Scarletti

Just fired up my 2002 SC430 (115k miles) for the first time this year, so it's stood for over six months.

Connected fresh battery, checked all fluid levels etc. Runs fine and purrs like a kitty BUT

I'm getting a loud intermittent squeal (like you might get with a sticky pump or a slipping belt). Almost like a loud "meow" in duration & tone. So loud it can be heard from 20' away. Sometimes once per minute or two, sometime several times in a row then silence for a few minutes.

This is from the area where the Brake Fluid Reservoir is (on Right Hand Drive SC430 this is right by the Windscreen on the left hand side of the engine bay as you look at it from the front of the car (may be reversed on Left Hand drive models). Directly in front of the Steering Wheel.

(ABS) check light is on. Also "VSC" & "VSC off" check lights on (probably related to ABS being in check and VSC button does nothing to clear those lights). Also getting the buzzer alarm from the dash. Pumping the brake pedal and driving the car forward/back 10' several times on the driveway doesn't clear this.

Now, this may be that the Brake Pads have bound to the Discs (Rotors to you left-pondians). I may need to pop the wheels off and free up the Pads in that case.

Any thoughts from the members?

Coleroad

The pump is bad on the master cylinder. More than one member has had this problem recently

Scarletti

As mentioned I'd ran the car for 15mins yesterday. With that squeal and warning lights I'd checked what I could. A/C fans, pumping foot brake many times, putting on/off the parking brake etc.

I couldn't shift it so I made that post.

Today I was washing my company vehicle and thought I'd do the SC430 as well (which took the best part of an hour I'd guess). I'd left the car running and after a while it was starting to mist up so I put the AC on full to clear the humidity out.

I didn't notice for a while but it dawned on me after a good while that I hadn't heard the squeal and the warning buzzer had stopped. Also the "VSC" "VSC Off" and "(ABS)" lights had gone off.

So likely a flat spotted belt or a sticky pump, which self cleared after a long run on idle.

So all is well!

PHEW!