Brake dust can remain in place in most cases

Q I've got amazing brakes on my 2002 Saturn SL1 -- 94,000 miles and they've not been touched other than having dust removed once. I took the car to my Saturn dealer for a check and was told -- after the check -- that I had to pay $20 for the inspection but that for an additional $29.95 the dealership would remove the brake dust.

I was told that removing the dust was important because it damages the brakes. I know nothing about such things so I asked what it would cost if I came back later to deal with the dust issue. They said I'd have to pay the $20 inspection regardless and if I brought it back the price would be $50 so waiting would cost me an additional $20. I've come to trust my Saturn dealer and now I wonder.

A Me too. Brake dust is the normal byproduct of brake wear. Friction material slowly wears off the brake pads and shoes with normal use -- sort of like the rubber wearing off your vehicle's tires over many thousands of miles.

In most cases, the residual brake dust is not harmful to the performance or durability of your car's brakes. It is possible for brake dust to build up in the cleaning grooves of brake pads and rivet holes in brake shoes, but unless that debris ends up absorbing oil or grease that might affect brake performance, it's generally not a problem.

Most of the accumulated brake dust can be removed by simply washing or flushing the brake caliper and pads with water. In some cases, it might be necessary to remove the brake pads to clean out the grooves in the face of the pads. With drum brakes, removing the brake drum to flush the shoes and linkages will carry away most brake dust. Thus, a labor charge for this service might be warranted.

With that said, many shops will inspect brakes at no cost, and unless there is an unusual buildup of brake dust, I don't believe it is necessary to have a specific service to remove brake dust performed on a regular basis.

Q I bought a new car and was offered free oil and filter changes. The trick is that the time to change it comes up only after 6,000 miles on the odometer. The oil is really black by then. I was wondering if it is okay to keep that same oil in the car after 3,000 or 4,000 miles. I am from the old school that always changed oil at 3,000 miles.

Q It sounds as if I have a flock of crickets under my hood. I have a 2003 Ford Expedition with 83,000 miles on it. When I accelerate in cold weather, the crickets sound off. No lights appear on the dash. Any ideas?

A Since it's unlikely a "flock" of these noisy little critters is trapped under the hood, have a shop try to locate the source of the clatter with an automotive stethoscope by putting the vehicle under light load to generate the noise.