'97 LS400 - serious issue, possibly brakes
06-24-12, 08:31 PM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
'97 LS400 - serious issue, possibly brakes
Car has 167,xxx miles, new rotors (within 3 months), EBC RedStuff pads that are almost due for replacement.
I was leaving Memphis today on my 4 hour drive back home, when I approached a stoplight. I depressed the brake pedal firmly but not slamming it down, the pedal went to the floor and didn't release for a couple seconds, before coming back up and allowing me to depress it again to complete my stop. Freaking out a bit at this point, I immediately pulled into an empty parking lot to analyze the situation. I tried replicating the problem in the parking lot, but instead of the pedal hitting the floor, it depressed as it always does, but returned a grinding feel, accompanied by a faint, but similar, noise from the front left wheel.
At VERY slow speeds, as in 5 mph, the brakes seemed fine. Anything around 10 or above, and the grinding sound would be introduced. I called a friend who was nearby (and a gear head) to have him come look at it. We drove it around the neighborhood between 20-30 mph, and of course, couldn't replicate the problem. There was no fluid anywhere, appeared to be nothing missing, the car never showed the "ABS" light and nothing else seemed the matter. He suggested I should be fine to make it home, so I took his advice and left. Not 5 minutes later, the grinding went from tolerable to terrifying. I inadvertently ended up going the wrong way in downtown Memphis, and when I'd hit the brakes, it sounded like a metal-on-metal grinding, crunching, bending sound, as best I can describe it. The steering wheel never shook and the car didn't pull to either direction. I stopped once for fuel, using engine braking as much as possible, but pulling into the gas station, the sound had intensified and was clearly audible from both inside and outside of the vehicle. I managed to avoid hitting the brakes but two more times between Osceola, Arkansas and my home, a bit over 3 hours away. I noticed that when stopping for the first of those times, the grinding sound had somewhat of a pulse to it, as in, it got "faster" and "slower" depending on my speed. The sound was also present, though not nearly as loud, under acceleration and at highway speed.
I looked it over again when I got home, and the wheels weren't any warmer than usual, no kind of burning or rubber smell, still no fluid, no visible damage to anything, and at no point did the car ever seem to hesitate inducing forward motion.
Any ideas? Taking it to a shop ASAP, but I'm honestly afraid to even drive it, as bad as that sound was.
I was leaving Memphis today on my 4 hour drive back home, when I approached a stoplight. I depressed the brake pedal firmly but not slamming it down, the pedal went to the floor and didn't release for a couple seconds, before coming back up and allowing me to depress it again to complete my stop. Freaking out a bit at this point, I immediately pulled into an empty parking lot to analyze the situation. I tried replicating the problem in the parking lot, but instead of the pedal hitting the floor, it depressed as it always does, but returned a grinding feel, accompanied by a faint, but similar, noise from the front left wheel.
At VERY slow speeds, as in 5 mph, the brakes seemed fine. Anything around 10 or above, and the grinding sound would be introduced. I called a friend who was nearby (and a gear head) to have him come look at it. We drove it around the neighborhood between 20-30 mph, and of course, couldn't replicate the problem. There was no fluid anywhere, appeared to be nothing missing, the car never showed the "ABS" light and nothing else seemed the matter. He suggested I should be fine to make it home, so I took his advice and left. Not 5 minutes later, the grinding went from tolerable to terrifying. I inadvertently ended up going the wrong way in downtown Memphis, and when I'd hit the brakes, it sounded like a metal-on-metal grinding, crunching, bending sound, as best I can describe it. The steering wheel never shook and the car didn't pull to either direction. I stopped once for fuel, using engine braking as much as possible, but pulling into the gas station, the sound had intensified and was clearly audible from both inside and outside of the vehicle. I managed to avoid hitting the brakes but two more times between Osceola, Arkansas and my home, a bit over 3 hours away. I noticed that when stopping for the first of those times, the grinding sound had somewhat of a pulse to it, as in, it got "faster" and "slower" depending on my speed. The sound was also present, though not nearly as loud, under acceleration and at highway speed.
I looked it over again when I got home, and the wheels weren't any warmer than usual, no kind of burning or rubber smell, still no fluid, no visible damage to anything, and at no point did the car ever seem to hesitate inducing forward motion.
Any ideas? Taking it to a shop ASAP, but I'm honestly afraid to even drive it, as bad as that sound was.
06-24-12, 08:42 PM
#2
Who did your brake work? The problem sounds like it's going to be very obvious when you pull the wheels and take a look around. Do that first. Don't drive it. Maybe the safety pins were not reinstalled in the pad spring pins allowing them to possibly vibrate out.
I alway's go for OEM parts on everything, especially brakes. Not saying that is your problem, just the way I am.
I alway's go for OEM parts on everything, especially brakes. Not saying that is your problem, just the way I am.
06-24-12, 08:49 PM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
The shop that did my brake work was the shop that's done lots of other work on my car. Recently, they had found that that particular caliper needed some kind of pin assembly(?) kit because it had basically lost one of the pins at some point down the road. Now that you mention it, I'm almost wondering if that's what it might have been...those new pins having fallen out. They're located all of 3 minutes from my house, but driving it even that far seems risky. When it's daylight tomorrow, I'll see if anything looks different between the driver and passenger side caliper assemblies.
06-24-12, 09:17 PM
#5
Pull the wheels and look, each caliper has 2 pins holding the pad springs down.
On my car the safety clip was no installed on the pins but they were still there. I just put a paper clips through them and twisted it up, all is well.
On my car the safety clip was no installed on the pins but they were still there. I just put a paper clips through them and twisted it up, all is well.
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06-25-12, 10:56 AM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Those who said broken pad were correct. I had no pad left on inner pad on the drivers side and the passenger side was almost gone. They were both EBC RedStuffs and never emitted any squealing prior to their dismissal. Also needing replaced is the driver's side rotors that I JUST BOUGHT a few months ago when changing from my winter to summer tire/wheel setup. New E-Line d/s rotor + ceramic pads for fronts from R1 Concepts was $100 shipped. Now I just have to wait four days for them to get here 
06-25-12, 01:01 PM
#10
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
In retrospect I should have, but money was tight at the time, and now it's cost me. No serious damage aside from that though, which is good, because I'm making an 11 hour drive to Ohio with it early next month.
06-25-12, 02:22 PM
#12
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Because the sensor is out on the right rear wheel and I've been staring at the warning light for years, basically ignoring it assuming I'd hear the squealing when it was time, as I had done in my Accord which had no such sensor. The more I delve into this, the more I realize this has become my fault entirely. Might as well fix that broken sensor too while I'm at it...
06-28-12, 10:42 AM
#14
to eliminate it:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...fix-ucf20.html
06-28-12, 11:18 AM
#15
my pad were not watch over by the previous owner also
when i picked up the car i changed the brake pads right away. They were not making noise but the braking did not feel very firm at all.
when i took brakes apart the pads were almost grinding on the brake sensor.
i changed to some posi quiet brakes and all is better.
when i picked up the car i changed the brake pads right away. They were not making noise but the braking did not feel very firm at all.
when i took brakes apart the pads were almost grinding on the brake sensor.
i changed to some posi quiet brakes and all is better.