My local garage would not pass my 2006 Mini Cooper S with 33,000 miles on it for the required New York State inspection.. The mechanic claimed the rotors were badly rusted and pitted, a common happening in upstate NY. The front rotors are fine but the rear rotors are indeed pitted and rusted. The pads have a lot of life left so I was confused as to the reason for this failure. Have others living in snow and salt winters experienced this problem too.

I doubt this is a warranty issue so I'm not planning a trip to the closest dealer in Albany. Any thoughts or comments?

Thanks,

Natan in Freeville NY

 

I don't live in NY but the first thing I'd try is a different inspection station. Post a pictuie of the problem rotors if you can..

If you must change them it is actually a pretty easy job since you don't need to change the pads. Basic process is the same, remove the caliber, leaving the hanger bracket in place. For the rears on GEN1 you have enuf clearance to get the rotor off with the hanger still in place; on the fronts you need to remove the hanger but it comes off easy.

Remove the T-50 TORX that holds the rotor in place then remove the rotor from the hub. This is where you can have a problem as the torx and the rotor itself may be rust bound. A LIBERAL soaking with PB Blaster and careful use of the T-50 on a breaker bar will usually win the battle of the bolt & a big hammer for the rotor.

Plenty of choices for rotors and your local chain autopart store may well have some in stock.

 

How can the surface of brake rotors on a car that is driven be 'rusted and pitted?' Unlikely, in my opinion. The edges of all rotors look 'rusted' but it means nothing. The only reasonable grounds based on visual inspection by which to reject brake rotors is obvious grooving or thickness thinner than minimum requirement, neither of which you describe.

 

Chances are your rear calipers may be hanging up, if they dont make full contact the pads don't knock off all the rust and they begin to corrode. Its common.

 

My rear rotors failed inspection this past summer in NH, and 05' with 30,000 miles.

When swapping my snow tires on and off, I had been watching them....the edges were scaling/rusting pretty bad (i could knock off HEAVY RUST CHUNKS+SCALE off the edges, but functioning fine), but the faces were smooth and polished. I was trying to keep them on until spring and get one more winter out of them....but oh well, they just did their job. I already had the replacement sitting in a box waiting to go on my car. It seems to happen around here too......I know I am not the only one.....the joys of salt and Mag-Chloride....the shop did say OEM BMW/MINI rotors are " soft", and seem to not resist corrosion very well.

 

Brakes ARE covered under the 36000 mile maintenance warranty. And you should bring it in and they will probably replace pads and rotors all around as well as change a hanging caliper if that is the problem.

It definitely IS worth the trip to Albany. Again brakes are covered.

Rich