Noise when driving after having the car sit for five days after car wash.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz E350
Noise when driving after having the car sit for five days after car wash.
Hi everyone!
I washed my car on Sunday, and I had it sit until this morning, I was using my Mustang because of the weather has been so nice. I posted about this a while back, but I know it’s normal when the brake gets caught on the car to hear that loud bang when you first drive the car, but because the car sat for so long it was really stuck this time. And I had to almost floor the gas for it to take off. After that, it was completely fine.
however, I had heard a noise when I was driving around 20 to 30 mph, like something was rotating and hitting the axle or something like that. After about two minutes, it disappeared. My guess is it something wet from the car wash, I had to get moving again? Anything to be alarmed?
I washed my car on Sunday, and I had it sit until this morning, I was using my Mustang because of the weather has been so nice. I posted about this a while back, but I know it’s normal when the brake gets caught on the car to hear that loud bang when you first drive the car, but because the car sat for so long it was really stuck this time. And I had to almost floor the gas for it to take off. After that, it was completely fine.
however, I had heard a noise when I was driving around 20 to 30 mph, like something was rotating and hitting the axle or something like that. After about two minutes, it disappeared. My guess is it something wet from the car wash, I had to get moving again? Anything to be alarmed?
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2024 Mercedes-Benz E350
I didn’t look, but I would say probably around the edges. Yes, it didn’t happen when I put my foot on the brake just when I was coasting. But I just left my doctor, and the car sat for about 15 to 20 minutes, and I had no problem after I left.
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I would get it checked out at the dealership. Not normal to hear a noise like you describe that while driving.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz E350
I drove about 3 miles to my dermatologist, parked it for 20 minutes, came out and it was fine. Drove home with the radio off and didn't hear anything. I'll definitely keep an eye (ear) on it until I leave for vacation on Sunday. But I think it will be ok. Maybe something was stuck inside because I literally had to press down on the gas to release the brake after the car wash. It's my fault, I should've backed it out of the garage earlier this week to release the brakes from the rotors. I hate how after you wash it they get stuck. But my old S class did that too.
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S65
Sounds like the pads just seized to the rotors and maybe the rotors were starting to oxidize. However, assuming the car wash isn't in your back yard, that moisture should have dissipated by the time you got the car back to your garage, so there is that.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz E350
The car wash is not near my house, it's in the next town over, and I get on the highway to get home, about 12-13 minutes away. I bring the car home, go over it with a towel, dress the tires, do the windows, etc, then parked it from Sunday afternoon until this morning. My guess is something oxidized and got stuck and it had to be driven to make sure it rotates and everything was ok. It was like a ticking, that got faster, and then disappeared after 0.5-1.0 miles of driving, and hasn't come back. I'll be at my office for about 5 hours now, so I'll see how it is when I leave if it is ok.
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'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
Ive said it before but its going to take someone driving through their garage door or into their home or a person before Mercedes fixes their improper chemistry or operation of the brake. Oxidation and some tiny noise is normal, but seizing to the point of needing lots of gas is a danger waiting to happen. Imagine if this happens on a parallel parked car. Nobody has reported if a pad change or aftermarket rotors fixes this issue.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz E350
Ive said it before but its going to take someone driving through their garage door or into their home or a person before Mercedes fixes their improper chemistry or operation of the brake. Oxidation and some tiny noise is normal, but seizing to the point of needing lots of gas is a danger waiting to happen. Imagine if this happens on a parallel parked car. Nobody has reported if a pad change or aftermarket rotors fixes this issue.
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It's my fault, I should've backed the car out on Monday so it didn't happen. But again, something you shouldn't "have to do." I'm sure oxidation is what caused the ticking noise for the first few minutes of driving, and then it's ok. But in my opinion, it's ridiculous. You should be able to not engage the brake if you don't want to. I had to give it the most gas this time for the car to break loose. My S-Class never was this bad after a wash.
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SL63
Yes.
