After a very pleasant drive to town and back, we pulled on to our gravel driveway headed for the garage. As I coasted to a 3 mph stop, our poor MINI let out a screech you wouldn't believe!! It was running perfectly, then with five feet to go, it sounded like the bottom was dropping out of ??? what ??? Arghhh. My wife and I looked at each other, then got out to take a look...what the heck? The tinny screeching metal yelp of our MINI had us worried!!!

Hmmm. No string of parts behind the MINI. Nothing dragging on the ground. I got back into the MINI and motored forward just inches...very slowly. SCREECH!!!!! And LOUD! Hmmm...

Getting out this time, I had my wife get in and drive forward ever so slightly while I listened. Same horrible sound, specifically coming from the front driver's side wheel. Since we do have a short 30 foot gravel drive, I suspected a loose piece of gravel had gotten lodged between the disc brake and the (heat?) shield just behind. I took a slender wooden stick and gently pushed against the shield and flexed it a bit. I went around the wheel and pushed in on the shield between each spoke in the wheel hoping that it might 'drop' the rock from its wedged spot...if indeed that was the problem.

Unfortunately, I didn't hear any rocks dropping to the ground to verify my hunch but I got back in the MINI and started 'er up. Amazingly, the screech was GONE!

It's too late to take it back out in the dark for a real road test. If there IS another problem I'm not aware of, I don't want to tackle it in the dark stuck 2 miles up the road...

So tomorrow I will give it a real smoke test...gently...

John

 

My off hand reaction is that it may be a wheel speed sensor just failed. If this is true, you will get an ABS and tire pressure light on the dash. Also if this is true, it will be covered under warranty, assuming you are still under warranty.

 

I think you had it exactly right, a piece of gravel got in there, but maybe it was lodged against the pad rather than the heat shield, maybe backing up cause it to drop out. Anyway, I think you "fixed" it......

 

A failed sensor isn't likely to screech. I agree with the pebble prognosis.... Hmmm.. The Pebble Prognosis... sounds like the title of a Ludlum book.

 

Hey, Don't blame me.

 

Drove the MINI all day today, no more screeching. Did have a slight scare, though. After I drove to work this morning, I noticed an amber warning signal !! I grabbed the owner's manual and it appeared to be the DSC symbol...but I wasn't sure if it was ABS, DSC, or what...

...but figuring it had something to do with last night's screeching sound, I called Rasmussen Mini in Portland. The service advisor asked if I had stopped for coffee on my way in...hmmm, yep I had! Luckily, I had done nothing more than inadvertantly pressed the DSC disable button while fumbling w/ my Starbucks coffee cup!!!

John

 

BWAH!!!

Nice to have a dealer with that kind of local knowledge to apply to automotive service! Being near Seattle, I can relate. That's hillarious.

As for the first issue, my vote is on a piece of gravel, too. Somthing flipped up near the brakes or drive shafts. Any scouring on the rotors that you can see?

 

Nope, no visible damage. I think I only picked it up in the driveway about 5 feet before I stopped...so a very short distance!

John

 

LOL