Does a squeak in front brakes mean that I need new brake pads? And only after 15K miles
I thought with the change in humidity the squeak might go away, but it hasn't.

 

Brake noise is normally caused by dust and debris, OR, the wear indicator warning you to replace the pads.

Please provide more info:

If the noise is constant and sounds shrill like metal on metal then it's likely that your pads to need to be replaced.

However, it the noise comes and goes and does not sound 'harsh' then its likely just debris and vibration, and short of taking your pads out to spray anti-squeal or to lubricate the slides, there's not much to be done. I've heard that some people hose down their brakes with water, but I've not ever needed to, and if you want to try, definitely do it when the car and brakes are cold.

Hope this helps.

 

It does help, thanks!

I'll make sure to clean out the wheels when cold with water as it only happens when braking, but I'll also have then checked when my car goes in for oil change and tire rotation today.

 

Yeah, it shouldn't take much more than a glance to be able to tell if the pads need changing once the tires are off. Be careful you don't get talked into pads when you don't really need them though.

Mike

 

Thanks for the good advice....

Just an update. My dealer checked my brakes and provided me the remaining depth of pads. It was typical for 15K miles. Still the squeak persisted when braking, like when in stop and go traffic not from high speeds to a stop. I then purchased a spray bottle of CRC disc brake cleaner from my local auto parts store and gave the rotors a good coating. No more squeak, I guess it must have been dust or oil on the discs. It also improved braking performance, so I'm keeping the can of spray cleaner in the trunk and plan to clean every 3k miles (@oil change) or if my front brakes ever squeak again.

 

The only way to tell is remove the pads, they could have cracks in the pads that can not be seen with pads in calipers...........Plus the LS pads can be removed in 30 seconds!!