YC Brakes Sticking

[YarisHybrid2016]

Hi,

The Cross doesn't get driven for days at a time, and for the second time now, the brakes got stuck on quite significantly. More power than was comfortable was needed to get the car moving, accompanied by an almighty bang so loud my wife (who was in the house) thought I'd crashed into the garage door. 😳

It's currently +1 deg. C., and the car was iced over.

Anyone else have the brakes stick badly on the Cross? It seemed it was the front brakes that had stuck, and maybe the rear, too. Ours is FWD and there was no hint of it pulling against the rear brakes, so I'm 99% sure the front was stuck on.

I'm now looking for a set of wheel covers.

[TonyHSD]

Haha, happens to me very often.
Last time I even scared my neighbour as she was just about walking by and the loud crunching noise happened.
It’s the rain, wind and the salt on the roads, keep driving and the brakes will polish themselves and be good and shiny again. And yes the larger are the openings between the spokes on the wheels the more rust and issues we get with the brakes. I like some electric cars alloys that are almost fully closed design like on the eGolf 

[Mojo1010]

Happened to my car last week when it sat for 3 days, wouldn't move off drive, had to gas it a bit and crunch. It's normal due to the weather. Wheel covers will help.

[corradovr6]

I dont know what the braking setup is on newer cars, but in the winter i usually leave the handbrake off and put the car in 1st gear.

[TonyHSD]

2 hours ago, corradovr6 said:

I dont know what the braking setup is on newer cars, but in the winter i usually leave the handbrake off and put the car in 1st gear.

Even so after some time the rust will glued the brake discs and pads together and the crunch is unavoidable plus the scratchy sounds afterwards sometimes that last for a lots of miles especially on hybrids. This is how you can tell if a car been used regularly and for long drives and if not, discs are scored usually on those that seats around. 

[APS]

This is a generic issue with brakes. Lack of use is a killer. It is particularly important on hybrid cars where; a. we partially rely on regenerative braking and less on brakes b. we drive carefully to save on fuel. Both aspects are bad news for our brakes as they rarely see much movement or heat.  Add to this, wintry conditions with low traction and wet and windy weather that blows more moisture on to the discs. Using wheel covers will definitely help protect against rain and wind when parked up. Also consider...

- Ideally, try to always park the car with a little bit of heat in the bakes. Brake a bit extra before parking it up.

- Never just park a car after having washed it / coming home from a car wash. Give it a run and warm up the brakes.

Of course, I'm not saying we should drive like hooligans, but don't be afraid to use the brakes and give them a bit of a workout out every now and then (when it's safe to do so). Think of it as "brake therapy". Make them feel loved, and give them that warm, fuzzy feeling.

[Bernard Foy]

After power washing my car (pre-hybrids) I used to drive with my left foot applying very slight pressure on the brake pedal to dry out the brakes and heat up both pads on the front and shoes in the rear, about 20 seconds would do it usually.

[TonyHSD]

Very good tips last two post 👌

[Primus1]

I have this on my puma so it’s not just limited to Toyota, if I wash mine, or it’s been raining it nearly always happens, mines garaged which might make it worse but I dunno, sometimes it really goes with a bang, interesting to see it happening on the cross, when I eventually get mine I’ll let you know 

[Cyker]

It does seem to be a thing with hybrids and EVs especially; It seems very common for EVs to have their brakes stripped and brushed as part of the service as they get really badly corroded due to insufficient use.

Mine haven't been to bad so far, thanks to the horde of suicidal pedestrians I deal with on a daily basis (I seriously consider attaching a flashing neon billboard to my car sometimes, but realistically I don't think it would help, esp. with the phone zombies...!)

I did have a fun one on my first Mk1 once, where the rear drums got stuck when it snowed a lot, and I couldn't get them to unseize, so ended up driving with the rear wheels locked on and sliding on the snow-covered road until I hit some gritted tarmac!  I was surprised the rear didn't slide out round corners (To be fair I was going veeeery slowly), but when it finally let go the bang was so loud I thought I'd ripped my exhaust off or something!     It's quite disconcerting that you *feel* it through the car as well as hear it!

 

[YarisHybrid2016]

Wheel covers arrived already! Hopefully they do the job!

Agreed with driving after washing. Always do that.

I did try last night to drive with the brakes lightly applied, but the car complained immediately, and I didn't want to risk generating a fault code.

