I’ve got a 2003 Honda Accord, which has been driving me crazy with an odd symptom. On cold mornings, the brakes will make a horrible metal grinding sound the first few times the brakes are applied. After that, the grinding stops until the car cools down enough.
The Honda dealership took a look, and just shrugged and said they’d make strange noises sometimes. I took it to an independent repair place to take a look, and they couldn’t find anything after investigating the entire brake system. However, after he pulled the brake system apart (and put it back together again,) it stopped making the grinding sound for a few months. It started happening again recently as spring arrived.
Any ideas as to what could cause loud metal grinding noises to happen only in a cold car? I’d really appreciate any help or ideas anyone might have on this one.
It is probably just that the brakes are nearing the end of their lifetime. Live with it or get a brake job if it bothers you.
The repair person inspected the brakes and said they weren’t the problem. He was completely confused because he figured the same thing, but the pads weren’t anywhere close to worn down.
The cold weather is likely associated with a healthy amount of dew. The dew will produce surface rust on rotors overnight. Over the first couple of applications of the brakes you will hear the rust being sheared off. This is not an abnormal thing at all. If two places have inspected your brakes and they are in good order then there is nothing to worry about.
I’m sort of surprised that neither place mentioned this kind of thing.
I drive a Chrysler Town and Country mini van as a company car. The original front brakes wore out at 21,000 miles. They were replaced with ceramic pads that made the same grinding noise you’re complaining of, every day until they heated, up for the next 65,000 miles.
The noise they made started a few months after they were installed, and continued every morning until they got hot.