Got a couple of problems I thought I'd ask the group about.

1st of all, the car is a 05 350z, 35th anniv. (read Brembo brake package). It has about 9,000 miles on it so it's still fairly new.

Anyway, problems:

1) I've got a brake whine. Pretty damn loud too. It seems to come from the driver's rear side but it could be from the pass as well. I only notice it when the car is going slowly, just before it comes to a stop or when I'm riding the brake in a parking lot type situation. It doesn't happen all the time either. Just maybe 70% of the time. It's hard to believe the car has gone through a brake pad this quickly. I'm not an overly-aggressive driver.

2) Airbag light just came on. I say 'came on' but it's not just on, it's blinking. What the hell? the damn thing has barely 9K miles and I've got a bad sensor? Anyone else have any problems with this?

Any ideas?

 

Keep in mind that the Brembos are a monoblock racing design and will have a squeak or squeal at low brake pressures. When you really need them (like at the track) at high speeds, there's hardly a sound. I've gotten used to it with my track model (and in every race car with those type of brakes) and consider it a badge of distinction.

The airbag light is more complex. It could be anything from a faulty sensor to some other safety component failure. In any case, anything that might cause an explosive charge to either deploy (when you don't need it) or not deploy (when you really need it), is cause for concern. Your Z is still under warranty- get it into a dealer and let a pro diagnose the problem!

 

I'm sure your owners booklet is the same in the USA, it does state that if the airbag light stays etc after initial ignition to take it straight back to the dealer. This could be seriously nasty if it deploys when not needed.

 

1) The squeal is SOOO loud though. Oh well, thanks for the pep talk. I'll just be happy it has the heart of a race car even though it may not have the engine....yet. And you're right. When I slam on the brakes or when I'm going fast and slowing down I never hear a peep outta them.

2) Yeah, the plan is to take the car into the shop on Friday (Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the states). I had the same reaction to it that you guys are saying. Could be nothing, could be something that seriously screws it up to deploy or not deploy at an inopportune time.

Either way, I'll let everyone know how it turns out. I do feel much better about the brakes, though. Thanks again for the input.