I occasionally use my RX450H to back a jet ski trailer into the water and did so yesterday. The rear wheels went fairly deep in the water. This afternoon I got in the car and the rear brakes were frozen tight as a drum. After reading a thread on the topic here I learned that the problem is common and can be solved by rocking the car till the brakes pop loose. That worked but only after gassing it a lot harder than I would have been comfortable doing if I hadn't read others' experience.

Seems like a pretty flawed brake system. Are there any solutions to the problem other than accelerating into the freeze? If I was in my small garage there would be no room to rock the car. I could only go backwards and that seemed like the hardest direction to pop these things loose.

 

GREAT NEWS! Good that spoke with a "no BS" service advisor.

 

Do a search on Google for "brakes lock after washing" or "brakes seize after washing". It's not just a Lexus occurrence.

 

I agree with you. I don't consider this a super big deal... in-part because I've never had it happen to me to an extent it startled me in some way, but then again, I keep up with this forum in part so I'm continually learning from others experiences. I have high expectations for all of my luxury vehicles including my Lexi, but perhaps unlike some others, I consider each of my rides even today will have some amount of idiosynchroncies that I need to deal with as time goes on.

 

That's great news as it didn't sound like a thing we'd heard about before.

 

Water can't freeze above 32F. Something just rusted in there and you had to break it loose

 

Frozen, seized, locked-up all are implying the same thing. the brake was stuck due to oxidization of the pads and the rotor. nothing was referring to a temperature related thing.

 

I would not have been upset if the brakes popped easily but they really seized. I spun the front wheels on a gravel drive to no effect. I assumed something more than seized brakes must be locking the rear drive and would not have pushed it further if i hadn't read this thread. I was worried about doing serious damage.

But, all's well that ends well.

 

Don, just on the basis you have a tow hitch I'm assuming you have AWD. I'm just saying, it's kind of scary with all the electronics of electric drive in the rear, that you back it far enough down the ramp to submerge the rear wheels (or part of) and possibly some electronics. I'm having doubts warranty would cover any issues if they occurred due to that. And if it's not AWD, then the book say's not to tow. Just saying ........

 

Like I mentioned before, it happened to me only when using a particular wheel cleaner. I couldn't move at all until I pushed on the gas pedal more than I would've liked. I went to the dealer soon after for service and asked them to check it out. Everything was fine. No cause was offered but I figured it was probably the wheel cleaner. Since then I rinse the rims very well after cleaning them. It hasn't happened again.

 

It's not possible to get electrocuted right?

 

It is AWD. If I can't back a jet ski trailer down a ramp it is a POS. have others had electronic problems from such minimal immersions? Start another thread on that topic?

 

The manual, while not recommending any off-road usage, does provide some guidelines about operating in water such as "crossing a shallow stream". Basically avoid water entering engine compartment or interior, perform a full inspection afterwards to ensure no lubricants have been washed away or contaminated (wheel bearings, hybrid transaxle). It does not mention anything about electronics protection except avoid letting water come into contact with the battery. I imagine these components must, by their very nature, be highly protected from the elements.

But that said, my electric pool pump operates outdoors in rain, sits there all winter under snow, and is still working after 14 yrs, but I still would not dare consider dunking it in water. I think if an owner deems it necessary, common sense must apply, get in and getthehelloutasap. Reduce the amount of time you allow water to soak in to anything and everything.

I think the difference with soaking your brakes vs getting them wet is a function of letting the water soak in between the disks and the pads. Completely soaked bare metal disks and bare metallic pads are going to form a very strong bond of rust, as anyone that has tried to remove a rusty nut knows. Unless you really blast the brakes with a pressure washer, simple exposure to water spray should not that easily soak in behind the pads.