my brakes make a high pitched screeching sound when i lightly press the brake pedal.

when i press it more firmly it seems to go away.
..the weird thing is that even when im not pressing the brake pedal at all.
and i give it gas, it'll ocassionally make a really annoying screech.

this has really been bothering me especiallly now that its getting louder and happening more often


is it time to replace my brake pads?
or can it possibly be something else?

 

it sounds like metal on metal
almost identical to this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxdE1...layer_embedded

 

Brakes usually squeak because the grease between the back of the pad and the caliper has washed away. This causes the brake pads to vibrate causing a squeak noise.

It could very well be that they are completely worn down too. I would check to see how much pad you got left. All you have to do is peek through the rim and check. Or you might need to pull the wheel off to see it.

 

Actually, the most common reason by far for the brakes to squeak is because the brake pad material is too thin and the pads need replacing.