I've had my used Mini for over 6 months now and just crossed 95k miles. Last night driving home from work I lost my brakes while driving down hill. The pedal became so stiff it would not engage, not loose like someone cut my brake line. Luckily my E-Brake worked and didn't run myself into another vehicle, though it did give me a scare. 20 min before that incident my windshield wipers stopped working, odd coincidence? I don't know. However after having my friend who is a BMW mechanic look it over he told me I burned out my wiper motor and my vacuum pump for my brake line also burned out. My question is this is this normal at this mileage and is it something that I can easily repair without spending hundreds of dollars?

 

The basic problem is associated with this is because of low brake fluid level, so check the same and if it is low, then feel it to the mark. Check out the brake pads, may be this problem is because of worn breake pads.

 

How does low brake fluid burn out his wiper motor and vacuum pump?

Make sure there's a good ground between the wiper motor and the body of the car, there have been some issues with this. It's easy enough to test, just hook a jumper wire from a metal part of the wiper motor and a good ground on the engine, if it then works, that's your problem!

I don't know about the vaccum pump...but if it happens again you still have brakes, you only lost the booster so you just have to push a whole lot harder!

 

+ 1 ^

 

That.....and I bet the car is overdue for a fluid flush....every 2-3 years is good...
Hot brakes...boiling fluid can feel like lost brakes....
even if you found a mechanical issue....i'd still flush the brakes.

 

^ A very good idea.

It was my experience the time I learned all about boiled fluid that the brake peddle felt like a sponge not hard at all. That was one of the most thrilling things that ever happened to me in a car. Yikes!!! Flush the fluid I'm a believer.

 

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