Rear Brake/Axle Groan...

[fourfourto]

The sounds the exact same as it was,It is a little less noticable in the rain.

I was dealing with a manager for customer service,she said theres no were else to go from here.

The field rep also mentioned the BBB.

When you want it done right do it yourself..thats what im going to try to do.

With my luck the head will go at 50,000.10

[JV1]

I gotta say, with the Detroit Auto show going on and GM losing market share faster than a speeding bullet, trying to figure out how to survive, this is one FINE example of great customer service.



WTF GM?

[Crash ?]

Originally Posted by fourfourto

I was dealing with a manager for customer service,she said theres no were else to go from here.

So she signs her own paycheck..??? Until you reach CEO there is ALWAYS another boss...

BTW.. You prolly don't want ceramic pads.. They may work well, but they are pretty delicate and may not do to well offroad.. Of course if you don't offroad...


Rob

[Hmmm2]

fourfourto, Crash is right .. there IS always someone higher up that you can talk to. It depends on if you want to go through the hassle .. and it is a hassle .. but, you're talking about your vehicle here! I wonder why you only had one person you could talk to at GM? Remember when I told you that you had a differnt phone number to call than I had? Well, that doesn't matter now since a field rep has now looked at your H3.

What I came back here to post is that AFTER the field rep looked at mine and said it was "Normal" .. my GM customer service rep strongly encouraged me to try another dealer. He said he had to go by what the field rep told me, BUT, that another dealer may have had experience with the groan and may be able to fix it. That was when I bit the bullet and drove out to the dealer who sold me the H3 (over an hour away). It was THAT dealer who told me about a warped rotor and cut the pads on an angle. Can you go to another dealer?? It would be worth it now.

[fourfourto]

Hmmm...I guess if I dont figure things out i could try another dealer .
there are only 2 others on long island and ones a caddy /hummer dealer that does'nt have to many hummers.
I might give the other one a call ,it couldnt hurt.

I could pop in a dealer when in fla the end of febuary .

Crash...As far as ceramic pads I will reserch it first(I do off road as much as posible nothing to crazy though),theres always other aftermarket pads I could try.
Im not to that point and Im reluctant to change over brakes till after 50,000 miles.

[fourfourto]

Hmmm3
Do you know if your dealer shaved the front pads also.
I was only planing doing the back.
Im not going to look at it untill Jan 27th(I have full use of my brothers shop at that time )

[Hmmm2]

Fourfourto, I don't know for sure. I'm about 98% sure that they did all pads with a triangle cut. I had asked him what he did differently on the day I picked up my H3 .. he said he had cut them in a diamond/triangle shape and had felt that would make a difference for braking downhill and stop the grind/groan. Here is what was writen on the invoice:

"Customer reports grinding noise from rear right wheel when braking, usually going downhill (agressive stops) after vehicle has been warmed up. Cause: Rotors warped and brake dust build-up between pad and rotor. H0043 Replace front and rear pads resurface front and rear rotors Chanfer front and rear clean brake assemblys. 699 WH
1 15240794 Pad Kit
1 15240812 pad Kit"

What is Chanfer?? (LOL) Is it a typo and a mechanical term?

[Crash ?]

Originally Posted by Hmmm3

"Customer reports grinding noise from rear right wheel when braking, usually going downhill (agressive stops) after vehicle has been warmed up. Cause: Rotors warped and brake dust build-up between pad and rotor. H0043 Replace front and rear pads resurface front and rear rotors Chanfer front and rear clean brake assemblys. 699 WH
1 15240794 Pad Kit
1 15240812 pad Kit"

What is Chanfer?? (LOL) Is it a typo and a mechanical term?

Chanfer is a technical term that means your mechanic, while he may be a good mechanic, probably flunked english class in high school.. The word he was looking for is CHAMFER with an M.. Which means "to cut a beveled edge" on the pads..

Rob

[fourfourto]

Hmmm3 It looks like they did the front and back on yours .
I guess Ill do both,I am not turning down(cutting)the rotors .I dont think the rotors are warped
They only did the back on mine 11,000 miles ago and pads were not shaved.
We will see if it works in a couple weeks. GRrrr Grrrr grrr




Gm sucks

[Hmmm2]

Originally Posted by Crash ?

Chanfer is a technical term that means your mechanic, while he may be a good mechanic, probably flunked english class in high school.. The word he was looking for is CHAMFER with an M.. Which means "to cut a beveled edge" on the pads..

