Just bought a 2010 Toyota Rav4 about 2 weeks ago. It rained the other day and the brakes made a grinding noise the first time I braked after starting the car but didn’t make it after that. Did it again the same day, still raining, but only the first time I braked after starting the car. I have a 30 day guarantee on the vehicle and need to know quickly if the brakes are bad or not. Thanks!!
More than likely, you are hearing the self-test function of the ABS.
I suggest that you read the section of the Owner’s Manual dealing with that system, as it will probably discuss the sounds that accompany the normal self-test of the ABS system.
This self-test will normally take place after the vehicle has sat idle for several hours, and it can usually be heard after driving anywhere from a few feet to…perhaps…100 feet.
If it is not the ABS, then another possibility is that–given the rain factor–you may be hearing the noise of rust being ground off of the brake rotors. In very wet conditions, it is amazing how fast rust can accumulate on the brake rotors of some cars, and the grinding-off of that accumulation will have a tendency to give you a noisy first stop.
+1 for @VDCdriver. Bad brakes means you have a vehicle that won’t stop. If I got rid of every vehicle that had noisy brakes from time to time, especially in the rain…I wouldn’t have any vehicles at all.
On a rainy day it’s normal to get a grinding on first brake application after the car sits for a bit. Surface rust can develop in the time it takes to walk the mall. But brake noises should always be checked out.
Thanks for your help.
My car often does this the morning after a rainy day. The brakes will grind lightly as I back down the driveway. After that, they’re fine.
I’ve had this occur on my Corolla from time to time and the brakes are fine. But since there is a 30 day window involved here it might make sense to have the wheel(s) associated w/the location of the noise source removed and the brake components given a quick visual inspection for any obvious problem. That would cost somewhere around 1 billing hour I expect, not much $$, providing no repairs were needed.
After 48 hrs, my RAV brake discs seem coated with rust. The other day, I tried one out that had been sitting in a lot for weeks. There was a loud snapping sound when they broke loose as I backed out of the parking slace. In both cases, the RAV brakes on both cars functioned perfectly within a matter of moments.