It's not high pitched, so I didn't call it a squeal. It sounds like what you would hear from old rusty drum brakes - metal-to-metal but with plenty of base.

- only happens when I let off the clutch
- only happens from a standstill
- happens even if I haven't used the brake immediately before (imagine bumper-to-bumper traffic)
- goes away in less than a second (each time)
- seems to only happen when it's hot outside (85+)

Originally, I thought it might be the brake caliper sticking, but today it happened in heavy traffic without using the brakes (slight uphill grade, 1st gear, clutch in and out).

Any ideas out there?

07MCS

 

Axle?

 

Slight uphill grade means the brakes may still have been used. Does your 07 have the "hill holder" feature? The later R56 cars do.

I would still suspect a brake problem. Pull the wheels off and look for rubbing, for thin pads, for debris in the area, and check however you can that the caliper moves smoothly. (Assuming these are sliding calipers, at least!)

 

My 05 mcs makes this noise as well. Sounds like it is coming from the front left wheel. I can hear it only when I'm starting from a standstill or when I'm in neutral just coasting no more than 10mph. It's bugging the heck out of me.

 

I had same thing happen to me-- grating noise coming from left front wheel, seems really loudest when moving at slower speeds. I discovered that it was the the break pad wear sensor popped out and rubbing inner surface of wheel, scraping a gouge in the metal from the metal clip of the wear sensor as there is very little clearance between outer edge of caliper and inner surface of wheel. I also had one of the wheel balance weights - the sticky tape-on type that go on back surface, which would have been right next to the wear sensor wire-- but found that weight was gone-- just the sticky foam strip remaining. I'm not sure if the weight came lose, hitting the sensor cable and pulling it loose, or if sensor wire popped out, wedged between caliper and wheel causing weight to scrape off. In any case, I'd suggest jacking up front end, taking off wheel and examining inner part of wheel for any scraping and/or if sensor cable is unclipped from break pad.

 

Thank you! I'm going to pop off my wheel today and check it out.

 

Just took off my wheel and to no avail, I didnt notice anything rubbing. What I did notice is that the rotor is harder to spin about 2/3 of the cycle around. Only 1/3 of the cycle is freely spinning. Does anyone have any input? Do I have a warped rotor? Can I drive with a warped rotor without harming anything?

 

 

Almost certainly the brakes. How many miles are on it since the last brake replacement? BTW, good video. How did you attach the camera to the side of the mini?

 

It's not the brakes, they were changed recently. And I bent back the brake dust shield so it wasn't that. Idk!! I think I have a warped rotor.

GOPRO was attached via suction cup and I used 3 or 4 bracket mounts to get it out far enough away from the car.

 

Finally figured it out. Car sat in an auction lot for a while and the brake pads attached themselves to the rotor. When the car was finally driven, they broke loose but warped the rotor. All I need to do is get the rotors cut.

 

Ha! Told ya it was the brakes

 

You got part of it! Lol I'm only going to need to replace or turn the rotors:/ once I do it I'll post again with an update.

 

I have the same thing and I thought it was the clutch because it only happened at a stand still, doesn't matter if there is a hill or not it would let out a really loud hum kinda sounds like Chewbacca. When it dose do it I would push the clutch in and it would go away... yet it only dose it sometimes. it's weird.

 

I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. That sounds like something in your engine.

 

UPDATE:
I bought 2 new front rotors. I took off the driver's side (problem side) and replaced it with a brand new rotor. I checked the brakes in the process. They looked great! I reassembled the caliper onto the rotor and torqued everything to factory. When I spun the rotor, it was still making the sound. So I took the new rotors back and just had my old ones cut. I put on the newly cut rotors and I'm still getting the noise. It was then I realized I am missing the clips for my brake shoes to slide into. (not the clips that slide into the holes on the outside of the caliper). Are clips that allow your brakes shoes to slide in cleanly necessary? I've had them replaced on all my other vehicles but am new to my MINI.

Thanks for your feedback.