Hey everyone, I've got a 2010 XKR convertible (LH drive) and have noticed that whenever it is put into reverse (when first starting for the day or after it has sit for a while) it makes a loud, rough noise like metal scraping against other metal. It's fairly loud and can be felt in the brake. Sounds like the noise is behind the steering wheel or under the driver side floorboard. It happens for the first 25-30 ft when backing up. After I drive for a while, I cannot replicate the sound. Any ideas on the problem?

 

When it's put INTO reverse or when you're actually backing the car up?
If it's when actually backing, it could be something as simple as a brake pad came loose.

 

It's when I put in reverse and have my foot on the brake. When backing up and take my foot off brake, it quietens down. And after I've been driving a while, it doesn't do it that anymore when backing up.

 

Could also be something as simple (but expensive) as a small rock caught in a brake pad. Look closely at the rotor to see if it has been scored by a foreign object. If you can't see any DEEP gouges in the front of the rotor that go all the way around, pull the wheel (or crawl under the car) and look at the back side of the rotor. Minor scratches in a rotor are normal after thousands of miles of driving; deep gouges are not. Be sure to check the remaining amount of brake pad(s) while you're at it...

Example shamelessly borrowed from internet (not my car):

 

I will check the brake pads and rotors, but I don’t understand why the noise goes away after I’ve been driving a car for a little while. It’s kind of like the caliper may be seized up??

 

Can't be the rotors or pads as you say you are standing still with the foot on the brake. Sounds more like something in the transmission or convertor.
Ask somebody to stand next to the car and listen where the sound comes from.

 

Hi, have you tryed parking the car the otherway around so that you put it in Drive when you first start it to find out if its has the same sound i D?( I guess it is the brakes)

 

Ok. The sound starts when I put in reverse, but have my foot on the brake. Makes the sound before I even start backing up. Also heard the sound then making a right turn, about 10 mph and another sound then making a right turn about 55 mph. What could cause this?

 

As I wrote earlier, have someone stand next to the car and locate the sound. Is it from the rear or front? Does the sound change if you rev the engine while standing still?

 

I can’t hear it standing outside the car. But is getting worse as now it grinds and scrapes with foot off the brake and very slowly in drive. Front of car. After the car is driven for a while, I can’t replicate the sound. Could it be a steering pump going bad?

 

Have you tried to replicate the sound while reversing with the engine OFF? Park on a hill nose-up, stop the engine then do a normal reverse by releasing the brake. That way you can separate the two possibilities, either chassis or powertrain.

 

Had new brakes and rotors put on 3 weeks ago. So it’s not brakes. Noise is when foot on brake and stopped in reverse. Also when stopped and turning wheel all the way to right. Very rough grinding sound.

 

Well, I wouldn’t be driving it until it got looked at.

 

It's not necessarily true but I have found whenever work was done on any car and a problem comes up it is usually due to the service. I would look back at the brake service and have everything inspected again. Just my 2 cents.

 

This is what I was thinking. If you had recent work done I would check here first. Good work is hard to find today. I had my car in under warranty 18 months ago for a supercharger torison isolator replacement and the tech bend the actuator rod and never said anything. I had pictures to prove the damage. The dealer replaced the complete supercharger with a new one after I proved tech damaged my car.