Unusual noise rather like bad tyre or brakes

[Toeyoyta]

Repeating duff duff duff sound heard on smoother tarmac surfaces with my recently purchased hybrid from main dealer. This was described exactly by member Sirau2014.

It is intermittent and sometimes heard after 2 minutes driving, lasting for perhaps 20 minutes and then disappears for a similar time only to return again. The sound has a roughness similar to worn through brake pads but these have been inspected and there is no evidence of noise or trouble when braking.

A new MOT has been carried out so unlikely again to be wheel bearing and given the normal quiet running at times. 

So I am desperate to hear of any similar experiences.

                                                                                           Thanks in advance

 

[TonyHSD]

Hi and welcome. That sound can be coming from anything that rotates, tyre, wheels, bearings, engine, transmission, best if you can record a video and share with us then we might be able to recognise the noise and the cause of it. Have you check all tyres for a little stones stuck between the thread or nail inside one of the tyres? 

[Toeyoyta]

Thanks Tony but as explained its intermittent so unlikely to be a tyre. Inspection by main Toyota dealership could not find anything unusual and carried out a new MOT. I am collecting the car late this afternoon so will report back. Thanks for the suggestions.

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Toeyoyta said:

Thanks Tony but as explained its intermittent so unlikely to be a tyre. Inspection by main Toyota dealership could not find anything unusual and carried out a new MOT. I am collecting the car late this afternoon so will report back. Thanks for the suggestions.

Ok, if you look at the brake discs if they are not shiny metal but rusty this can mean you have a stuck slider pins and that can cause the issues you describe, the pads will rub onto the disc surface. Your brakes might need to be cleaned and lubricated, it’s a common issue on hybrid cars since these cars uses e motor to slow down and actual brakes does not get enough braking force (friction)to clean up themselves . Let see what the  dealer will say about it. , hopefully they will get it sorted fast. You can also try to clean the brakes as you do few slow downs from 60 mph to 20 mph in N neutral, no need to be hard braking just moderate and linear preferably going downhill and take into account other road users, safety first 👍

[Catlover]

I like that idea of cleaning discs up. Tried it this morning, made sure no cars behind me, put into neutral, immediately more “free wheeling” effect, then the braking. Lovely shiny discs all round, but there again, I didn’t look before went shopping. doh!

[TonyHSD]

20 minutes ago, Catlover said:

I like that idea of cleaning discs up. Tried it this morning, made sure no cars behind me, put into neutral, immediately more “free wheeling” effect, then the braking. Lovely shiny discs all round, but there again, I didn’t look before went shopping. doh!

Same, done it last night and after that the brakes has more bite, king of sharper feeling on the pedal, nicer then before and the discs looks shinier too. 👍

[ApophisAstros]

28 minutes ago, Catlover said:

I like that idea of cleaning discs up. Tried it this morning, made sure no cars behind me, put into neutral, immediately more “free wheeling” effect, then the braking. Lovely shiny discs all round, but there again, I didn’t look before went shopping. doh!

All discs rust when left for a while but one decent brake application cleans them adequately,

Roger

[Catlover]

1 minute ago, ApophisAstros said:

All discs rust when left for a while but one decent brake application cleans them adequately,

Know what you saying Roger, but biggest bugbear with a Toyota hybrid is that especially the rear discs corrode and sliders stick due to lack of use, caused by the motor doing most of the braking.

[yossarian247]

20 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Ok, if you look at the brake discs if they are not shiny metal but rusty this can mean you have a stuck slider pins and that can cause the issues you describe, the pads will rub onto the disc surface. Your brakes might need to be cleaned and lubricated, it’s a common issue on hybrid cars since these cars uses e motor to slow down and actual brakes does not get enough braking force (friction)to clean up themselves . Let see what the  dealer will say about it. , hopefully they will get it sorted fast. You can also try to clean the brakes as you do few slow downs from 60 mph to 20 mph in N neutral, no need to be hard braking just moderate and linear preferably going downhill and take into account other road users, safety first 👍

I do this occasionally with my wife's C-HR hybrid to clean the discs up if she's complained of any odd noises. It's usually after the car has been washed then parked up with cold, wet brakes which seems to encourage rust to form on the discs around where the pads have sat. Fortunately we live not far from a long straight unclassified lane which gets very little traffic, so is an ideal place to do it.

[Toeyoyta]

Thanks to all for the additional comments. Main dealer apparently didn't discover anything unusual so didn't hear the intermittent noise. Not sure they tried too hard. They managed to charge me for new tyres but this didn't change anything. Fifty yards/metre''s up the road when leaving - There it was, like hearing a small steam train pulling a load but while wearing ear muffs. Duff Duff Duff. Normal sounds and feel when braking. 

Looked at discs, all clean but for a few rust spots. Dealer where purchased may be getting it returned!

No signs of Sirau2014?

[Toeyoyta]

Again thanks to everyone for their insight to hybrid brakes and I shall take into account Tony's suggestion of braking while in neutral but I can't help thinking a sticking pad would produce an uninterrupted rubbing noise not duff duff.

I will post again as the situation develops.

[yossarian247]

A 'duff duff duff' noise is exactly what our C-HR does when there's corrosion on the discs. It is like that I think because the corrosion is not equally all the way round the disc, but has built up in one spot where the pads have been sat against the disc when parked. Tony's method above silenced it, although I did have to do it a couple of times to make the noise go completely.

[Toeyoyta]

Went purposely out yesterday to find a couple of longish hills. Not too difficult in Wales!  Carried out the suggested braking while in neutral but so far there's no change.

The duff duff noise crops up with regularity. Have managed to record with app on my phone a couple of times but background road noise and audio "hiss" means it isn't that clear.  The story continues.  

[Toeyoyta]

Well, lost my membership password for some weeks and some other life complications has kept me from responding again on the puzzling noise I reported for the Auris hybrid.

Having received a second class investigation at my local Toyota Cardiff dealership the car was returned to Nuneaton Toyota where purchased, and finally acknowledged there was a problem.

It is now fine, having changed a front wheel bearing. Because the noise was not audible continuously it was quite difficult to hear at times and I had been told wheel bearing failure was unlikely on these cars. So a bit of a saga running back and fore I am now enjoying the drive.