On our annual winter pilgrimage to the Orkney Islands we have to negotiate the Berriedale Braes on the A9 trunk road. It's a steep downhill followed immediately with a steep uphill. It's serious enough a hazard to include emergency escape sand traps for heavy good vehicles with failing brakes.
It was immediately after negotiating the 'Braes that we noticed a repeating chirping noise that increases in frequency as road speed increased. The chirping continued for a few miles after the 'Braes and then went away.
The noise came back again a week later, again after going through the 'Braes. Again going away after a few miles.
Since the car was due a service I decided to bring it up with the workshop when it was in the Garage. It was when I was talking to the foreman that I realised that the front brake pads and discs are the originals. That means that they have served an incredible 81000 miles!
Is this long brake life characteristic of I-shift? I know that the gearbox is good at downshifting during extended braking. So perhaps its attentiveness to road speed and car incline/decline means that its consistent downshifts help take load off of the braking system?
