Brake Calipers Locking Up During Overnight Parking

[Sir KITT]

Has anyone else had issues with their brakes locking up when parked? Not locking up while driving, but when parked for a certain period do time (overnight, in garage, when sitting for a few hours, etc)?

I've had the car for about six months, and lately (last few months), and it has been pretty cold here in Utah, when I go to drive my 2018 Model S for the first time in the morning, putting it in 'drive' I can feel it hesitate and then a very loud 'pop/clunk' coming from the rear wheels area. It's crazy loud and quite jarring the first time it happened.

I have the car in to service as we speak and the tech mentioned that it's most likely the 'parking brake' action of the calipers locking up and needing to break free when driving for the first time after sitting? Didn't sound like they had much of a solution, which is concerning - because it really makes the car feel less-than-awesome when it happens.

Any feedback from the community?

Thanks!

 

[Ande]

Calipers/brake pads freezing in special conditions is normal for all cars, maybe except old drum breaks.
If you do some braking before parking, heat/dry the pads & discs, it won't happen.

 

[bishoppeak]

Normal for cold, wet brakes. More noticeable in a car as quiet as ours.

 

[brkaus]

Happens in manual cars with disk brakes. Not as much in automatics as the transmission is holding the car in place when the car is parked.

Could be combination of freezing or light rust sticking the brakes to the rotor.

Use the brakes a bit heavy before parking if it is moist out. It usually helps, but not always.

 

[mspohr]

Happens to me when I wash the car and put it away wet.
Probably wet brakes freezing to the rotor.

 

[Racerx22b]

Does it to me every time I park the car from a wash or driving in rain. Totally "normal" for a Tesla. I live in FL so it's not from freezing. Unlike an ICE car with an automatic transmission, Tesla uses a parking brake to hold your car when parked. Automatics simply lock the transmission so this does not happen with them.

Nothing to worry about.

 

[Joelgjr]

Mine does this. I just live with it

 

[f205v]

Mine does it, especially in cold&wet weather. It's normal for disk brakes in the same condition, nothing to worry.

 

[mspohr]

I think it is the parking brake that is catching, not the regular brakes. Tesla's have two calipers on the rear wheels. The parking brake is a separate caliper which locks closed and if it is wet, tends to freeze to the rotor as it sits for hours.

 

[dark cloud]

I think it is the parking brake that is catching, not the regular brakes. Tesla's have two calipers on the rear wheels. The parking brake is a separate caliper which locks closed and if it is wet, tends to freeze to the rotor as it sits for hours.

On yours and mine yes, but not on newer ones; park brake is incorporated into the same braking caliper.

 

[mspohr]

On yours and mine yes, but not on newer ones; park brake is incorporated into the same braking caliper.

Interesting...
The "lockup" would be the same. Since the parking brake function closes the caliper (either the standard brake caliper or a separate caliper) tight on the rotor, it can tend to stick to the rotor after some time, especially if wet.

 

[Tandar]

Happens to my 2 mo old MS 75D every once in a while. Loud pop from the brakes after the car has sat idle for a little bit. No correlation to moisture or ice since it happens well above freezing.
Definitely a little disconcerting as it sounds like something is breaking (PTP)

 

[Nitemare3219]

Notice how brake rotors get surface rust after getting wet (rain, etc.)? When you put the car in park with wet rotors, they will surface rust and the pad will seize to the rotor. Don't think it could damage anything, but I have found a way to reduce the bang/pop that occurs when breaking free. Rather than applying increasing pressure to the accelerator pedal until the breaking point, if you very gently tap the accelerator pedal and gradually increase pressure each time, it will break free and be much less violent.

 

[santana338]

I had a right rear rattle in my 2013 S. It turns out the parking brake pad had broken in half and the broken part was bouncing around causing the rattle. So this can be an issue that causes problems. It cost me $$ to replace the parking brake pads

 

[Chaserr]

Brakes rusting. Turn regen to low for a few days to get some normal wear into them, then go back to full regen.

 

[StarLog]

This happens to me, when I wash the car, and then park it in the garage over night.

Not a game stopper. They release when I hit Reverse.

 

[tmyl21]

Today my parking brake was locked up after the car was sitting all weekend. It felt like even more of a sticking of the parking brake than normal as I too am accustomed to the sticking parking brake. It was loud when it finally released and I felt it.

When I arrived at my destination about 14 miles away, I put the MS in park and I briefly saw a notice on the dash in the top right corner saying something like 'Parking Brake fault' ?? It briefly flashed and went away. I moved from Reverse to Park and Forward to Park on the lever without actually moving the car and the notice did not reappear.

I exited the car and put a flashlight on the wheels and I noticed that the driver's side parking brake pad has considerably less 'meat' and lots more wear than on the rear passenger side parking brake pad.

Has anyone else experienced or seen this too and what conclusion should I draw from this observation?

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[brkaus]

Today my parking brake was locked up after the car was sitting all weekend. It felt like even more of a sticking of the parking brake than normal as I too am accustomed to the sticking parking brake. It was loud when it finally released and I felt it.

When I arrived at my destination about 14 miles away, I put the MS in park and I briefly saw a notice on the dash in the top right corner saying something like 'Parking Brake fault' ?? It briefly flashed and went away. I moved from Reverse to Park and Forward to Park on the lever without actually moving the car and the notice did not reappear.

I exited the car and put a flashlight on the wheels and I noticed that the driver's side parking brake pad has considerably less 'meat' and lots more wear than on the rear passenger side parking brake pad.

Has anyone else experienced or seen this too and what conclusion should I draw from this observation?

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

If I recall there was a TSB on the brake error.

 

[tmyl21]

A service bulletin and/or a recall I read somewhere.

So you have seen this then for yourself too?

 

[brkaus]

A service bulletin and/or a recall I read somewhere.

So you have seen this then for yourself too?

I get the thunk if I park the car after a wash in the drive. My BMW did the same, so I’ve never worried about it. Never a dash warning for me.