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2013 Dragging noise when stopping

2K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  dr bob 
#1 ·
  1. Since this summer our 4wd 2013 pilot has sounded like there was something dragging under the car when braking. It happens intermittently so that the brake people and the dealership don’t even hear it. You can not hear it outside the car. It is only able to be heard inside the car. Everything was taken apart on the car and gone over with a fine toothed comb. Has anyone ever encountered this with their pilot?
 
#2 ·
Well we did have a noise coming from the driver side front wheel, turned out the brake pad hardware was bent a little and touching rotor occasionally. But that could be heard outside the car. If it is intermittent, I would grab a phone and shoot a video whenever that happens so that you can play the sound back for whoever. Best if the video shows your gauges at the time the sound happens. Might be a good idea to try driving around a vacant parking lot at night to see if you can make the sound happen and record it.
Where does the sound appear to originate? Front of car, or the rear or more like directly under driver? Does it sound like something soft being dragged (swooshy) or something hard (grindy)? How loud? Is it only when stopping or also happens when just slowing down? Is it like one continuous sound or it 'pulsates', and how long it typically is? Does it seem more likely in certain kinds of weather (wet/cold)? Does it seem more likely when braking hard/abruptly, or it happens during smooth gradual stops? How good/worn are the tires?

Oh and did you check under the seats? I once had strange bumping sounds accelerating/braking, and it turned out to be an apple rolling under the passenger seat. (Kids must have dropped it there) ?
 
#3 ·
From my way-back experience at a dealership:

Noise complaints, called NVH for noise-vibration-harshness, ALWAYS started with guidance to the customer to take absolutely everything out of the car. Glovebox is empty, center console and ashtrays (back when those happened), everything under the seats and in the various cubies and compartments, the trunk, seat and door pockets. You get the idea. The car gets inspected in the condition that the first owner received it. Techs need only focus on noises the car might be making, plus there are no misunderstandings about all the junk that they though was in the car when they dropped it off vs. the stuff that's back in there. The customer gets to fight that battle in the comfort of their own garage.

Cabin noises complaints start with a very thorough vacuuming, so that little stones/pebbles/sand in and under the carpets are removed from the suspects list.

Then and only then, a team (at least a pair) of techs try to duplicate and identify the sources of the noises.One in the driver's seat driving and listening, the other(s) listening/feeling/locating. Most complaints are based on the driver's-seat perceptions, yet only a fraction of NVH sources are immediately at the driver's seat. Keep in mind that hearing deteriorates with age, so don't be afraid to include youngsters in your search team if they are available.

----

A few decades ago give or take, my then-new Explorer had an annoying differential noise only on puling throttle. I was on an extended project near Reno, and had the folks there listen to the noise and ultimately replace the ring and pinion set under warranty. A month later the noise is back. I drove the service manager around and he "couldn't hear it", so they refused to do any more. The guy came very close to a very long walk back on a hot summer day. Fast-forward, I'm back at home and drop the car with the local dealer there. No problem finding the noise, and this time they actually put in a new ring and pinion, rather than just dumping a can of friction modifier in the housing with new oil as the previous folks had done. The original setup marks and such told us the first guys had cheated. Ford sent them the re-fix bill, and that stirred a sh!p-storm of "discussion" when they argued the facts. Not Pretty! Lesson learned though is to do as much of this kind of diagnosis yourself. Go through the steps you expect the dealer or other techs to follow, amd you'll stand a better chance of getting satisfaction. Be an Informed Owner!
 
#5 ·
OK, more seriously, it could be the brake pads ridding up on a ridge near the edge of the rotor.
 
#6 ·
Check the condition of the splash shields, and for foreign material lodged between the splash shields and rotors. My wife’s Accord had this occur recently. The passenger front splash shield had rusted so badly where it’s bolted to the hub, that it disintegrated and fragments of its rusty sheetmetal were lodged in that space. This was the first car out of 14 that I’ve owned that this ever happened to, so I was quite surprised to see this occur. It could be the same situation on your Pilot.
 
#7 ·
The OP's symptoms are that it only happens on braking, and isn't audible outside the car -- only in the cabin. Most brake and hardware "rubs" are audible if you drive and test next to a wall of some sort. As frequency drops lower into the "grinds" range, it's more readily transmitted into the cabin and maybe less audible outside.


This is a good time for the (new, one-post-only) original poster to jump in with feedback and more info.
 
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