Whenever the temperature drops here in Oklahoma, you might start to notice your Chevy vehicle making noises you aren’t used to. Few of these sounds are as jarring as a high-pitched squeal or a low-frequency grind when pulling out of the driveway on a frigid morning. Jim Glover Chevrolet wants to make sure you know what it means when your vehicle makes different sounds — including which cold-weather brake noises are normal and which you should probably get checked.
Don’t Be Alarmed by Morning Squeals
First and foremost, we want to make sure you know that the high-pitched squeals you might be hearing the first few times you apply the brakes on a cold morning are typically normal. While your Chevy sits where it’s parked overnight, moisture will often collect on the surface of your brake rotors, resulting in a thin layer of oxidation.
When you start driving, a bit of this cosmetic rust is scraped off each time you apply the brakes. This scraping is what causes the temporary squeaking, or perhaps a slight grinding sound. But it should only take a handful of stops to sweep your rotors clean, and the noise should disappear with it. If these distinct sounds continue after your first few stops, something more serious might be at play, signaling that you should get your brakes checked.
Why Does Cold Weather Increase Noise?
Now that we’ve addressed that outlier, it’s also important to note that cold weather can increase the noises your brakes make all around. Because modern Chevy vehicles typically use semi-metallic or ceramic brake pads, the temperature can have a significant affect on them.
- Vibration: Cold braking components are more rigid and less effective at dampening the vibrations that cause brake noises.
- Contraction: The tolerances between your brake pads and calipers can shift slightly when their metal components contract as a result of being cold, which can in turn cause clicking sounds as you engage the brake pedal.
- Frost: In extreme cold situations, the friction material can become momentarily hardened by frost, which leads to a temporary decrease in the coefficient of friction, changing the sounds you might be used to when coming to a stop.
Analyzing Which Sounds & Sensations Need Attention
While your morning squeals or occasional clicks are often nothing to worry about, there are brake noises that signify the need for immediate attention. Here is a list of sounds – and other sensations – that you should schedule a service appointment to address as soon as you notice them:
- Continuous chirping, squealing, or whistling
- Many Chevy vehicles come equipped with Brake Wear Indicators, which are small metal tabs designed to scrape against your rotors when your pads need to be replaced.
- Deep, metallic grinding
- If you ignored or never noticed the Brake Wear Indicator noises, then your brake pads just continue to wear out, ultimately resulting in this sound as your friction material has become completely exhausted.
- Pulsating brake pedal
- While this isn’t a noise, if you notice your brake pedal pulsating when you apply pressure, it could mean your rotors have become warped or your brake pads are wearing down unevenly.
- Pulling to one side
- One other sensation to pay attention to is if your vehicle seems to be pulling to one side as you apply the brakes. This often means that a caliper slide pin has become frozen or stuck, which can be caused by road salt.
Trust the Experts at Jim Glover Chevrolet
If you’re ever unsure of whether or not a sound is normal, you can trust the experts here at Jim Glover Chevrolet. Just bring your Chevy vehicle by for a check up and we can tell if your brakes are okay. If you’d like to mitigate the chances of your brakes having issues when it’s cold, there are some maintenance tricks you can take advantage of throughout the winter.
- Wash your undercarriage to get rid of corrosive road salt and de-icing chemicals.
- Check your brake fluid often as it absorbs moisture over time and can have an affect on other components.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right here at the sales desk!