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Noisy Rav 4 Brakes


Nick4
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Can anyone help? I've had my local main dealer look at my 2003 NRG VVTI three door Rav 4 three times and I've also used a local garage (where the chief mechanic was at Toyota for twenty years), but I still haven't resolved the problem. Particularly first thing in the morning, but also throughout the day, when I depress the brake pedal, there's a noise from my brakes (I think it's the back ones) that sounds as if the brake shoes are nearly worn through, it's like a grinding noise, just like break shoes on their last legs. I've had new shoes fitted and the discs looked at, but it still sounds the same. The noise is the only problem I have with the Rav and it's a pain. Also, when I brake even slowly, say to slow down to run up up to traffic lights, there's a lot of road noise and it sounds a little like a Jumbo jet coming in to land. That's a slight exaggeration but I'm sure the car shouldn't make that type of noise. I've been driving for forty years and I've never heard this type of thing in a car before. Finally, I bought the car from someone in Middlesbrough and the alloys are quite badly corroded. I have heard that Toyota alloys aren't great, but I wondered whether the condition of the alloys might point towards the discs being corroded as well... although according to both garages, the discs are fine.

Hs anyone else had this type of problem? Feel free to email me at nickhorne@live.co.uk if you've got a sec'. Thanks, Nick.

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Happily try the car but I'm a bit far away.

If its been checked, then just some other ideas....

stone chip caught in between caliper and wheel/hub ?

pads touching the edge of the disc which doesn't get worn ..ie the outer edge. If you have new pads then probably not.

Are the wheel bearings ok? I found that the front wheel bearings were a bit prone to wearing and making a noise.

dust or grit in beside rear shoes?

and of course a warm welcome to the forum! :yahoo:

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I think I know what you mean. The pads actually have quite a high metallic content and can sound quite rough when they rub on the discs. You might get an improvement if you change the pads to a different manufacturer but as long as nothing is worn out they are probably OK. Try to get a ride in a similar vehicle just to compare :thumbsup:

Welcome to the club.

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Happily try the car but I'm a bit far away.

If its been checked, then just some other ideas....

stone chip caught in between caliper and wheel/hub ?

pads touching the edge of the disc which doesn't get worn ..ie the outer edge. If you have new pads then probably not.

Are the wheel bearings ok? I found that the front wheel bearings were a bit prone to wearing and making a noise.

dust or grit in beside rear shoes?

and of course a warm welcome to the forum! :yahoo:

Thanks for coming back to me so quickly! I'm sure it isn't a stone chip and the guy who changed the pads said he was fitting a pair which were supposed to be softer and therefore quieter; not much difference though really.

I did mention to the 20-years-service-Toyota-mechanic that I thought it might be bearings, (re. the Jumbo jet landing noise) but he said that Rav bearings would outlive the car. I'm glad that you mentioned it though, because I very strongly suspect it's bearings for the droning noise when I slowly pull up to stop.

The break pad noise remains the mystery though. The 20-years-service-Toyota-mechanic (I must get a name for him) looked at everything and said he'd covered the floor of his workshop with black dust when he checked the discs/shoes and reset them (not sure what that means), so that might have been the catalyst for something?

The pad noise (good point re. dust or grit near the rear shoes, I'll bring that up with you-know-who when I next see him) is the most frustrating thing in that the noise is absolutely identical to worn shoes... but it ain't worn shoes.

Thanks again. Regards, Nick.

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I think I know what you mean. The pads actually have quite a high metallic content and can sound quite rough when they rub on the discs. You might get an improvement if you change the pads to a different manufacturer but as long as nothing is worn out they are probably OK. Try to get a ride in a similar vehicle just to compare :thumbsup:

Welcome to the club.

The pads that were fitted were supposed to be made of a softer compound and so create less noise, but it didn't make a lot of difference. I drive my wife mad approaching Rav drivers on Supermarket car parks and posing the noisy break question, but a furrowed brow usually follows from the person I've collared and so I haven't as yet met a fellow sufferer.

Everyone I've asked about it says, "all cars are different, it's the condensation over night in yer garage mate". It might well be, but after 40 years of driving I've never had a car which did this, so I suspect there is something afoot. Thanks for getting in touch. Regards, Nick.

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hi mine makes exactly the same noise as you described changed all the discs and pads noise still there, had it serviced at toyota found nothing wrong be interested if you find out what it is mne is a 53 plate xt3

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My newly purchased 03 Rav 4 has the same problem,allthough came with a new MOT,I have not had time to investigate yet,but I know of experiance that

some discs can even overnight build up a rust type coating that can cause a braking noise.