[TonyHSD]

The only hybrids that has no problem with brakes are Uber Priuses.
Their discs are always shiny. Yesterday I noted a Tesla 3 with discs that didn’t look glossy, perhaps were ceramic or no drive often car 

[Bernard Foy]

11 minutes ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

Wheel covers arrived already! Hopefully they do the job!

Agreed with driving after washing. Always do that.

I did try last night to drive with the brakes lightly applied, but the car complained immediately, and I didn't want to risk generating a fault code.

That’s the reason I specifically mentioned (pre-Hybrid). I haven’t had occasion to try it out on the Hybrid.

[Cyker]

16 minutes ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

Wheel covers arrived already! Hopefully they do the job!

Agreed with driving after washing. Always do that.

I did try last night to drive with the brakes lightly applied, but the car complained immediately, and I didn't want to risk generating a fault code.

What wheel covers did you get?

 

[YarisHybrid2016]

3 hours ago, Cyker said:

What wheel covers did you get?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V281GL1

They look well-made!

[anchorman]

For info, to disengage the handbrake, you have to hold the button down until “auto handbrake disengaged” is displayed on the dash.  I do it when I go on holiday or park it after washing but keep in mind that you have to hold it up to re engage it again afterwards.  It will indicate that it is working again on the dash.  

[corradovr6]

If you're not planning on using your car for a while eg over the winter, i would do the following:

 

drive it for a short while to warm and dry any moisture from the brakes

check the discs are now clean

jack up each corner individually, remove the wheel and spray hairspray on each disc both inside and out

 

The hairspray prevents corrosion but also comes off easily once you start using the brakes again.  As mentioned above, lack of use is a killer.  The initial scraping noise is nothing to worry about - its just the surface corrosion being removed.  Worst case, strip the brakes down, remove the pads, rub them gently with sandpaper, grease the sliding points and refit. I find ceramic grease is better than copper slip.  Also, for the sliding pins, use the correct grease (eg red rubber grease) otherwise it will cause caliper drag and other issues.  I do feel that brake inspection and stripdown should be an annual part of the service of the car, i dont believe it is actually done by many garages... but i hope i'm wrong!

[APS]

22 hours ago, Bernard Foy said:

After power washing my car (pre-hybrids) I used to drive with my left foot applying very slight pressure on the brake pedal to dry out the brakes and heat up both pads on the front and shoes in the rear, about 20 seconds would do it usually.

Indeed. Thanks to the "unintended acceleration" cases back in 2009 all cars made since must have an override built-in to the ECU that disables the accelerator as soon as the brake pedal is depressed. Hence you can no longer do this, nor can you left foot trail-brake. Not that I'm bitter... 🙂 

[Guest]

11 hours ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V281GL1

They look well-made!

Don't forget to remove them before driving off!

[anchorman]

1 hour ago, corradovr6 said:

If you're not planning on using your car for a while eg over the winter, i would do the following:

 

drive it for a short while to warm and dry any moisture from the brakes

check the discs are now clean

jack up each corner individually, remove the wheel and spray hairspray on each disc both inside and out

 

The hairspray prevents corrosion but also comes off easily once you start using the brakes again.  As mentioned above, lack of use is a killer.  The initial scraping noise is nothing to worry about - its just the surface corrosion being removed.  Worst case, strip the brakes down, remove the pads, rub them gently with sandpaper, grease the sliding points and refit. I find ceramic grease is better than copper slip.  Also, for the sliding pins, use the correct grease (eg red rubber grease) otherwise it will cause caliper drag and other issues.  I do feel that brake inspection and stripdown should be an annual part of the service of the car, i dont believe it is actually done by many garages... but i hope i'm wrong!

When the day comes I have to do this I’ll sell the car and walk. 

[TonyHSD]

I think Toyota hybrids aren’t suitable for people who drives very occasionally and most of the time the car just seats outside on the driveway/ street. Cars like Aygo or vw Up, kia Picanto, Suzuki ignis, the most basic of all are the most suitable. They have less amount of ecu’s, drum brakes on the rear, wheel covers, 12v Battery that lasts ages, manual parking brake in some, they also super easy reaching working temperature and quickly cool down, pretty much the perfect run around. Sometimes we need cars very occasionally, nothing wrong to have one if you love and enjoy driving. Here btw how look brakes on a car that is driven in the worst possible scenario during winter in uk, early mornings just after the gritters, and this is only one full day without use. , when I parked the car had clean and shiny discs all around, now only front left is so so, the rest are horrible