Rob

Thanks Rob. I had NO idea what CHANFER meant. Now the next time I need pads, I can walk into the service area of my dealership with a swagger and tell then to be SURE to CHAMFER my pads!

[fourfourto]

Originally Posted by Hmmm3

Thanks Rob. I had NO idea what CHANFER meant. Now the next time I need pads, I can walk into the service area of my dealership with a swagger and tell then to be SURE to CHAMFER my pads!

Dealer pads I here are big bucks,I beleve there are aftermarket pads that come already chamferd (shaved/beveled)

[fourfourto]

Update:
I rotated the tires today,poped off rear brakes and noticed they had shims and were already chamber cut(no pic I forgot).I noticed the front are not.
I dont know if the dealer did it when they replaced them or the rears come that way?.
My brother and I beleve they are factory cut.(no pic I forgot)
He said if they were cut by the dealer they wouldnt be that perfect.(we also looked at the cut on a new set off pads for a dodge truck)

Anyway left the front alone because noise is clearly in the back.
Used disk brake lube under and over the shims and on the side metal clips.

Result is that it seems to not make the noise but there is a little noise at the end of a hard brake(could be suspention noise its below freezing here?)

I will see how it is over the week but the long ratcheting groan seems to be gone.I think im getting very sensitive to noises.
Could it be so simple a little lube did the trick .

We also tryed to isolate the ebrake cable/spring at rotor(pic below) if you wiggle it it makes a simular sound that im getting.It didnt make a difference though.

Pic below

[Hmmm2]

Could it really be that your lube took care of your ongoing problem. You have to wonder why the dealer couldn't have done that?! Your dealer must have chamfered your rear pads the first time you took it in with the problem. The dealer who did that to mine (which I think fixed my problem) told me he did it (chamfer) because it would help keep the groan/grind away since I brake so much on windy, hilly roads. I don't think he would have explained it to me if my pads were already cut that way.

Anyways ... fourfourto, for getting to the bottom of your problem and fixing it. I hope you've heard your final groan/grind. If possible, try not to make aggressive stops .. ease into it as best you can. Good luck! Keep us updated if the groan starts up again.

[fourfourto]

Just took a ride up to blockbuster and no noise. silence is nice
Either the 3 is messin with me or it solved it ...for now.
I do here a faint "Ill be back"

The real test is if my wife hears it during the week.

F5/ parts guy
Anyone know if the rear pads are cut,they really looked factory cut I dont think I could have had them that even if I tried.
They might be factory replacement,that would explain why the fronts are not done.

[Hmmm2]

Originally Posted by fourfourto

Either the 3 is messin with me or it solved it ...for now.
I do here a faint "Ill be back"

LOL .. I know EXACTLY what you mean! I was SURE that I would hear the groan at the next stop! I'd cringe as I rolled to a stop and waited for the sound. I'm only now beginning to accept in my mind that it may be gone. I DID hear it once, but I wasn't driving it .. I was the passenger. No one drives it as well as I do.

[fourfourto]

Update:

After 3,500 mile round trip to FLA there is still no brake noise .

I guess the brake lube did the trick

Dealer had it in at least 4 times and couldnt figure it out

Less then 1/2 hour on the lift with my brother and I and the noise is gone.

[Hmmm2]

Originally Posted by fourfourto

Update:

After 3,500 mile round trip to FLA there is still no brake noise .

I guess the brake lube did the trick

Dealer had it in at least 4 times and couldnt figure it out

Less then 1/2 hour on the lift with my brother and I and the noise is gone.

That is GREAT news! Did you only lube the brakes? Did you chamfer new pads, or did you leave the old pads in? Isn't that amazing ... all of that grief and the dealer couldn't find it? I'm glad you're groan-free now! ()

[fourfourto]

All I did was clean and add lube.the replacements were either chamfered or the dealer did it.The fronts were not and they were original.
The noise WAS definatly comming from the back.

I will mention it to the dealer when I go in for another roofrail replacement.

[wpage]

442,
Write a letter to GM's CEO they may help!

[fourfourto]

Originally Posted by wpage

442,
Write a letter to GM's CEO they may help!

Do you think it will ever get to the CEO's hands ?
I dont know how it will help as I figured out what was wrong.
Putting a little lube on the shims is very easy,I dont know why the dealer didnt try it ?.


If you need something done right ,you have to do it yourself.