Brakes make clicking noise...

Freddy Bulbis

Just bought my first car, 98 Ford Fiesta Ghia Zetec, and a week after buying it it's starting to make a clicking noise when I use the brake.

It only happens when I'm driving, not when stopped or using the handbrake.

Also, it only clicks once and it's loudest on the front left of the car.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Cheers,
Freddy

causal

Did you buy it in a garage with a warranty - if so I'd bring it back to them.
Brakes aren't something to gamble with.

causal

mike65

Almost certainly loose brake pads (maybe the clips are missing).

The brake assembly is designed in such a way as to be very hard for anything to fall off with the disk fitted around the hub and the pads slotted inside the calliper.



Mike.

AMurphy

Freddy Bulbis wrote:

......
It only happens when I'm driving, not when stopped or using the handbrake.

Also, it only clicks once and it's loudest on the front left of the car.
........

Is it a "click" or a "clunk". And if you apply, release and reapply the brakes, does it click/clunk every time on reapplication?. And this occurs irrespective of speed and your sure it is not one fo the "squeekers" that are often attached to pads to let you know the pads are down to the minimum limit.
Let the car roll slowely down a slope and apply & reapply the brakes hard @about 5~10mph, see if the noise occurs repeadedly.

Then I'd suggest you have a loose component inthe brake calliper assy. It could be the whole calliper moving on it's mounting bolts or the pads moving within the calliper due to a shim or spring falling out. So on applying the brakes, the slack is taken up with a "clink" as whatever is loose moves up against some other solid object.

LB6

Mines a 01 focus ghia and it's just started making that noise too but on RHS.
Time to go to garage I think!

Freddy Bulbis

Thanks for the help... garage here I come!