I recently purchased a 2017 Jeep Renegade and on the carfax I can see that the rear brake pads only were replaced, doesn’t appear that the rotors were replaced. I called the dealership and they said a complete brake job was done. So now , first thing in the morning when my engine is still cold , my brakes are making a loud grinding noise when I am reversing. The dealership checked the brakes and couldn’t find an issue, they said this is normal. Has anyone else had a similar issue and how did it get resolved ?
Brakes grinding when in reverse
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Yes, this is pretty normal. Dew/condensation causes a bit of rust, backing up and applying the brakes scrapes it off. Moving forward and applying the brakes would scrape it off too, but reverse is always louder. This applies to every car I have ever owned with rear disk brakes. The renegade is just louder because it's small, the brakes are big relatively, and the boxy cargo area. Less mass to dampen the vibration, and a big less rigid portion of the body to act as a speaker diaphragm.
Thank you ! The dealership also said this could happen because of dew, since once the car warms up, it doesn’t make the grinding noise anymore.
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Yes, what raz-0 wrote. I assume the Renegade is parked outside? When it's raining?
I suppose a heavy dew could also cause rusting on the brake disks. In any case, it doesn't take much.
And, yes, the brake pads scrape the rust off almost immediately.
Though I haven't noticed it being worse in reverse... Maybe because of the wear pattern on the pads...?
I suppose a heavy dew could also cause rusting on the brake disks. In any case, it doesn't take much.
And, yes, the brake pads scrape the rust off almost immediately.
Though I haven't noticed it being worse in reverse... Maybe because of the wear pattern on the pads...?
Would there be a wear pattern on new pads? I’ve barely driven the car since I work from home. No one else I know with a renegade has this issue or has ever heard of this happening. I can’t help but feel like something is extremely wrong ?
You should hear my wife's winter car (2013 Ford Escape). She seldom drives in spring-summer-fall since she got her Mustang over two years ago. The rust gets so thick that it takes more than 20 miles before you don't hear the brakes scraping; then they are normal.
If your mechanic couldn't find anything wrong. don't worry about anything brake related.
If your mechanic couldn't find anything wrong. don't worry about anything brake related.
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I don't know. That was just conjecture since obviously the disks only rotate one direction (normally) against the pads, and it makes sense that there would be some directional wear or feathering of the softer pads. you're only hearing the noise when in reverse, when the disks would be turning against that feathering...
You said "grinding" -- I'd describe it more like a "sandpaper" noise. Quite noticeable until the rust gets scrubbed or wiped off by the pads, which is very quickly when the brakes are applied while moving, even slowly.
The noise disappears after a short while? Not because of warming up, but becuase of applying the brakes?
If it's rust, it has nothing to do with a Renegade. it happens on all cars.
I agree with bwbike -- if your dealer couldn't find anything wrong, I'd trust that at least for now. By the time you drove it there, the rust had almost-certainly been scrubbed off.
Next time, the way to check is to look at the disks through the spokes of your wheels. Even a bit of rust (and it can form overnight) will show up as, well, rusty-brown streaks -- going concentrically around the disks.
"Grinding" and rust being scrapped off the discs are two very different sounds to me. If it is a true grinding sound then I'd take it anywhere other than a dealer. It seems to me that dealer techs can't find a problem if their scanner isn't reading an error code.
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Yeah, that's why I think we need a clarification of "grinding."
Jpfishe did say that the sound goes away after a time "once the car warms up."
So also what does that mean... How long? Are the brakes being applied in the meantime?And again, a quick look at the brake disks before starting off would very-obviously show rust, if you know what you're looking for...
I'd hope your comment about a dealer not being able to check basic mechanical problems unless they do an electronic scan is exaggeration... but...
Yes , it’s a true grinding sound. I wouldn’t compare it to rubbing sandpaper. The sound is only heard after sitting in the rain. For example, I drove today and didn’t hear the grinding sound while reversing out of my parking spot… it didn’t rain last night. It only happens after the car has sat for a period of time and only when the breaks are first being applied. If I drive just 5 minutes down the road and apply the brakes in reverse , the sound is no longer heard. I talked to a different dealership and they suggested that it could be a problem with the calipers.Yeah, that's why I think we need a clarification of "grinding."
Jpfishe did say that the sound goes away after a time "once the car warms up."
And again, a quick look at the brake disks before starting off would very-obviously show rust, if you know what you're looking for...
I'd hope your comment about a dealer not being able to check basic mechanical problems unless they do an electronic scan is exaggeration... but...
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The sound of rust scrubbing off really is frightening -- far worse than you'd think once you know what it is.
Oh... Does the noise only occur when you apply the brakes? And not when you're driving or coasting?
Again, that's what makes us think it's just rust on the disks.
Next time after the Renegade is left out in the rain, take a peek at the disks...
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