The general consensus is that after washing, drive and use brakes long enough to dry the pads and rotors. If you can’t, make sure the parking brake is off when shutting the car down. And on startup, before putting the car in gear, release the parking brake, if it is engaged. These habits should prevent any of what OP is describing, from happening.
I purposely don’t drive my SL in the rain, but if I do, I ride the brakes every so often to keep the rotors hot enough to provide normal braking.
Also, if anyone has carbon brakes, and or rotors, they act like sponges when water is present, and if allowed to be wet, have significantly less than normal braking power available.
There is a specific method for those types of brakes to be warmed up to provide normal braking.
The general consensus is that after washing, drive and use brakes long enough to dry the pads and rotors. If you can’t, make sure the parking brake is off when shutting the car down. And on startup, before putting the car in gear, release the parking brake, if it is engaged. These habits should prevent any of what OP is describing, from happening.
I purposely don’t drive my SL in the rain, but if I do, I ride the brakes every so often to keep the rotors hot enough to provide normal braking.
Also, if anyone has carbon brakes, and or rotors, they act like sponges when water is present, and if allowed to be wet, have significantly less than normal braking power available.
There is a specific method for those types of brakes to be warmed up to provide normal braking.
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'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
Both BMW and Mercedes used to have something called brake drying that would automatically lightly apply the brake to dry the rotors when it was raining. Not sure if that technology exists in current models. I had it way back in an E90 bmw from the early 2000s. Mercedes had it in vehicles with adaptive braking.
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S65
Both BMW and Mercedes used to have something called brake drying that would automatically lightly apply the brake to dry the rotors when it was raining. Not sure if that technology exists in current models. I had it way back in an E90 bmw from the early 2000s. Mercedes had it in vehicles with adaptive braking.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz E350
So, car was parked all night, no problem this morning. Took it to the car wash before I got to my office this morning, and parked it outside since 90 minutes ago. I work for another 2-2.5 before lunch, but the car will be driven. So I'm sure it will be ok.
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2019 E 450, 2016 E350 4matic (retired), 2018 Ford Edge Sport, 2008 Porsche Boxster
Hi everyone!
I washed my car on Sunday, and I had it sit until this morning, I was using my Mustang because of the weather has been so nice. I posted about this a while back, but I know it’s normal when the brake gets caught on the car to hear that loud bang when you first drive the car, but because the car sat for so long it was really stuck this time. And I had to almost floor the gas for it to take off. After that, it was completely fine.
however, I had heard a noise when I was driving around 20 to 30 mph, like something was rotating and hitting the axle or something like that. After about two minutes, it disappeared. My guess is it something wet from the car wash, I had to get moving again? Anything to be alarmed?
I washed my car on Sunday, and I had it sit until this morning, I was using my Mustang because of the weather has been so nice. I posted about this a while back, but I know it’s normal when the brake gets caught on the car to hear that loud bang when you first drive the car, but because the car sat for so long it was really stuck this time. And I had to almost floor the gas for it to take off. After that, it was completely fine.
however, I had heard a noise when I was driving around 20 to 30 mph, like something was rotating and hitting the axle or something like that. After about two minutes, it disappeared. My guess is it something wet from the car wash, I had to get moving again? Anything to be alarmed?
The brake rotors when wet, either driving through rain, or just washing your car at home will rust. This is perfectly normal. To remove the rust, while driving apply slight brake pressure. The brake pads will remove the rust. Again this is perfectly normal. (also very good practice when driving in the rain: regularly applying slight pressure to the brakes will keep the brakes/rotors functioning as designed)
As I posted on another thread, because I had to replace the rear discs and pads at 30K miles because of the electronic brakes on the rear, before engaging the transmission I always release the brakes by pulling the brake lever.
I was looking at a 2022 E450 CPO with 28K miles. The description noted: "Rear discs and pads replaced". So the electronic brakes not properly releasing and causing damage to the rear discs and wear of the rear pads is common.
FWIW, I am still on the original pads on the front: 2019 E450 with 55K miles.
Hope this helps!
Last edited by JTK44; Jul 25, 2025 at 04:29 PM.
