[punkmanmatthew]

So this has happend 2 times. One time it happened when I left work and the other when I left home in the morning so the car was sitting for a while maybe 8 hours or so.

The first time after work about 5pm I put the car in 1st gear and proceeded to let off the clutch then I hear this snapping sound right when I start to move almost like I'm running over something like rocks and crushing it but I'm barely just moving foward. After this everything if fine and no issues. The 2nd time I was going in reverse out of the garage and I heard this loud noise again and I felt like something was breaking so I hit the breaks thinking I ran over something or something was breaking on the car. This happens as soon as the car starts to move. It goes away after the initial breaking noise or whatever I'm hearing and the car drives normally after that.

Is this common in a manual car to kind of be locked up some how and cause this noise? I'm just hoping nothing is wrong with the car or breaking.

The parking break was fully disengaged and I didn't have any breaks on.

Car only has 700 miles on it.

 

[nomad17]

The brake rotors have a high iron content and readily develop surface rust. If you park the car with some moisture on the brakes (or maybe even just a humid day) and apply the handbrake there's a good chance you'll experience this the next time it moves (if it sits long enough).

Nothing to worry about.

Although one particular day the temp dropped drastically and we were hit with freezing rain followed by snow I did end up dragging the back wheels 50 yds or so on the snow until they finally released.

 

[FixxxerKH202]

That's your parking brake. It can rust in place overnight and that sound is it popping loose. It's just a hyundai quirk my last car(16' elantra gt) did the same thing.

 

[RedVN]

Typical of a single piston caliper setup, which the VN is equipped with. There is a quick fix for it as well. Grease the piston and it won't happen again.

 

[joegrant413]

So glad to run across this post.

We've had cold, moist days recently, and I've noticed a pop when I'm backing out of the garage first thing in the morning,

Thx,
- Joe

 

[CherryBomb]

Certainly worth a good laugh. I giggle everyone I get the snap. Just reminds me how quirky the N is.

 

[joegrant413]

FWIW, the snap comes and goes with the weather. It went away for me this most recent week.

 

[PBN]

Yesterday I washed the car while it was cold (i.e., not driven for a day) (as well as while it was rainy) to get the salt off. Stayed parked all day. Today as I went to leave, the rear brakes were frozen to the disc... and I mean really stuck. I've had the minor rusting/sticking after wet conditions where they will "pop" and un-stick with little effort/power, but this time I had to slip the clutch and was dragging the tires. They finally unstuck with a "bang" and it took a few miles before the rusty brake disc sound finally went away (as well as the slight low speed pulsation from where they stuck). I thought I was going to have to remove the wheels, apply heat, or something to get the loose (and one have a trick to unstick truly frozen pads?).

Perhaps a caution here to drive after a wash to heat up the brakes and dry the pads/discs out before parking for an extended period.

 

[GetQuirky]

If it's going to be wet, even slightly, I don't use the parking brake. Just leave it in gear and find as flat a spot as I can, keeps the pads from rusting to the rotor.

 

[VelosterRaptor]

If it's going to be wet, even slightly, I don't use the parking brake. Just leave it in gear and find as flat a spot as I can, keeps the pads from rusting to the rotor.

This hurts my brain. Always use the parking brake. All you have to do is forget you are in gear once and you will stall your car and (if parallel parked) likely have a bumper to bumper. Trust me, the brakes are cheaper than the body work.

 

[RedVN]

It comes down to the manual cable mechanism on the rear calipers. It has two cables one for manually setting the caliper brake piston and one for releasing. There's a shaft that runs into the caliper. This shaft and mechanism needs to be clean and lubricate occasionally. :smile:

Brake dust is the main culprit. Cleaning it with brake fluid, lubing the mechanism and the greasing the caliper piston will solve the issues. It's something to add to your normal maintenance schedule.

 

[SAWKVN]

All you have to do is forget you are in gear once and you will stall your car and (if parallel parked) likely have a bumper to bumper.

This hurts my brain. What are you trying to say here?

 

[Vicryl]

This hurts my brain. What are you trying to say here?

He means if the car is in gear and you forget, with no parking brake on, then the worst case scenario sequence of events is this:

1) Driver enters car that is in gear
2) push IN clutch
3) hit ignition
4) dump clutch because Driver expects car to be in NEUTRAL
5) car will then lurch forward and immediately stall. A driver who does not have foot on the brakes may hit whatever is immediately in front of them.

 

[Snoopyalien24]

This only applies when on track days. told to me by a track instructor. Don't use parking brake after a track session, leave it in gear after shutting off. However for everyday use, i would not like my rotors to rust but it isnt a huge deal. Parking brake all the way.

 

[VelosterRaptor]

He means if the car is in gear and you forget, with no parking brake on, then the worst case scenario sequence of events is this:

1) Driver enters car that is in gear
2) push IN clutch
3) hit ignition
4) dump clutch because Driver expects car to be in NEUTRAL
5) car will then lurch forward and immediately stall. A driver who does not have foot on the brakes may hit whatever is immediately in front of them.

Exactly this. I thought I was being clear but I guess I wasn't.

 

[GetQuirky]

This hurts my brain. Always use the parking brake. All you have to do is forget you are in gear once and you will stall your car and (if parallel parked) likely have a bumper to bumper. Trust me, the brakes are cheaper than the body work.

wut. Is this your first manual vehicle? You aren't starting the car without putting the clutch in and if you forget that you are in gear that's on you. Personally, I just pull it out of gear when I start the car and have never had an issue in the 17 years I have been driving a manual vehicle.

 

[VelosterRaptor]

wut. Is this your first manual vehicle? You aren't starting the car without putting the clutch in and if you forget that you are in gear that's on you. Personally, I just pull it out of gear when I start the car and have never had an issue in the 17 years I have been driving a manual vehicle.

I guess I just don't have the perfect recall you have and I use my parking brake as intended. I have been driving manual vehicles for 20 years and I have made this error in my life so... nopodies berfect.

 

[GetQuirky]

I guess I just don't have the perfect recall you have and I use my parking brake as intended. I have been driving manual vehicles for 20 years and I have made this error in my life so... nopodies berfect.

I wouldn't call it perfect recall, my memory sucks. More like a paranoid check, I have to wiggle the shifter before I release the clutch every time -- it's just muscle memory at this point.

 

[vman1]

My N is stuck in the garage-won't budge. Hand brake in the down position. Tried 1st gear/reverse gear-no more than 1500 rpm/applied brakes/released brakes/applied hand brake/released handbrake/repeated all of this many times. Roadside assistance and Blue Link were called -no help-no tech back up. Guess I have to wait until tomorrow-Monday-when dealer is open. Hope they have a tow dolly type of towing. Any suggestions?

 

[PBN]

My N is stuck in the garage-won't budge. Hand brake in the down position. Tried 1st gear/reverse gear-no more than 1500 rpm/applied brakes/released brakes/applied hand brake/released handbrake/repeated all of this many times. Roadside assistance and Blue Link were called -no help-no tech back up. Guess I have to wait until tomorrow-Monday-when dealer is open. Hope they have a tow dolly type of towing. Any suggestions?

This is what happened to me too. I just kept powering both fwd and reverse until each wheel finally broke free... eventually. And then I had several miles to scrape off the rust “lumps” from where the pads stuck. That said, if it didn’t break free, my next step was going to be to jack up the rear, remove each wheel, and give the pads/caliper love taps with a wood block and hammer to try and loosen it. Either that or put some heat into the disc with a torch.