooking BMWs shouldn't suffer from it, they are just run of the mill brakes after all.

That's great, but I don't think it's the whole story. Mine do it, and loads of others do. Don't know about anyone else, but in 27 years of driving I've never had it happen on any other car I've owned.

[335d Rocco]

I’ve had my car since late December, had seen brake squeal mentioned but mine never seemed to do it, until I had to go to kings cross station to pick some family up, it started the brake squeal when the traffic was stop start on marleybone road, now back on my usual use & there’s no brake squeal, must be something to do with the brakes getting hot.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by 335d Rocco

I’ve had my car since late December, had seen brake squeal mentioned but mine never seemed to do it, until I had to go to kings cross station to pick some family up, it started the brake squeal when the traffic was stop start on marleybone road, now back on my usual use & there’s no brake squeal, must be something to do with the brakes getting hot.

It's actually worst when the brakes are cold. The stop start traffic will glaze the pads, which is the worst culprit for it, hence a brake bed in procedure will stop the squealing, for a while.

[speedski]

Weirdly...on my MSports it only does it in forward and when slowing from 10-0mph. Cold, hot, 2 mins after starting 3hrs after starting, makes no difference.

If you reverse it doesn't do it at all...

Mind you my handbrake shoes keep squealing on pull away. Shytner wanted money.

This will be my last BMW.

[ashenfie]

I rather suspect it's the rotors rusting. The rotors rust overnight and the forms dust when you start off in the morning.

[T20najam]

Mine happens when braking in reverse. Does it the first time braking (usually when reversing out of my driveway)

[Hooded]

Not wanting to tempt fate but I've never noticed any squeal on mine.
I had an E90 years ago that did it slightly though not long after having some Pagid pads fitted.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by ashenfie

I rather suspect it's the rotors rusting. The rotors rust overnight and the forms dust when you start off in the morning.

That's nothing to do with it, it does it because they're fixed calipers and semi metallic pads. Asbestos pads wouldn't do it, but obviously they're not available anymore, and ceramic pads like EBC Redstuff wouldn't do it but they have far less initial bite.

[lethbridge]

Like some have suggested, I would suggest you try bedding them in and see if that does sort it... Has anyone who has had this tried it - or did it make no difference? I've never had the issue on plenty of BMWs doing probably 500k+ miles over the years including standard and M Sport Brakes (which are supposedly more prone to it), running both stock and replacement discs/pads... I did high miles - so lots of high speed m-way driving with a fair amount of heavy breaking from high speed and only nominal amounts of stop start driving... Just wonder if that is the difference - can't believe it is down to luck... I do much lower mileage on my M3 now but haven't encountered the issue yet though I guess they do get warmed through from time to time