Car was fine this morning. We drove it 2 hours to thanksgiving and when we hit the brakes pulling into the driveway this awful grinding sound started. Sounds almost like plastic dragging on the ground or grinding brakes or something. But when I let off the brakes the sound is still there now, just quieter. When you lay on the brakes it gets very loud. Doesn’t change with turning or anything. No shake in the steering wheel. No ice dams, nothing dragging. Any thoughts?
You need to have the brakes inspected NOW!
Tester
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Definitely! We have no choice but to drive it home from thanksgiving. My boyfriend works on our cars but diagnosing the problem from a noise is not always easy. Though I’d see if anyone here had input before he digs in.
Also doesn’t seem to do it in reverse.
I can think of only 3 causes for grinding brakes
Brake pads or shoes are worn out. This will be the problem at least 95% of the time.
You car has ABS and you are interpreting the sound of the ABS deploying as grinding. Is the ABS light on? Not all 2003 cars have ABS.
Something has gotten into the space between the pas and disc or shoe and drum.
Thanks. Seems like it happened out of nowhere (fine at one game station stop, then 1/2 hour later this awful sound.) which makes the idea of brake pads seem unusual? Did you listen to the sound in the link I posted in the comments above?
I watched it, unfortunately, I could not get any sound out of it.
Shoot! I’m uploading a new one with sound. One second.
I don’t think a brake noise that horrible would have suddenly appeared.It sounds like you have completely worn away one side of the rotor and are running on the cooling webs between the rotor sides and that would have been grinding for many thousands of miles. I am curious about what it is so please post back so we can all learn.
Thanks for your response. It did come on very suddenly, which is why this is all so perplexing. We’ve taken it on a few longer trips (2+ hours) in the past few weeks and there weren’t any strange noises upon braking before…not even a little grinding or any signs that the brake pads might be wearing down…just nothing. He’s going to have a look at it tomorrow in the daylight and see what’s going on.
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