Brakes "stuck" after spraying down GenIII

Yes, I had this happen last summer after washing and letting it sit for a bit. I now move the car and ride the brakes to clear the water off the rotors after washing.

 

Rust. This is a fairly common problem in damp climates.

Tom

 

Yes. After washing the car, I suggest taking the car for a short drive. I do this when the car is still wet, get up to ~30 mph, then shift into N and apply the brake pedal gently. This kills two birds with one stone:

Bird 1) this dries the friction brakes

Bird 2) some of the water blows off the Prius, leaving less for you to dry off with a chamois or towels, whatever your method is.

 

The brake disks on many cars are made of the quickest rusting metal on earth. Mine rust in the time it takes to wash the car. That said this is all normal, and the rust is just surface rust which easily rubs off with light application of the friction brakes. Nothing to worry about.

 

I have had it happen in my other non Toyota cars too.

 

yes i have this problem in the past, also with other cars.

 

The only difference, with you being Dutch, is that your Prius has wooden brakes.

Tom

 

yes i know
the dutch are really environmentally good.

in my case leaving the car standing for a while it wil grow roots.
try to move with that.....

 

i think its the MG protection that keeps it from moving.
so the ice kicks in and needs to move the car?

 

You could spray some WD-40 on the rotors to keep them from rusting, after you wash your car. eace:

This has happened to me on all vehicles I have ever owned, but I haven't yet duplicated it on my Prius...

 

My thought there is that since the brakes are used less on the Prius, they are likely hardly used at this point and still have a tight fit around the rotor causing it to rust to it. In other vehicles, likely the brakes are already so used that it is not a problem. Just a thought...
I was surpised too. I could still see the outline of the brake pad on the rotor after I moved it!

 

Happens worse on my Acura MDX; brakes stick after sitting out in the rain sometimes. After I get the car going and apply light brake pressure the surface rust is removed and everything is fine.

We wash the Prius in a touchless spray wash when we get gas and always drive the car home and things are dry by the time we arrive so this isn't much of a problem.

 

I know that WD-40 is technically not a lubricant but the thought of spraying that or any lubricant on the rotors is kind of scary. Having read lots of chicken little posts on this site, I am not sure that many people who post here have either a sense of humor or maybe even sense. They may take you totally seriously.

The rotors are supposed to stop your car. Lubrication can only hinder that, their main function. I know it will burn off quickly, but while it is on there it will make your brakes slip and become less efficient. Maybe a lot less efficient. There has to be a better way.

 

Yes, that would be an extremely bad idea.

 

The rear brakes on my Mk2 Astra used to rust up overnight when it was damp.
Usually they would free up with a loud bang when I drove off in the morning. But once or twice I had to call out the AA. Not had this on the Prius.

 

This happens to my Honda CR-V. I have actually had the brakes freeze after I washed the car and left it sitting for a few days. When I pressed the accelerator harder, the brakes made a very loud noise when finally releasing and allowing the car to move. Honda dealer says this is "normal." I now drive my Honda around the block to dry the disk brakes after I wash the car. My Prius has not had this severe of a problem.