I will let you know if I find anything when I get time, and a no rain day to investigate

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hi mine makes exactly the same noise as you described changed all the discs and pads noise still there, had it serviced at toyota found nothing wrong be interested if you find out what it is mne is a 53 plate xt3

Glad someone else is experiencing the same thing... not glad that you've got a problem though of course! With you having the discs changed - something I've not done - that rules the discs out as well. I once Googled the problem and there was one thing which arose; the response said that 2002/2003 Ravs were having part of their braking system replaced free of charge, if the owner took the car back no later than a year after purchase. The noisy factor was quoted, but my local main dealer knew nothing of it.

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My newly purchased 03 Rav 4 has the same problem,allthough came with a new MOT,I have not had time to investigate yet,but I know of experiance that

some discs can even overnight build up a rust type coating that can cause a braking noise.

I will let you know if I find anything when I get time, and a no rain day to investigate

Everyone I've asked has said it's rust building overnight, but I don't think it is. My garage is well ventilated and no car I've ever owned has done this. Plus, although the grinding noise is worse when I first back out of my garage (having left the car out of gear and the handbrake completely off overnight) the noise is still there - albeit a little less - throughout the day. To date I've asked three 'good' garage mechanics, the main dealer and a twenty year time-served Toyota mechanic about it, but none can provide an answer. I once had a Saab with a different problem that stumped the main dealer, but the main dealer referred me to the UK National Saab troubleshooter and he diagnosed the problem. Perhaps Toyota have someone like this? I'll check and post my progress... or not as the case may be.

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They aren't "stumped", it is just that pads on discs make noise. If you switch the engine off and roll down a slope then press the brakes from about 5mph, you will hear the fronts do it as well. WARNING - only do it once to try as you will lose the brake servo if you keep doing it!

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They aren't "stumped", it is just that pads on discs make noise. If you switch the engine off and roll down a slope then press the brakes from about 5mph, you will hear the fronts do it as well. WARNING - only do it once to try as you will lose the brake servo if you keep doing it!

I know pads make a noise when applied against discs, but after owning probably thirty cars over forty years and driving umpteen more, I've never heard anything like this.

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I have a 2004 XT4 and have never noticed the brakes make any really abnormal noises and I have driven many makes of car

(except a squeal when reversing at low speed after cleaning, but that's been covered in a previous thread)

If I were you I would bite the bullet and clean/check all the brakes yourself.

Its very easy and while you are in there you can lube the guide pins and check everything out yourself.

There is a great DIY in the tech section.

I now strip/lube my brakes every two years when I change the brake fluid, just takes a morning.

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Yeah me too. Get them double checked for your own peace of mind but the do sound rather "gruff" sometimes.

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I have a 2004 XT4 and have never noticed the brakes make any really abnormal noises and I have driven many makes of car

(except a squeal when reversing at low speed after cleaning, but that's been covered in a previous thread)

If I were you I would bite the bullet and clean/check all the brakes yourself.

Its very easy and while you are in there you can lube the guide pins and check everything out yourself.

There is a great DIY in the tech section.

I now strip/lube my brakes every two years when I change the brake fluid, just takes a morning.

I wish I had the know-how, but I'm still an oil, petrol and water man unfortunately. The latest thing I've been told is that the 'carriers/guide pins on the callipers could be sticking', whatever that means. I've been focusing on the pads and the discs themselves, but a brake expert said that he thinks this is the problem, which makes sense as I've had two sets of pads fitted with no luck and other people in this thread have had pads AND discs changed, all to no avail.

The expert thought that at least one of the mechanics I've spoken to about this should have mentioned the 'sticking' possibility, but watch this thread for more news... if any.

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I think with this problem at least the MOT people do not seem conserned about it,another thing being that I deliver cars to various parts of the country and have delivered a few Rav4`s,all being allmost new,I have not noticed this problem with them,I have not had chance to look at mine as yet

its bank holiday,so I will have to wait for the rain to stop,so watch this space,however I am going to make a forcast as to the problem,I think it will turn out to other than Toyota brand pads being fitted,and not fitting snuggly into the calipers,causing them to make a cluncking noise when applied.

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as i work in a body shop and we do car repairs i had all disks pads pins everything bar the brake pipes changed the noise is still there and its not the pads ive tried 2 different makes, still there but they work fine.1 good thing though ive got rid of the clonking i had so im at a loss .... so are my workmates, this is the only car ive had with this any other ideas?.

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So eventually to-day got the front wheels off and examined the brake calaper,pins,ball joints,runout,splashed a bit of WD40 about,no time to strip the system down,anyone looked at anti-squeel shims? anyway a slight improvment in the noise,but further investigation needed

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I think with this problem at least the MOT people do not seem conserned about it,another thing being that I deliver cars to various parts of the country and have delivered a few Rav4`s,all being allmost new,I have not noticed this problem with them,I have not had chance to look at mine as yet

its bank holiday,so I will have to wait for the rain to stop,so watch this space,however I am going to make a forcast as to the problem,I think it will turn out to other than Toyota brand pads being fitted,and not fitting snuggly into the calipers,causing them to make a cluncking noise when applied.

It isn't a clunking noise, it's metal on metal.

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