New brake pads

[Atrixz]

How much does it cost to get new brake pads installed at the dealership? I have a 2010 Base Vibe. My brakes just started making a high pitched squeaking yesterday and it's pretty loud and annoying.My other question, can we change the brake pads on our own without any problems if we know how to replace simple brake pads? Reason I ask this is because I've never had a ABS brake system until now. What kind of brake pads would work and is there anything special or extra about the ABS system?

[mac99d]

2010 vibe that’s kind of premature for pads. They might just need a good cleaning and some new grease.

[trb]

Yes that is really early for pads, unless you have like 80,000 miles or something and drive it hard! Describe the noise, is it when you are on the brakes, off the brakes, at certain speeds, right after you start moving, or what? Squeaks and squeals are probably just pads that are vibrating and may just need some more anti squeal compound on them, or need the slide pins lubricated. I haven't touched the brakes on either of our Vibes, but I have totally redone the brakes on my Mustang several times.As for the ABS, there is nothing different as long as you don't drain out all the fluid from the ABS unit. If you need the pads changed, all you do is push the pistons back in the calipers, put the anti squeal compound on the backs of the pads, install the pads, and then seat the pads down on the rotors by pressing the brake pedal. Turning the rotors too if wanted.Have you had to add any brake fluid? if your pads are worn down, your fluid level would be down a bit.

[TONY TAT2]

The rotors rust pretty quick,so I'll get a pretty loud squeal until I drive some.

[Atrixz]

I have about 35k miles on it right now. The ESC does activate quite often in the winters when my car slips and slides on the road with a loud crunching noise re-directing my car towards the correct direction...The noise, it's a squeaking/squealing noise that occurs when I lightly and moderately apply the brakes. Then it occurs again for about 5 seconds after I let go of the brakes and start accelerating. The noise doesn't occur when I press on the brakes moderately hard. I have not had my brakes check whether I really do need new brake pads or not. I am just assuming I do because this is the noise the car manual described when brake pads are worn.As for rust, I've had rust on my rotor after not driving my car for a couple of days after a rainy day. This so far, doesn't seem anything like rust on the rotor. This is the 3rd day of driving now, and it's still squeaking.

[trb]

I have almost 40K on my 2010 and the pads still look great. Probably just need the pins lubed and maybe more anti squeal compound on the backs of the pads. They are making noise when you are causing the pads to move and vibrate when you are stopping, and more noise as they move back away from the rotors when you are going again. Hard braking moves the pads more forcefully, so they don't have a chance to vibrate and make noise.The wear indicators on the pads will start to chirp as you are driving, getting louder and more often as the pads wear down to danger zones. The chirps usually stop when you apply the brakes.

[Atrixz]

Well guess what, today was a freezing cold day...I started my Vibe, warmed it up a bit, started driving and there was no longer a squeaking/squealing noise! It magically disappeared...I don't even know what the noise was anymore. But there doesn't seem to be a problem now, something must have happened and my brake pads or pins must have been lubed? Well thanks for everyone's help anyways. Problem solved...for the mean time.

[kowell]

I changed all my brakes this year, pads and rotors. The car has about 50,000km on it. One of the rear pad was making a lot of noise but I found out it had uneven wear on it at a 45 degree angle and it was digging into the rotor. I changed everything to american firction parts except the rear rotor since the company does not make rear rotors for 2.4L FWD Vibes. The rotors were still fine except for one but I got a good price on the complete kit so I changed everything at once.In all everything was quite easy to replace with one exception. For some reason the rear pistons would not go in all the way. It would appear to be OK and it would turn on itself freely but it was missing about 1 or 2mm so I couldn't fit the braket back over the new pads. Took some McGuyvering but we managed to apply the required pressure while turning with a combinaison of a ratchet, the little piston cube, pliers and a big-*** C-Clamp.