Model 3 Squeeling as car slows downs.

[Asia A]

Hi everyone before I purchased the model 3 I rented one for a month. The mileage on the rental was about 20k. I live in Las Vegas… maybe this matters. I thought the brakes were in need of attn because everytime I slowed to 8mph on down there was a squeeling sound. The rental company kept telling me the brakes are not an issue but dust on the rotors or pads. I had it serviced and they said the same and cleaned them. Initially it worked… but a day or two later back to squeeling. Swapped it for a new one that came in and 2 weeks later same issue and it only had 3k miles. What the ???? I tried using the power sprayer at the car wash but still a light squeel. Keep in mind Las Vegas is under heavy construction for the upcoming Formula 1 race.
Fast forward….. new car…. Model 3. Using it for Uber…. 2k miles in…. Light squeels when coming to a rolling chill stop. As i slowly come off the gas…. It begins.


HELP !!! Any suggestions????

 

[father_of_6]

Doesn't make any sense. When you let off the accelerator, the car engages *regenerative* breaking - there are no pads involved. What you're experiencing seems very uncommon, and somehow you've stumbled upon it in multiple successive vehicles.

Not saying I don't believe you, but there are a fair number of people who post on these forums just to spread false negatives about Tesla.

 

[father_of_6]

As for suggestions - it's a brand new car. Schedule for service in the app.

 

[jboy210]

Try stepping on the brake harder at a few lights to force pad to rotor contact. Until you brake harder than the regen, EV disk pads do not contact the rotors and scrap off any rust like they do in ICE vehicles. And washing the rotors can make the problem worse since you are essentially spraying water on a metal that can oxidize/rust.

 

[cbigfoot]

I can't say mine have ever squealed yet that i have noticed and am at almost 5k on my car.
I will say when I got back from a 2-week trip and the first time it engaged the rotors, I did hear a tad but of a grind which is expected when the rotors haven't been used for over a week.

Out of curiosity what version of the car did you get? RWD/LR/P?

Have you tried Burnishing your brakes?

First i would go and Press Controls > Driving > Regenerative Braking > Low on the touchscreen.

Per Tesla:

Burnishing the Brakes​

You should burnish the brakes after replacing brake pads and/or brake rotors. In addition, burnishing the brakes might eliminate a situation where the brakes emit a high-pitched squealing noise while braking, especially if the noise is present while driving in the rain, driving in cold and/or humid climates, or if there is surface rust present on the brake components. Note that all vehicles with disk brakes can experience this situation and that braking performance is not affected.
To burnish the brakes:
Note
Be sure to comply with all local traffic safety laws and only perform maneuvers in a suitable location where such activity is legal, with little to no traffic.

1. Drive the vehicle at approximately 50 mph - 55 mph (80 km/h - 90 km/h) on a straight road.
2. Apply moderate, consistent pressure to the brake pedal to slowly decelerate the vehicle, releasing at 10 mph (15 km/h).
3. Repeat this procedure 6 times, waiting at least 30 seconds between applications.

Note
If the noise still persists, use your mobile app to contact Tesla or schedule a Service appointment.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Doesn't make any sense. When you let off the accelerator, the car engages *regenerative* breaking - there are no pads involved. What you're experiencing seems very uncommon, and somehow you've stumbled upon it in multiple successive vehicles.

Not saying I don't believe you, but there are a fair number of people who post on these forums just to spread false negatives about Tesla.

If it is in the default Hold mode, it does apply the friction brakes as it comes to a stop. Regen typically is not enough to bring the car to a complete stop.

Try stepping on the brake harder at a few lights to force pad to rotor contact. Until you brake harder than the regen, EV disk pads do not contact the rotors and scrap off any rust like they do in ICE vehicles. And washing the rotors can make the problem worse since you are essentially spraying water on a metal that can oxidize/rust.

Yep, spraying water makes things worse as it causes a layer of rust. If the brakes have not worn down to the wear indicators (in which case the squeal is from those), brake squeal likely is from this layer of rust. I agree with the suggestion to do a few hard brakes and inspect the rotors before and after to see if there is any rust that might be removed. If the problem disappears after that, then obviously this is the problem.

 

[Romeo Alpha]

I'm in Vegas, too, and this happens to me a few times a year. I think it just build up on rotors since the physical brakes get little actual use. When I have the car in 'hold' mode and the brakes start to squeak when coming to a stop I know it's time to switch to 'roll' mode for a few days. I find roll mode makes you use the brakes a little more than you would in hold and cleans the brakes, per se. After a few days I go back to hold mode and the squeak is gone.

 

[afadeev]

I thought the brakes were in need of attn because everytime I slowed to 8mph on down there was a squeeling sound.

Please post a video clip with the sound recorded, otherwise, it's nearly impossible for us to diagnose it remotely!

The rental company kept telling me the brakes are not an issue but dust on the rotors or pads.

Dust on wheels from pads is normal.
On any car.
In an of itself, that signifies absolutely nothing.

Light squeels when coming to a rolling chill stop. As i slowly come off the gas…. It begins.

This may not be related to brakes, at all.
If the sound kicks in as you come off the gas, then the brakes are not in play AT ALL.
The sound maybe related to regen functionality, or something else entirely different. Try changing the regen setting from "normal" to "low", and see if anything changes.

Also, record and share the sound/video clip of the noise, if you want to get more feedback!

HTH,
a

 

[Electronman]

Mine is doing it too. I have a great video but this is only letting me post pics.

 

[brianbcc]

Mine only squeaks (like a stuck pig) when slowly going in reverse
Brand new 23 M3SR