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Brake pads sticking after a wash.

72&18

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I have had this happen several times now. I will take the car out for a drive, come home and give it a wash. I then pull it into the garage. The next day, when I go to back it out the brakes snap loose and it takes some throttle to get it moving. Anyone else have this happen?

Thanks
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Epiphany

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I like to disassemble things.
Yes. Drive it and the issue is exonerated.
 

K4fxd

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Don't use the parking brake until everything fully dries.
 

StangTime

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I have had this happen several times now. I will take the car out for a drive, come home and give it a wash. I then pull it into the garage. The next day, when I go to back it out the brakes snap loose and it takes some throttle to get it moving. Anyone else have this happen?

Thanks
Do what I do. Wash the car and then drive it around the block applying the brakes a few times. The moisture will evaporate quickly and you won't have rust sticking the pads to the rotors after you park it. This happen on almost any car if you don't dry up the water after.
 

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K4fxd

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No parking brake used.
Then that would require some investigation. Pads should not have any pressure against the rotors when stopped, unless your foot is on the brake.
 

LICobra

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It happens to me too, annoying…. now after a wash and wipe down I take it for a very short ride for around the block……the rust is gone off the rotors and no sticky pads
 

cmxPPL219

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I have had this happen several times now. I will take the car out for a drive, come home and give it a wash. I then pull it into the garage. The next day, when I go to back it out the brakes snap loose and it takes some throttle to get it moving. Anyone else have this happen?

Thanks
This is completely expected, especially in cars that have performance-oriented pads that have some semi-met content in them, which tends to fuse more to the iron rotor with water and moisture, than say ceramic-based pads.

The trick is, like others mentioned, is to drive the car for a bit around the block, but make sure to apply some brakes, on and off, to rub off the surface rust that has gathered on the rotor swept-area face. (When you come home and finally park it up, if you're picky about it, wipe wheels again, to remove the yellow-gold rust dust that has gathered on the spokes from the braking)

Alternatively, if you have a driveway that allows, move the car back and forth a few times and use the brakes "deliberately" to rub off the surface rust that formed from the wash.

The pads, both front and rear, irrespective of the parking brake used, may not be "touching" the rotor when your car is sitting, which is how it should be, if no calipers are seized. However, the gap is so finite, that when you get water and moisture, "fusing" of the pad to the rotor can occur, once you introduce water, and it just sits there, like from washing the car.
 
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K4fxd

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I've never had this happen on a car that didn't sit for less than a few months. Street cars, race cars, this going back to the 1970's.
 

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68Stang

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Yep! I have a set of black marks on my shop floor to prove it. Better than line lock! Takes a good jolt to snap the front ones free.
 
 




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