 👍

[Yugguy1970]

2 hours ago, corradovr6 said:

If you're not planning on using your car for a while eg over the winter, i would do the following:

 

drive it for a short while to warm and dry any moisture from the brakes

check the discs are now clean

jack up each corner individually, remove the wheel and spray hairspray on each disc both inside and out

 

The hairspray prevents corrosion but also comes off easily once you start using the brakes again.  As mentioned above, lack of use is a killer.  The initial scraping noise is nothing to worry about - its just the surface corrosion being removed.  Worst case, strip the brakes down, remove the pads, rub them gently with sandpaper, grease the sliding points and refit. I find ceramic grease is better than copper slip.  Also, for the sliding pins, use the correct grease (eg red rubber grease) otherwise it will cause caliper drag and other issues.  I do feel that brake inspection and stripdown should be an annual part of the service of the car, i dont believe it is actually done by many garages... but i hope i'm wrong!

Good advice for a layup aye.

[YarisHybrid2016]

17 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

I think Toyota hybrids aren’t suitable for people who drives very occasionally and most of the time the car just seats outside on the driveway/ street.

If it only gets used once a week for short trips, then I'd suggest no. Too many batteries involved. Same would apply to EVs.

[anchorman]

18 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

I think Toyota hybrids aren’t suitable for people who drives very occasionally and most of the time the car just seats outside on the driveway/ street. Cars like Aygo or vw Up, kia Picanto, Suzuki ignis, the most basic of all are the most suitable. They have less amount of ecu’s, drum brakes on the rear, wheel covers, 12v battery that lasts ages, manual parking brake in some, they also super easy reaching working temperature and quickly cool down, pretty much the perfect run around. Sometimes we need cars very occasionally, nothing wrong to have one if you love and enjoy driving. Here btw how look brakes on a car that is driven in the worst possible scenario during winter in uk, early mornings just after the gritters, and this is only one full day without use. , when I parked the car had clean and shiny discs all around, now only front left is so so, the rest are horrible

 👍

I don’t know what the brake thing has to do with it especially when you Showa mid range saloon.  You’re basically proving that all cars with disc brakes right up to Mayback with huge 12v are no good.  It’s a fact that untreated exposed cast iron will corrode overnight in the right climate - not vaguely related to a Yaris.   Drum brakes are used because they are cheap and in fact if they are mechanically operated, provide a better parking brake than a disc brake but they can’t be motorised and stay cheap so that doesn’t fit with the automatic application of the parking brake and there’s a very good reason for them being used more and more and drum brakes being withdrawn - there are a lot of people injured or killed by cars with manual parking brakes that run away.   Nothing mechanical likes a lack of use in exposed conditions including a garden gate and apart from the 12v Battery, the rest of these city cars you quote will have all the same problems as a Yaris or any other cars that are little used and that’s just about every other Toyota right up to a RAV4 which is also Hybrid.  I say, rather than roll over and go backwards, start getting used to Battery cars because pretty soon there will be no option even for Doris who does 200 miles a year, isn’t she entitled to have a car or does she become life expired at 75.  Every street in the country is jam packed with cars that are all going to have to transition to Battery soon, what are they going to do when their Picanto has fallen apart?  What about the smaller family that can manage with a Yaris but not an Aygo?   I think education is the way forward.  Doris might be 75 but if she can drive a car, she isn’t stupid.  

[corradovr6]

20 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

I think Toyota hybrids aren’t suitable for people who drives very occasionally and most of the time the car just seats outside on the driveway/ street. Cars like Aygo or vw Up, kia Picanto, Suzuki ignis, the most basic of all are the most suitable. They have less amount of ecu’s, drum brakes on the rear, wheel covers, 12v battery that lasts ages, manual parking brake in some, they also super easy reaching working temperature and quickly cool down, pretty much the perfect run around. Sometimes we need cars very occasionally, nothing wrong to have one if you love and enjoy driving. Here btw how look brakes on a car that is driven in the worst possible scenario during winter in uk, early mornings just after the gritters, and this is only one full day without use. , when I parked the car had clean and shiny discs all around, now only front left is so so, the rest are horrible

 👍

This is good info. To an extent, similar to diesels - great economy but not so for short trips, albeit for other reasons.

I've got no experience of Hybrids or EVs and there's no sensible verifiable real-life experience that I've seen, so this is great clarification. Thanks for sharing, and i would be interested in other peoples experiences too.