Before I try the dealership...

[Queen]

Thought I'd ask here.  Might be a better choice than the usual "we can't duplicate that" and "it didn't do that for us".

My newish 2016 Nissan Frontier decided to have a couple of new "features" on the road trip to and from FL.  

- One is when it's been sitting and I start to back up (not touching the brakes) I get a little squeeeek sound, much like when a brake caliper hangs up.  Any better/more mechanical way to explain it to the dealership guys so they'll actually listen to me?

- Two is the AC froze up on the way back, albeit we'd been rolling for 12 hours and it was beastly hot, but I haven't had this happen on a new vehicle since the 80's, guess I thought things were better now.  So, is this an issue, or do they just do this still?

 

[GotSmart]

The best part about having a new vehicle ...  Wait for it.  Problems are the dealers. 

Your words are accurate.  They sound good to me.

 

[Queen]

^^^ LOL!!

I always thought they got paid for warranty work so they'd want it, but never seems like that. I can't recall a single thing actually being repaired unless I could point to it and say "it is broken, right there".

 

[tx2sturgis]

Queen are you in an area with a lot of humidity or rain lately?

Even a tiny bit of rust on the brake rotors can do this, and if the AC freezes up also, it COULD be high humidity.

If you are in a totally dry area, then you sure might have a brake problem and a low refrigerant charge on your AC.

If the AC freezes while driving, set it on vent only and let it run that way for several minutes..this should help defrost the coils.

 

[bullfrog]

My 2013 Regular cab Tacoma AC if run on high cool and medium fan speed in humid conditions will freeze up but if run high speed fan I haven't completely frozen up but air flow does sometimes decrease so I turn back to low cool until it starts flowing air better. Seems evaporator size is still an issue in most small trucks. Do you set the emergency brake when parked then release it just before backing? I had an older truck that I couldn't set the parking brake after launching as the parking brake would rust and lock up. If you are in a high humidity or wet area maybe that is what is happening? Warranty work pays less flat rate from the factory than dealerships charge customers so it gets saved for slow times or mechanics with less seniority.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I always thought they got paid for warranty work so they'd want it, but never seems like that.

This is a broad generalization, but:

Warranty repairs usually means the dealer has to document and prove everything and they only get paid the standard labor rate for that job, parts are reimbursed at cost with no profit, and they get their re-reimbursement 90 days later. Maybe. The charge is sometimes disputed so they never know.

 

[tx2sturgis]

WOW!

Consensus.

That never happens here!

 

[Queen]

Good to know it can freeze up and it's not broken/defective! It was a 97 degree day with high humidity and we ran it on high recirc for the entire 12 hours, it didn't freeze up until about the eleventh hour... so I guess it was doing okay.

Regarding the brakes, it was super humid the entire two week trip (and our condo is on the water, salty water), will that squeak continue indefinitely, or should the rust eventually wear away?

I'm used to buying vehicles from my friends dealership so all the work was done promptly, really not used to being put off and told nothing is wrong, definitely something to get used to since the friend retired and sold the dealership.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Good to know it can freeze up and it's not broken/defective!  It was a 97 degree day with high humidity and we ran it on high recirc for the entire 12 hours, it didn't freeze up until about the eleventh hour... so I guess it was doing okay.  

Regarding the brakes, it was super humid the entire two week trip (and our condo is on the water, salty water), will that squeak continue indefinitely, or should the rust eventually wear away?

Yep...SCORE!

Your brakes and your AC are probably fine.

If you ran the AC that long on recirc before it froze, its fine. I always turn mine to high VENT several miles before I pull off and stop, that way you don't have as much frost just sitting in the coils for a half hour or so, giving off humidity to all the circuits and relays in the HVAC system. It will still provide cooling air for a while if the coil is frosted up. You will know it, cuz you can 'smell' the ice melting.

Years ago I had a Toyota pickup that rusted a control relay in there a few times before I learned that little trick.

And yes, your brakes will almost certainly return to normal after some use. If they don't or you feel something unusual going on, then have them checked.

 

[Queen]

Thanks for the tips on using VENT a while, with my honey's looming retirement we are going to be doing a lot of traveling around in that truck, so I'd prefer not to screw up the AC.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Thanks for the tips on using VENT a while, with my honey's looming retirement we are going to be doing a lot of traveling around in that truck, so I'd prefer not to screw up the AC.

BTW the 'several miles' (or a mile or so) was for highway travel with the AC operating at full blast.

In town, for short trips, its not as big a deal. Don't cook yourself!

 

[Dgorila1]

I have a 2010 Honda Fit and it does EXACTLY both the problems you mention. Drive for a few hours in the summer at highway speeds with the a/c on and there will be a block of ice on it. Stop and let it defrost for about 15 mins and it's good to go for another few hours. This is in the humid East Coast.
   Brakes do the noise thing almost every day. It rained last night and did it this morning when I first took off. After the first stop it's fine. Drives me nuts because I figured the auto makers would have solved annoying issues like this in today's high tech world. Obviously it's all the car companies, not just a few.

 

[Queen]

I have a 2010 Honda Fit and it does EXACTLY both the problems you mention. Drive for a few hours in the summer at highway speeds with the a/c on and there will be a block of ice on it. Stop and let it defrost for about 15 mins and it's good to go for another few hours. This is in the humid East Coast.
   Brakes do the noise thing almost every day. It rained last night and did it this morning when I first took off. After the first stop it's fine. Drives me nuts because I figured the auto makers would have solved annoying issues like this in today's high tech world. Obviously it's all the car companies, not just a few.

Definitely agree with you, it's 2017 and cars are all space age and stuff, yet brakes squeak just like they did on my first car (1963 Ford Galaxy) and AC freezes up like my old 1977 Tradesman van.  Progress. 

 

[user 423]

You could have a partially blocked AC drain. They get crud in them sometimes during the winter when you drive over snow drifts,banks.

 

[highdesertranger]

your brakes should not squeal. any rust you get from the vehicle sitting a few days is just surface rust and it's gone the first couple of times you apply the brakes. highdesertranger

 

[Queen]

They still do it each time it's been sitting, and only when I start to back up that little squeeeeek sounds. No brakes applied, just idling backwards.

 

[masterplumber]

Sounds to me like the parking brake is not fully releasing. Most new trucks have disc brakes in the rear, with a smaller drum built in that is the parking brake. Mine do that if it gets way below freezing in the winter, but yours could be any number of reasons. Like mud or road debris in there, the cable kinked, etc.

 

[Queen]

I did use the parking brake for the first time on vacation (no need to here in IL, it's as flat as a pancake). Guess I'll call the dealership and start the process, it's under warranty so it only costs me time.

 

[Weight]

The sooner you make a complaint about a vehicle problem, the better the chance it will be repaired on warranty. Be sure the service manager writes the complaint and insist on a dated copy. Keep all the records.