This might be a total shot in the dark for you guys but what the hell.

I have a problem. I washed my car and the surface was an incline. When I was done washing my car about 30 minutes later I got in and started it up. I put it in neutral and let it roll down the driveway. As soon as it started to go I heard what sounded like the license plate being drug across the ground. I got out and checked and there was nothing there. I got back in and backed it down and it did it again. I then drove all the way home and it did it only once more when I was coming to a stop sign. Then today I got out to go to the gym and it did it when I was backing up and when I pulled forward. Looked under back of car and there was nothing out of the ordinary visually. It didn't do it once on the way back from the gym. It seems to be only when I press the brakes and it's coming from the back of the car. Any ideas at all

 

Is it your rear brakes squeeling?

 

no. My brakes do plenty of squeeling and this is something completely different. It sounds exactly like some dragging the lincense plate across the ground. Like a scrapping and kind of gravely. Kinda hard to explain.

 

Mine did that a few times, its just the brakes I think. When you press on the brakes hard while your on an incline and backing up, it sometimes makes a weird noise kinda like what you stated. Mine didnt sound to harsh as the way you've described it though.

 

yea, the brakes are real noisy with the engine off but not as bad as a license plate dragging. Maybe ur pads are worn and the metal backing on the pads are scraping the rotor?

 

my brakes do it on inclines sometimes too, usually when they're cold... there are other possibilities of course. But chances are that that's it. You may want to check and see if they are worn down at all or not too.

 

could be because of the rust on the brake calipers after you wash your car...?

 

oh, something clicked when I was reading this.

do you have aftermarket brakes? especially the hawks pads?

If you do, I think i know what that noise is.

 

Normally that noise means either your pads didn't come with wear indicators(most performance aftermarket pads), or they did and they fell off (Mitsu/Brembo OEM pads) and you are scraping the backing plate of one of your pads against your rotor.

 

I hope the brake pads are not worn. I have less than 3,000 miles on the car. One thing I remember that after I washed my car there was alot of the rust on the brake discs. There usually isn't that much but I actually noticed it this time. My other car always get's that rust on the brake discs also and never seems to make any abnormal sounds. Do you think this is just from rust? I just don't want to bring the car in and then they tell me that nothing is wrong that it's just normal.

 

LOL if you only have 3K miles on the car, then worn brake pads are not the issue. I would take your car out & romp on the brakes (in a safe place) & see if it's pulling in either direction. You might not have bedded-in your brakes yet.

 

1) You washed the car (and likely the wheels/calipers)
2) your on an incline


your issue is probably surface rust on the brake disks, if you wash the car, the rust can show up very quickly... If you rolled down the hill, the rust was just getting cleaned off by the brake pads since they have some preload and it will groan/scrape sound..

 

it happens to me too only when i let my car sit for a few days it sounds like metal to metal then go's away after you drive for a little bit

yes i think it has to do with the rust on the rotor "not a big deal" at least i don't think?

 

Cool then, I'll drive my car a few days and see if it fixes itself.

Thanks guys!!!

 

this is pretty random, but did you touch your brake lines? i accidently left it unbolted from the strut and it made that same noise youre describing...