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2010 Prius - Metal-on-Metal sound while in motion

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Comrad_Durandal, Oct 22, 2011.

  1. Comrad_Durandal

    Comrad_Durandal New Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Minneapolis, MN USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I own a 2010 Toyota Prius that recently developed a metal-on-metal whining scraping sound when moving. It does not make sound when the vehicle is stationary, and it's intermittent - which makes me discount the rock-in-disc-rotor idea (not eliminate it, mind you). It's quite loud when it occurs, able to hear it over the stereo. Luckily I was near work at the time, so I went there - but the shop can't even look at it until Monday evening - so I am a bit panicked.
     
    #1 Comrad_Durandal, Oct 22, 2011
  2. sipnfuel

    sipnfuel New Member

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    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Check in each wheel well for debris. If you take off the wheel covers and use a flashlight you may see something.
     
    #2 sipnfuel, Oct 22, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  3. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Location:
    North Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I've had issues with a sticking brake caliper. Perhaps that's the issue on yours/
     
    #3 GrumpyCabbie, Oct 22, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  4. Comrad_Durandal

    Comrad_Durandal New Member

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    Minneapolis, MN USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
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    III
    Hmmm, I thought about that - but there isn't the tell-tale of adverse performance impact (pulling to the affected side, undue deceleration when throttle is closed, etc) - though I will note to ask when I can get the vehicle serviced.
     
    #4 Comrad_Durandal, Oct 22, 2011
  5. TeacherMan

    TeacherMan Junior Member

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    Location:
    Gahanna, Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Did you look under that car to see if anything is hanging down where it shouldn't be? I had an unusual scraping noise only when moving that turned out to be one of the plastic panels under the engine dragging on the ground. I pulled it off once I saw it and the dealership replaced it for free (thinking, of course, that it was somehow my fault, which it wasn't). Your noise sounds much louder than mine was but you never know.

    Tom
     
    #5 TeacherMan, Oct 22, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  6. dpaul

    dpaul New Member

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    Location:
    Toronto
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I get that metal on metal light scraping noise when I drive the car after it has been parked for two weeks (in garage during vacation). The sound disappears after about five kilometers.
     
    #6 dpaul, Oct 22, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  7. Comrad_Durandal

    Comrad_Durandal New Member

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    Location:
    Minneapolis, MN USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Well, this is a vehicle that is driven daily as a commuter vehicle - so there wouldn't really be any chance for things to rust here.
     
    #7 Comrad_Durandal, Oct 22, 2011
  8. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    North Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Mine was the driver side rear inside brake pad (passenger side on your LHD car). Apparantly it was due to lack of use!?!? I had checked all the usual signs - mpg's were normal, the wheel wasn't running hot, there wasn't an increase in brake dust etc. But sticking it was.
     
    #8 GrumpyCabbie, Oct 22, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  9. Comrad_Durandal

    Comrad_Durandal New Member

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    Location:
    Minneapolis, MN USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Over this weekend, I managed to get the car up on jacks, and looked at the affected side (passenger side) both front and rear. Turns out, the dust shield attached to the back side of the front brake assembly was bent inward, looking like it had been struck by something - so it made contact with the disc rotor. After some firm, even prying - the shield moved about a quarter of an inch and now no longer makes contact with the rotor - clearing this problem. Thank you all for the advice and brain-storming, it really helped. :)
     
    #9 Comrad_Durandal, Oct 24, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  10. Prius tows Raceboat

    Prius tows Raceboat New Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two Eco
    The Gen 3 dust shields actually develop cracks around the mounting bolts. Reeeeally thin metal there. Mine started scraping loudly when the snow filled in between the rotor & shield and pried the shield (opposite side) into the rotor. Sounded like bad brake pads. I also discovered that by pulling any ABS cable from any wheel (in winter), the ABS computer allowed both front wheels to spin on ice. I got instant traction assist in bad weather here.
     
    #10 Prius tows Raceboat, May 25, 2020
    2012 Prius v wagon 3 likes this.
  11. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Just about every winter around here there will come one time when you can pick out the people in the neighborhood who think spinning wheels is traction assist. They're the ones who have been making ZZZzzzzzz! ZZZzzzzzz! noises all through my breakfast and are still right where they started when I'm dressed and driving to work.

    I saw one guy across the street who had a buddy show up with a 4x4 pickup and hook up a tow strap to pull him out. Pickup went ZZZzzzzzz! ZZZzzzzzzz! and swung on a beautiful circular arc on the end of the strap until it was also dug in at the side of the street and they were both still there when I drove to work.
     
    #11 ChapmanF, May 25, 2020
    2012 Prius v wagon 3 likes this.
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