Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
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GerGa
- SLE Member

- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 10:10 pm
- Year and Trim: 2004 Buick Lesabre Limited
Gran Touring package
Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
A couple things with my car.. 2004 with 80k miles.
It recently starting having a grinding/whining sort of sound from the right front wheel when taking a sharp left turn.
Also recently, the brake warning light comes on every time I drive the car. It's the light that turns on when you set the parking brake.
I jacked the car up and spun the wheels and the fronts have a bit of resistance(brakes dragging) which in my experience has been normal for this car. I always keep the caliper pins lubed up. The rear left had the same drag and the rear right spun freely. Everything seems normal with the brakes to me. My parking brake works & disengages. Car has 4 good shocks as well.
Anyone have any idea of the grinding and the light? Could the two problems even be related?
Thanks
PS. I do have a Tech II for those savvy with it if you think there are parameters in it that I should look at.
It recently starting having a grinding/whining sort of sound from the right front wheel when taking a sharp left turn.
Also recently, the brake warning light comes on every time I drive the car. It's the light that turns on when you set the parking brake.
I jacked the car up and spun the wheels and the fronts have a bit of resistance(brakes dragging) which in my experience has been normal for this car. I always keep the caliper pins lubed up. The rear left had the same drag and the rear right spun freely. Everything seems normal with the brakes to me. My parking brake works & disengages. Car has 4 good shocks as well.
Anyone have any idea of the grinding and the light? Could the two problems even be related?
Thanks
PS. I do have a Tech II for those savvy with it if you think there are parameters in it that I should look at.
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rustyroger
- Posts like an LG3

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- Location: Margate, England.
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
Have you checked the obvious?, is the brake fluid level low?, are the brake pads worn out?. You are describing the symptoms.
Roger.
Roger.
- jradke61
- GXP Member

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- Location: Dubuque, IA
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
Without hearing what kind of grinding it's doing, it hard to say for sure but if the brakes are good then possibly a front hub bearing?
01 Bonneville SLE


- nos4blood70
- Certified Bonneville Nut

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- Year and Trim: 2003 SLE
- Location: Chicago, IL
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
The grinding and whining sound would suggest a hub bearing to me.
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GerGa
- SLE Member

- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 10:10 pm
- Year and Trim: 2004 Buick Lesabre Limited
Gran Touring package
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
The brakes are fine because they looked almost new when I bought the car at 50k miles and I've driven it 30k. The groaning or whining sound is taking a left turn fast enough which puts enough force on the right wheel. It seems like a wheel bearing to me, but I've never dealt with an issue like this on a car and not sure if anything else in there would be grinding.
As for the other issue, the brake warning light, my brake fluid is up to proper level.
As for the other issue, the brake warning light, my brake fluid is up to proper level.
- 98SSE
- Posts like an LN3

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- Year and Trim: 2001 SSEI/2007 TBSS/2004 CTS-V
- Location: Columbus, Ohio
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
Sounds like a wheel bearing. Won't know until you start looking at stuff. Here is when my wheel bearing failed.

2001 Bonneville SSEI (His) - Gen V/3.5 pulley/CAI/SD Headers/ZZP 1.9 Rockers/90# Springs/Magnaflow Converter/HP Tuners/180* T-Stat/Trans-Go Shift Kit/TruCool Transmission Cooler/ F-Body Front Brakes/STS Rear Brakes/Tint/GXP Interior September 2015 COTM
2007 Trailblazer SS (Hers) - PCM4Less tune, E-Fans, SLP PowerFlo Exhaust, Hotchkis Sways, PML Tranny Pan, Powerstop Brakes,
"Big 3", Tint
2004 CTS-V (His) - B&B Exhaust, LS7 clutch, HIDs, LED fogs, Powerstop Brakes, Tint

2007 Trailblazer SS (Hers) - PCM4Less tune, E-Fans, SLP PowerFlo Exhaust, Hotchkis Sways, PML Tranny Pan, Powerstop Brakes,
"Big 3", Tint
2004 CTS-V (His) - B&B Exhaust, LS7 clutch, HIDs, LED fogs, Powerstop Brakes, Tint

- nos4blood70
- Certified Bonneville Nut

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- Location: Chicago, IL
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
You can check for bad wheel bearings by checking for play when moving the wheel at 12 and 6 o' clock. Just gotta lift up the car and check it out.
- Randallllon
- LE Member
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Front wheel grinding sound brake light
im doing a yaris conversion and i have the same issue and im running a clubman fibreglass front ,side mount as in under wheel well watch out for stones is my only thought
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bobc997615
- SLE Member

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2005 GXP
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
I've had wheel bearings fail with no perceptible wobble or looseness BUT when removed from the knuckle, it was almost impossible to rotate.
Sometimes there will be a noise from a wheel bearing when you make turns.
Left turn noise = right wheel bearing;
Right turn noise = left wheel bearing.
A ABS light can appear with a bad wheel bearing as the reluctor gap has changed where the ECM does not recognize the signal from that wheel.
Sometimes there will be a noise from a wheel bearing when you make turns.
Left turn noise = right wheel bearing;
Right turn noise = left wheel bearing.
A ABS light can appear with a bad wheel bearing as the reluctor gap has changed where the ECM does not recognize the signal from that wheel.
- jradke61
- GXP Member

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Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
Had one fail on a 67 impala. Lost the front wheel. I was 15.
01 Bonneville SLE


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bobc997615
- SLE Member

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2005 GXP
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
But that is different that the current wheel hubs.jradke61 wrote:Had one fail on a 67 impala. Lost the front wheel. I was 15.
Yes the older brake rotor/drums that contained wheel bearings can fail with the loss of a wheel/brake assembly.
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
I too have had a wheel bearing fail with no wobble or looseness BUT when removed from the knuckle, it was almost impossible to rotate. I am going to change the other one just for that fact.
- jradke61
- GXP Member

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- Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2015 1:02 pm
- Year and Trim: 01 SLE
- Location: Dubuque, IA
Re: Front wheel grinding sound + brake light
Yes it is. Totally different. Easier to change for sure.bobc997615 wrote:But that is different that the current wheel hubs.jradke61 wrote:Had one fail on a 67 impala. Lost the front wheel. I was 15.
Yes the older brake rotor/drums that contained wheel bearings can fail with the loss of a wheel/brake assembly.
01 Bonneville SLE




