Hello, Miniphiles!

I have an 09 Clubman, 2 months old, and I have experienced what seems to be a graphite-like coating on my wheels. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

Perhaps it's my imagination, but I can hear the brakes engaged as I slow to a stop and once stopped, no sound.

The coating is more pronounced on the front wheels, but does show up on the rear as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

Normal brake dust. (These cars, as do BMWs, put out a lot of brake dust.)
Welcome to NAM!

 

And the pads commonly, and not just on MINIs, ride lightly on the rotors sometimes. You might notice that when you turn a corner the sound gets a bit louder, too. The lean from the turn, even a little bit, brings the pads closer to the rotor. You can play with it. Impress people.

 

Just an FYI, the solution to getting rid of it once it's on there (not actually eliminating the cause, which is impossible without changing to non-metallic brake pads) is to wax the wheels after washing the car and cleaning up the existing crud. The dust won't stick nearly as much and can be hosed off at the next washing.

Jay
Jay

 

Also you can just wash it off with conventional car wash soap.

If you have white rims, the cleaning product "Awesome" works very well. Spray a little bit on the rims and you can just wipe the dust off with a rag. Be sure not to spray "Awesome" on the brakes though.

I just bought a used '02 mini with white rims so I know what you're talking about; it gets really pronounced on mine.