Loud scary screeching scraping noise?? :O

[aaronon]

Does anyone know what this is?

I was driving into town and my car sreeched the whole way. While driving not braking. :S

it seemed to be controlling normally though.

There are no warning lights or anything does anybody know what it could be? My handbrake stuck on a few months ago so maybe it's a little stuck today. Though if it was surely I would notice a severe drop in speed as opposed to some screeching :S

I'm s**t myself incase by driving into work (although it's only a five minute drive) I've completely ruined my braking system and scratched the pads or drums and done massive damage.

Any ideas?

[Jeff GTi]

sound like a loose fan belt, just needs tightening or replacing, cheap fix which any garage can do

[aaronon]

Thanks Jeff I think it could be more serious though.

Reversing out of the car park I felt something mechanical click or something.

The noise went away until I got to the house and reversed into my space. Upon reversing the noise returned and stayed even when I straightened up in first gear.

sounds bad. Is it possible that problems like this can happen overnight? It was fine last night!

[KennyPOLO_Gti]

Same happened to me one day. Found it to be a little bit of debris stuck in my brake pads but it soon went away. How far have you drove with it like that?

[aaronon]

About 15 minutes in all.

The noise went away for the journey until I stuck it in reverse and that seems to have reset the noise counter.

The local garage is one minute drive up the street so I'll see what they say.

Am I being overly pansy-boy-ish if I presume that my gear box has fallen out? Or some kind of axel has been broken?

It was fine last night and it went away for the journey home so it can't really be a brake problem can it? Thoughit sounds like it's coming from the front...maybe the wheels. Can the brake pads needing replaced cause temperemental screeching like this.

It really does sound like a metal pole being dragged along the ground but there's nothing dangling along the ground.

The car is from November 2005 and I've never changed the pads but I had a service and MOT in November which said that my brakes were great so I don't know how they could just brake overnight by themselves.

[diesel_ash]

Not sure how handy you are but GET IN THERE!!!
lift your hood up and pull un the belts and feel for quality. as for the brakes try and take the wheel off and check the thickness of the pads. thatll give you a good indication of whats going wrong.
you might be able to sort it yourself rather than getting a mechanic to sort it

[david burton]

Is the noise was there when you straightened up and if you weren't moving it's almost 100% a belt like Jeff says. It sounds awful when it happens.

[aaronon]

It happens when I'm driving guys.

I can rev in neutral and no noise occurs.

It'll be a sleepless night tonight !

[aaronon]

It's in the garage. Apparently it's the front-left wheel and it makes the screeching while I reverse and turn left.

[KennyPOLO_Gti]

Thats weird, have they any idea what it could be?

[zedzo]

mine squeeks dno if its the brakes or not, doesnt seem like the belt bcos when i brake it goes away, mine sounds like its comming from the bak wheels ive replaced the brakes and pads but it still squeeks? mite need some greese sumwer

[RUM4MO]

Getting a small stone stuck in the calliper or elsewhere where it can touch the disc can get very noisy!

[david burton]

as above, something caught in your aluminium brake shield I reckon.

[aaronon]

It's still in the garage so I've no idea

hopefully it's something stuck between the brake calipur. Saying that it only occurs when reversing with the wheel turned left :S
I'll post back when I get word

[aaronon]

It appears to have been a stone stuck in the pad but I am still cautious.

It's not my luck for something to be so simple.

Could anyone who knows how brakes work explain how the stone would only scrap against the pad when turning (reversing) left ? To put my mind at ease? Please?