Water acts as a lubricant, so when brakes get moisture or rain on them, they become less effective.
The squeak you hear is the compressed water between the rotor and the pad and the brakes slipping many times a second as they grip but then slip.
Are all your brakes making noise, or is it just one or two?
Some brake pads wear better than others. Often they are not all replaced at the same time, which results in some brakes being more worn than others.
Rotors can warp or lip.
Lipping is where the pad doesn’t connect with the outside of the rotor resulting in it being a few mm higher than the rest.
A lipped or warped disc will collect water. This can also cause rust to develop. Rust will also make a noise as it comes into contact with the pad. A very fine film of rust can develop on rotors within a few days if the car hasn’t been driven.
If a rotor is warped or lipped, it will always squeal when wet and need to be replaced.
How Do I Stop My Brakes From Squeaking When Wet?
If your brakes have moisture on them from overnight condensation, they will dry out when you’re driving.
Each time you brake, the friction between the pad and rotor warms them up. This heat will dry the moisture and stop the squealing noise.
How quickly this happens depends on how wet the brakes are. Condensation will be dried away within 3 miles of normal driving and braking.
Brakes on cars that have been left standing for extended periods will take longer to dry out.
Are Brakes Worse When Wet?
There is a lot of research on how tires are affected in wet weather but none that investigates how wet brakes and pads are affected.
However,
If your brakes are squealing, that’s a sign they are not working as they should. It’s wise to slow down and drive more cautiously until it stops.
If the squealing is very loud or long-lasting, it is worth braking hard if and when it is safe to do so. This will warm the brakes more quickly and force the water out of the gap between the pad and the rotor.
Ways To Dry Brakes Out
Usually, normal driving will get rid of any water within 3 miles of driving. If your car has been left standing, though, this may not happen.
You may worry that the brakes will be unresponsive and don’t want to drive your car until the brakes are drier and working properly.
The two ways to remove water are by blowing it out from your brakes or heating the brakes.
One piece of kit will do both of these: a hairdryer. This is a great solution if you have a drive and an extension lead.
If your car has hubcaps, remove them and look at the rotor and the pad.
You might see water pooling at the lowest point on the rotor or droplets under the pad. Both pads and rotors don’t absorb water but don’t resist it either.
Turn your hairdryer on, start at the rotor’s top and work downwards. Pay close attention to the section underneath the pad and ensure you blast the warm air in there.
To do a thorough job, halfway through, drive your car just enough to rotate the wheel half a turn before continuing. This way, you can be sure that all the rotor has been dried off.
Each wheel should only take 5 minutes to dry out thoroughly.
How Long Does It Take For Brakes to Dry Naturally?
If you know your brakes are wet but don’t need to drive soon, you can leave them to be aired by the environment.
The outside temperature will play a big part in how long it will take, but that’s not the only thing.
Sunlight warms metal so a sunny day will dry the brakes quicker than a cloudy one.
Wind also plays its part. Wind evaporates moisture. The windier, the better.
A warm, windy day in the height of summer will have your brakes completely dry in a couple of hours.
A cold, cloudy day in the middle of winter may never get the brakes dried.
How Do You Check Your Brakes After Driving Through Water?
Your brakes will be affected by driving through water. Although the change will be noticeable, it is unlikely to be long-lasting.
- Firstly, slow your speed down.
- Press down gently on the brake pedal when the road is clear behind you.
- You may hear a squeak or squealing noise. This is normal.
- As long as the brakes had some grip – even less than normal – they behaved as expected.
- Accelerate slowly again, and when safe to, do some brake again, but this time more firmly.
- Repeat this, accelerating and braking until the brakes stop making a noise and the brakes dry out.
- Usually, three of four cycles will be enough to expel all the water and heat the brakes.
Is It Normal for Brakes to Make Noise After Car Wash?
This is completely normal. Whether you’ve driven through an automatic car wash or an attendant has washed your car, the brakes will get wet.
The worst car wash for leaving water on the brakes is a basic – non-dry cycle – automatic car wash.
These basic washes will jet water onto the wheels and force it between the pads and rotor, where it remains as you drive away.
The amount of water on your brakes far exceeds what you’d normally expect from parking overnight or driving through a puddle.
Make sure you test your brakes before leaving the site and joining the road.
Many visitors also read this article: How Often Should My Car Be Washed? [SEASON GUIDE]
Can Brake Callipers Fail If They Get Wet?
Brake calipers use a closed circuit of hydraulic fluid, which won’t be affected by rainwater.
They don’t rub against other brake parts – unless the pad is loose- and therefore are not the cause of your brakes squeaking when wet.
How Can You Prevent Brakes Squealing When Wet?
When the brakes are wet, they will squeal. The only way to stop this is to stop the brakes from getting wet in the first place.
There is nothing you can do if it’s raining and you have to drive your car, but if you’re experiencing the noise in the morning, you can try these.
- Park Your Car in the Garage Overnight.
This will stop most of the condensation building up on a clear night or rain accumulating on the rotors if a weather system moves through.
- Dry Your Brakes
If the noise is something you really can’t bear to hear, you could dry the rotors off in the morning before setting off. In reality, though, the twenty minutes it’ll take to take the hubcaps off and direct a hairdryer nozzle at each wheel would be better spent driving and warming the brakes up through friction.
Many visitors read this article next: Why Do Brakes Squeak in The Morning? Help & Advice
In Summary
There is nothing to worry about if your brakes are squeaking when wet. This should pass within three miles of usual braking and accelerating.
If the squeal is from one wheel more than the others, it could be caused by a lipped or warped rotor collecting more water than the others. Inspect the rotor for lipping and a slight film of rust too.
If you encounter long-term brake noise, it’s time to inspect them, as the noise could indicate worn rotors or pads.
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