Hi. I have a 2003 (revised) Nissan Almera N16 1.5S. I’m hearing some strange noises from from the front end of the car after it has been driven constantly for a while. There are a mixture of high pitched squeels and low pitched "groans". When setting off from a stationery position, I hear the low pitched groaning as if something is rubbing. This groan soon turns to a whirring noise as the car speeds up. At higher speeds, I hear more of a squeel whilst the wheels are turning. I hear none of these sounds when applying the brakes.

I let the car roll off gently to confirm that it is a rotational issue. Indeed i find that as the wheels turn, the groan goes from quiet to audible.

This leads me to believe the following potential culprits:

• Warped brake discs
• Possibly early signs of failing bearings (although this would get louder as the car goes faster)

Discs were replaced 45k miles ago along with new pads. No harsh braking done during this time. Brake fluid changed 6k miles (3 months) ago. Car was in the garage a few weeks ago for an oil change and the pads looked like they had a lot of life in them. However the mechanic did point out some markings on the disc to suggest they will need changing at some point soon.

I intend to have the discs and pads changed fairly soon. However, I'm not convinced that this will remedy the situation. Looking for any opinions as to what the problem could potentially be so I can get the mechanic to take a good look at all possibilities?

Any suggestions guys? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Edited by buzf355 on 24/06/2010 at 22:55