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I have noticed a grinding noise, like friction coming from front left wheel but only
- When the car is stationary whole night and first start in the morning
- When I drive during the day and park and after parking during the drive first few minutes.
So I took it to the mechanic and so far we replaced
- Rotors and Pads
- Axle bearings
but the noise is still there.
My steering is also smooth and soft no noise is coming when i turn the wheel.
I am gonna try moving left wheel to right and right to left to see if the noise is moving the right.
Hi all, I talked to the official MB dealer garage today.
I explained the situation and the mechanic was like , I am pretty sure it's a suspension issue.
His thesis is, when you park over the night, suspension goes down and when you run the engine in the morning suspension goes up that's why first couple of minutes, I have this grinding noise and it fades away..
This sounds logical to me, I will get my suspension checked.. what do you guys think ?
What else could it be ? The worst part is, everytime I did the test drive, there was no grinding at all.. my mechanic thinks that I am becoming paranoid ..
GLKs didn't come with air suspension as far as I know so having your suspension "settle" and then make a noise would be a new one to me.
You didn't mention a couple of details. I assume that the noise is present only when you are in motion and goes away when you stop the car, is that the case? Does the pitch of the noise vary with vehicle speed? Does the noise change when you brake, turn a corner or drive over bumps? Have you had the car on a lift or had someone walk/run alongside to try and pinpoint where the noise is coming from?
Why did your mechanic replace the parts that he did? Did he put a stethoscope on the axle to listen for the noise?
A friction noise? Does it coincide with wheel rotation? Or bumps? I just had a sticking break caliper, but had no noise. It Could be a sticking break caliper . After you use it, it could loosen up. I had one front caliper so bad it would turn the wheel black from brake dust after 2 weeks. It took me a thermal image photo and an IR heat gun photo to get MB to do the warranty repair . Is one wheel more dusty then the other? Could Also be a CV joint going bad. A cheap IR thermometer , 15$, Could be used to measure brake temp . If one wheel is even 20f or so more you found the problem. Mine was over 100f different on right to left fronts. Measuring both front brake pad thicknesses will be a big indicator if one wheel is grabbing.
+1 for a sticking brake caliper. When was the last time you bled the brakes? When your mechanic replaced the front brakes, did he also clean and lube the caliper sliding bolts inside the rubber boots?
You're probably end up needing either a rebuilt caliper (few hundred) or having yours rebuilt (new seals, etc.)
Yes, got my all 4 rotors and pads replaced recently and they did the bleeding after the replacement and I believe they applied all needed treatement on them.
Actually, the reason of replacement was to fix the issue however it did not help, I just ended up with spending money and having brandnew rotors and pads
The friction was there before the replacement so I believe, it's not coming from the braking system.
When the car was on the lift, I rolled the wheel manually to see if something is touching and creating any friction but it was very smooth.
They dropped down the front axle, checked and replaced the left axle bearings and motors.
The mechanic said, if you have an issue with CV joints or any other joints, you feel the friction or hear it all the time not sometimes.
So must be something else..
It happens only when I am moving regardles if I am moving straight or turning around and only for first couple of minutes and then it goes away.
I will take it to someone else this weekend maybe they will find the problem.
Agree with Andreigbs. Sounds like a sticking caliper piston. The pistons are only pushed back by the rotors a small amount when you take your foot off the brake, but the rotor needs to be turning. SO when you stop for the night, the pistons are extended to hold the brake pad to the rotor. The rotors will rust up during the night and you might hear that first rotation or two until the pistons are pushed back. When the car only stops for a short while, no rust and the piston o-rings are well lubricated so they move quickly on starting. If it really bothers you, you probably need the o-rings(seals) in the caliper serviced and you might find that the bore of the caliper is pitted. Replacing the pads or the discs will not cure this.
+1 for a sticking brake caliper. When was the last time you bled the brakes? When your mechanic replaced the front brakes, did he also clean and lube the caliper sliding bolts inside the rubber boots?
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Based on what the OP said, the sliders seem to be the most likely culprit. After a few miles the rotors will push the calipers apart and the noise stops. As noted, you need to clean and lube the sliders during a brake service. If this isn't done there is a possibility that the calipers become "lazy" and won't retract normally.
To test this, you might want to try tapping the top of the caliper with a hammer a few times before starting out in the morning. This can often free up the sliders enough to prevent the noise. If this works you have found your problem and you can deal with it properly.
Good luck
Ooopps, sorry for repeating bop11, I was typing while he was posting
Last edited by karmikan; Mar 11, 2020 at 01:17 PM.
Also, thinking of testing it, so before I move if I hit and release the brake pedal couple of times, I may get o-rings well lubricated ? Is this how it works ?
I tested it immediately and I think you guys are right.
The car was in a parking position for couple of hours.
i tapped on top of the left caliper couple of times with a hammer before i started the engine and then started as usual.
And voila! The noise wasn’t there.
I will try this tomorrow morning as well in order to be sure.
So if get my calipers cleaned and treated, this will be resolved hopefully
I tested it immediately and I think you guys are right.
Good stuff!
If a couple of guys on the web can help, why did your mechanic just throw expensive parts at the problem when he had access to the actual car? Not a ringing endorsement to say the least..
One important point, your sliders are protected from the elements by rubber boots. It's possible that the one or more of your boots is torn which would let moisture into the sliders and cause corrosion. When you have your sliders and calipers inspected make sure the boots are carefully examined and replaced if necessary. They're pretty inexpensive so you might decide to replace them anyway
I did the same this morning before running the engine and moving the car, i tapped the caliper from top with a hammer but this time the noise was there.
I will get my calipers checked anyway to make sure no issues.
if calipers are fine, I don’t know what to check..
My bet is still on your caliper. If tapping didn't work this time it just means that the sliders or pistons were too stuck to be jarred loose by tapping. I would take your car to someone who really knows their stuff and is able to disassemble the caliper on a bench. They should be looking for any corrosion, pitting or dirt on all the moving parts of the caliper. Get an assessment from them whether the caliper can be re-used or if you need a new one.
When finished with the vehicle for the day, jack up the side you think the noise is from, spin the wheel the next morning , find the issue , I’ll bet it’s the caliper.
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