Brakes noises

[Mitrovic]

First let me introduce myself briefly:

After my first drive of a Tesla roadster in spring 2010 I finally got my Roadster Sport Signature edition last week. It has 6000 Km on the clock and was first registered 2.2.2010.

Tremendous fun, so far! ( 700 Km ).

One concern however are the brakes. When I leave the car over the night in the garage, when trying to start, the car feels like stuck and only after a little bit more push on the pedal moves with a sudden motion. But then there is terrible high pitched noise from the brakes, and the feel like they have not released. After some 50 meters everything is normal

The Tesla man here in Switzerland tells me this is normal after a wet drive.
I doubt this can be normal at this extent.

What do you think?

Best regards

Zoran

[ChadS]

When I leave the car over the night in the garage, when trying to start, the car feels like stuck and only after a little bit more push on the pedal moves with a sudden motion. But then there is terrible high pitched noise from the brakes, and the feel like they have not released. After some 50 meters everything is normal

Welcome!

I get something very similar, though I don't think quite as bad. If I leave my car overnight after a wet drive, the car does feel slightly "stuck" at first, but not much power is needed to get it moving. Then it makes squealing noises for 30 meters or so--very noticable, but not so bad anybody's going to look at the car with alarm. I do not notice the brakes gripping at this point.

I believe somebody on these forums suggested that this is more likely with Tesla than most cars because the brake rotors get used a lot less, so water is less likely to get wiped off by brake pads, or evaporated by heat.

[stenkb]

Hi Zoran,

That is normal for me as well. I am not sure exactly - but seems like when I park after washing it or when it gets wet - the brakes rust up a little and this causes them to stick and make that high pitched noise. I am not sure - but that is my guess anyways. The sound usually goes away shortly after as the rust is worn away.

Kevin

[Kevin Sharpe]

Are you using the handbrake or just leaving it in park?

[Mitrovic]

Wow, thank you for the very fast responses! This is a fast community!

First I used the handbrake but then I left it without the handbrake. No difference.

Any suggestion how to make things better?

Zoran

[stenkb]

Wow, thank you for the very fast responses! This is a fast community!

First I used the handbrake but then I left it without the handbrake. No difference.

Any suggestion how to make things better?

Zoran

Don't get it wet?

[Doug_G]

Don't get it wet?

I'm with Kevin - that works.

In my experience, the noise only happens the first time I apply the brakes. Rarely it will really squeak but usually it's just a faint raspy noise. I've only had it get "stuck" once but that was after I parked it for two weeks.

[kgb]

I have the same problem, but I didn't make the wetness association, until now. I have to back out of my driveway every morning and most mornings my brakes squeak. But now that I've seen this thread, I realize my brakes don't squeak everyday. I initially attributed the squeak to the fact that the Roadster is Tesla's first try at a car, but now I'm changing my opinion to that fact that I rarely use the brakes, so they never dry off after being splashed.

[mpt]

+1

It's rust on the disks/rotors. If you want to induce it, wash the car, put it away and next morning it'll be stuck. If you look before you set off you'll see the familiar reddish hue to the disks.

I understand that the problem is exacerbated by the racing calipers, big pads and high iron content in the disks.

And welcome to the Club Mitrovic!

[Doug_G]

I think this is a problem to some degree with all brakes ever since they banned asbestos pads. The first car I had with with non-asbestos pads was terrible. If they got wet and sat for an hour, they would SCREEECH so loudly pedestrians would jump. Quite often the rear brakes would also lock up solid with just a light touch, so it would look like I was doing a panic stop, which I found also had the effect of scaring pedestrians. The worst was when only one of the wheels locked, and then the car would lurch sideways suddenly, which was alarming and potentially dangerous in winter driving conditions.

Since that time the automotive vendors have learned how to deal with all this, but the solutions are not perfect.