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Both BMW and Mercedes used to have something called brake drying that would automatically lightly apply the brake to dry the rotors when it was raining. Not sure if that technology exists in current models. I had it way back in an E90 bmw from the early 2000s. Mercedes had it in vehicles with adaptive braking.
Last edited by W205C43PFL; Jul 26, 2025 at 11:05 PM.
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Yes.
The general consensus is that after washing, drive and use brakes long enough to dry the pads and rotors. If you can’t, make sure the parking brake is off when shutting the car down. And on startup, before putting the car in gear, release the parking brake, if it is engaged. These habits should prevent any of what OP is describing, from happening.
I purposely don’t drive my SL in the rain, but if I do, I ride the brakes every so often to keep the rotors hot enough to provide normal braking.
Also, if anyone has carbon brakes, and or rotors, they act like sponges when water is present, and if allowed to be wet, have significantly less than normal braking power available.
There is a specific method for those types of brakes to be warmed up to provide normal braking.
The general consensus is that after washing, drive and use brakes long enough to dry the pads and rotors. If you can’t, make sure the parking brake is off when shutting the car down. And on startup, before putting the car in gear, release the parking brake, if it is engaged. These habits should prevent any of what OP is describing, from happening.
I purposely don’t drive my SL in the rain, but if I do, I ride the brakes every so often to keep the rotors hot enough to provide normal braking.
Also, if anyone has carbon brakes, and or rotors, they act like sponges when water is present, and if allowed to be wet, have significantly less than normal braking power available.
There is a specific method for those types of brakes to be warmed up to provide normal braking.
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SL63
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Them there three Rs is for fancy peeple. We don't need to now Reedin, Ritin an Rhitmetic.
Don't feel bad, @W205C43PFL, Voice to Text on my mobiles is always trying to make me look like a complete and utter drooling retard... in 4 different languages. Nowadays, I have my messaging apps set to a 15 second sending delay just so I can at the very least, give the text it transcribed a glance to make sure it looks half way intelligent. And yes, I know how to enunciate.
Don't feel bad, @W205C43PFL, Voice to Text on my mobiles is always trying to make me look like a complete and utter drooling retard... in 4 different languages. Nowadays, I have my messaging apps set to a 15 second sending delay just so I can at the very least, give the text it transcribed a glance to make sure it looks half way intelligent. And yes, I know how to enunciate.
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SL63
Evidently an attempt at humor, that fell short, or missed the mark.
It’s a takeoff on dialogue from the movie “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
It’s a (somewhat) famous quote, that is also a misquote.
One problem with humor is, the more you explain it, the less funny it gets.
It’s a takeoff on dialogue from the movie “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
It’s a (somewhat) famous quote, that is also a misquote.
One problem with humor is, the more you explain it, the less funny it gets.
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,224
Likes: 6,283
Them there three Rs is for fancy peeple. We don't need to now Reedin, Ritin an Rhitmetic.
Don't feel bad, @W205C43PFL, Voice to Text on my mobiles is always trying to make me look like a complete and utter drooling retard... in 4 different languages. Nowadays, I have my messaging apps set to a 15 second sending delay just so I can at the very least, give the text it transcribed a glance to make sure it looks half way intelligent. And yes, I know how to enunciate.
Don't feel bad, @W205C43PFL, Voice to Text on my mobiles is always trying to make me look like a complete and utter drooling retard... in 4 different languages. Nowadays, I have my messaging apps set to a 15 second sending delay just so I can at the very least, give the text it transcribed a glance to make sure it looks half way intelligent. And yes, I know how to enunciate.
Evidently an attempt at humor, that fell short, or missed the mark.
It’s a takeoff on dialogue from the movie “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
It’s a (somewhat) famous quote, that is also a misquote.
One problem with humor is, the more you explain it, the less funny it gets.
It’s a takeoff on dialogue from the movie “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
It’s a (somewhat) famous quote, that is also a misquote.
One problem with humor is, the more you explain it, the less funny it gets.
