On Mon, 04 Aug 2003 16:42:41 -0700, Bob Stock <bstock@mindspring.com>
wrote:

>On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 19:54:05 -0600, Franz Bestuchev
><fbestuchev@n05p4m.userealsugar.com> wrote:
>
>>Bob Stock wrote:
>>> I have a 1999 Accord LX 4-cylinder automatic with about 30K miles. In
>>> the last couple of weeks, I started noticing that when I go into
>>> reverse, the car makes a moderately-pitched whining noise that seems
>>> to come from the right front of the car. It doesn't seem to be a
>>> brake noise as it will do it even if my foot is off the brake
>>> (although the noise intensifies if I brake). I'm also fairly certain
>>> the noise is new.
>>>
>>> Does anyone have an idea as to what would cause this?
>>
>>Right before I had a set of pads wear out, I was getting a funny sound
>>when braking in reverse. How do the pads look?
>
>I talked to the dealer today on the phone. He said that this is the
>usual beginning sound the brakes make when the front pads need to be
>replaced. He said for some reason it starts in reverse. He also said
>that I was lucky that they lasted this long as the average in Los
>Angeles is only about 15K miles. I have an appointment to take the
>car in to have it looked at later in the week, but he said it wouldn't
>hurt to wait, the sound would just get progressively worse.

My report on the aftermath:

I took the car in. They did the front brakes, and the sound is gone.
I'm pleased about that. Disturbingly, though, the dealer told me that
there was nothing left on the pads. Seems to me that if the pads were
that low, the car should have truly screeched, as it says in the
manual, not just emitted this fairly moderate whining noise and, even
then, only in reverse.

Bob