# Grinding noise of the break **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** cr-v, noises, brakes, honda\ **Created:** [February 8, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/grinding-noise-of-the-break/44110 "2010-02-08T21:42:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gr19492003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@gr19492003](https://community.cartalk.com/u/gr19492003)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/grinding-noise-of-the-break/44110/1 "2010-02-08T21:42:42Z")
My 07 Honda CRV has the ABS system. In MN there are still some thick frozen ice on the road, and when I brakes on those ice spot, there are grinding sound like “gagaga…” fron the front brake for about 5 seconds. It is not the squeeze noise of the pads. Is there something wrong with my ABS system? Thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![bennyandthejets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@bennyandthejets](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bennyandthejets)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/grinding-noise-of-the-break/44110/2 "2010-02-08T21:56:27Z")
Are you sure that isn’t just the ABS activating? There are relays they cycle on and off at a rapid pace, that is how ABS works. The gagaga sound which you say yours makes seems pretty close to my sound which is got-a-rat, got-a-rat, got-a-rat when it’s activating. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/grinding-noise-of-the-break/44110/3 "2010-02-08T22:45:13Z")
I believe that you are just hearing the normal sounds of ABS activating on those icy roads. To the uninitiated, the sounds can be…a bit disturbing. Is this the first time that you had a vehicle with ABS? ---
**Author:** ![gr19492003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@gr19492003](https://community.cartalk.com/u/gr19492003)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/grinding-noise-of-the-break/44110/4 "2010-02-09T01:07:22Z")
Yes. It is the first time I had a vehicle with ABS. No such noise when I brake on the regular road. So do you think that it is normal? By the way, I drove at a low speed around 15 mph. Thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![gr19492003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@gr19492003](https://community.cartalk.com/u/gr19492003)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/grinding-noise-of-the-break/44110/5 "2010-02-09T01:14:56Z")
This is the first time I had a car with ABS. In fact I drove on a icy parking lot with a speed of about only 15 mph when the sound occured. But when I brake on a road without ice, there is no such sound. Is this normal? Thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/grinding-noise-of-the-break/44110/6 "2010-02-09T01:18:19Z")
The ABS should only activate where it is slippery. If none of the wheels are skidding - as for example in non-icy conditions the brakes should just act like normal brakes. What an ABS system does is constantly monitors the speed of each wheel. If it senses different wheels spinning at a different rates it will compensate by basically pumping the brakes for you. So, yes. You should hear this weird sound if it is slippery, but not hear it if it is not.