Technical A squeaky little bird

[IanWalrus]

2016 4x4 TA

Now and again I hear a squeaky metal-on-metal noise coming from my wheels on the right hand side when driving - but it's intermittant, and only occurs when going straight or turning right. Turn left or bear left and the noise stops.

It did it a couple of weeks ago on a trip to Luton; it felt like it was screaming down the motorway on the way there, but it didn't do it on the way back. Since then it does it on and off at all speeds, usually just with me in the car, and only when turning right.

Just took it to a garage to get checked and they could find nothing wrong - brakes are fine (hardly worn), not a steering issue, nothing wrong with the suspension, not a wheel bearing problem, bushings look ok. No fault found.

So I'm looking for ideas, possibilities, ways to repeat the problem so I can record it for the garage to hear, in case something falls off and it turns expensive!

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Possibly a rear disc just rubbing... especially on cars covering small annual mileages, the rear discs of the 4x4 model are prone to the callipers sticking or even seizing. Is the whole of the rear disc surface shiny and clean, and equal on both sides of the car? Any sign of rusting bands around the area the pads work on are a sign of a sicking caliper

 

[Panda IIs]

Possibly a rear disc just rubbing... especially on cars covering small annual mileages, the rear discs of the 4x4 model are prone to the callipers sticking or even seizing. Is there whole of the rear disc surface shiny and clean, and equal on both sides of the car?

Sounds like a good call; take the pads out and wire brush/grease sliding surfaces and regrease pins (do the rears have pins - I don't think so, I don't remember! Which reminds me I should redo mine ).

*brake grease

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Sounds like a good call; take the pads out and wire brush/grease sliding surfaces and regrease pins (do the rears have pins - I don't think so, I don't remember! Which reminds me I should redo mine ).

*brake grease

None of mine have ever been greased (inlcluding those recently fitted by The Fiat Workshop) - even the backs of the pads as they have an anti rattle pad - and have never squeaked and always stay smooth and operate correctly. I think the real key is (1) using them -- and the rest of the car -- lots and (2) washing away accumulated crud with the hose when washing the car. Tempting fate: they'll squeak at me now

 

[airsafari87]

As others have said, probably a rear brake calliper.

My 2019 TA Cross started off with a slight squeak as you describe but swiftly developed in to a full on squeal.

I had the calliper replaced under warranty and as you would expect, this resolved the issue.

 

[Lean Solutions]

When i recently got a TA, the brake calipers were one of the first things my friend and I had to replace!! Jealous of those of you who were under warranty tho...

 

[Marcus Daly]

Didn't Fiat end up changing the design of these a few years ago to address this?

 

[tomdee]

I had a similar problem in another Fiat and what happened was that the brake pad came loose from the pad on one side and when it heated up it blistered a little and kept touching the disc. I changed the pads under warranty.
It was only possible to see the problem by removing the shim out of the caliper.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Didn't Fiat end up changing the design of these a few years ago to address this?

They added ‘weighted bolts’ to the calliper retainer to prevent the ‘groaning’ noise they made when reversing - but otherwise no changes so far as I know.

 

[Marcus Daly]

Ah, that's what I was thinking of.

 

[lunchbeers]

I had the dreaded squeal on mine, wasn't spending £200+ to buy the weighted bobbins, as Fiat wouldn't honour the fix... and no amount of cleaning and fettling would solve it for long.

Bought a new set of Pagid pads and it solved the problem.