Help, thoughts, Tacoma frozen...?

Got in my 18 Tacoma this morning (6:30am) and I didn't have a chance to start it early to let it properly warm up. So I start it up, let the frost on the windshield melt away (with a little help from the washer fluid). The outside temp was reading 26 degrees on the dash.

After the windshield cleared, I released the parking brake and put it into drive. Let go of the brake pedal and it didn't move. I double checked the parking brake and put it back into park. After doing this- I put it back into gear and same thing. I ended up pressing the gas pedal and it finally broke free and decided to move. Not sure what happened. Any thoughts?

Some back story, I'm thinking maybe this info could be relevant:
After work yesterday (about 4:30pm or so) I got some gas and ran the truck through the touchless car wash at the gas station.

I left the wash and the truck was still fairly wet, so wet that I had drips still on the truck at 11:30pm on the driver side bed fender.

Not sure what happened this morning. Any thoughts? Has this happened to anyone else?

This pic was a few minutes before putting it into gear. i took the photo to send my wife that I'll be so excited when I get my remote start!

 

I've heard of the year drums freezing. You wash it recently?

 

Rear brakes froze to the drum. It typically happens after the truck is washed and left to sit.

 

You probably just froze the parking brake mechanism. Unless you park on a steep hill, I wouldn't mess with the parking brake in below freezing temps. Or at least not use it right after a wash!

 

I promise I read most of your post haha. Just missed the most important part! I bet your drums froze.

 

don't use parking brake under 32 degrees F

 

Water got in your drum brakes and froze over night. Just drive it long enough to heat everything up and it'll evaporate the moisture. Happened to me in the past.

 

Like already said, heat the brakes up after wash and don’t set parking brake unless on a steep grade.

 

I don't like to wash autos in freezing temps for reasons like this. Freezing has also affected doors and door locks in past vehicles.

 

Thanks everyone! I figured maybe it was due to the washing and overnight freezing temps. I was hoping it was that simple and not something I should be worried about.

So in general, do most folks not use the parking brake in freezing temps? I'm so used to doing it from owning a MT Scion that it's a habit that might be hard to break (or brake hahaha, if you like the play on words)

 

I always use mine. I do live in a Houston but would use it in freezing weather. I do have an MT though.

 

I've had all AT's since my first truck, and even at my old house with a steeper driveway never used the parking brake. If I had a MT, I'd use it even on flat ground, but not an AT.

 

do not use parking brake when temperature is at or below 32 degrees F for any reason. https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7ZeFq8fAgO3dXYRy/giphy-downsized-large.gif

 

Roger that! The animation is a great visual.

 

We use the parking brake on our AT vehicles when on an incline, MT all the time... I’ve seen a “friends” AT truck roll down the driveway and into the street when she thought it was left in “P”... hummmm, oops was all she said.

 

The semi-metallic brake pads have a tendency to stick to the drums when they are wet and the parking brake is set. This will occur whether or not temperatures are below freezing. I have learned not to set the parking brake after I have hosed off the underbody.

 

Brakes are frozen. Car can’t move. Your advice is to drive it. I mean, yeah.

 

Lol. My advice is to get it to break free if you can, then drive it. If its not moving, its not moving. Every time mine was frozen, I was able to eventually get it to break loose, albeit with quite the effort, but when you gotta go somewhere you do what needs to be done.

 

I've washed my truck before and had the same issue...don't know if it was the front or rear that locked up.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/front-brakes-seized-after-wash.491254/

 

Lots of threads on this same issue every week.