Hi there!
I'm new here, Pat from Sweden, and I have a problem with my newly bought Mini and wonder if you have any ideas what the problem may be.

I bought the car one week ago from a car company, a -02 Mini Cooper S R53.
Before I could grab the car they changed rear discs and pads. I've driven around 500km after I got the car and the problem now is that there is some kind of clicking noise from what appears to be the rear right wheel. It clicks one time per rotation = the faster I go the more often the sound appears. And it disappears when I put my foot lightly on the brake or apply the handbrake just lightly.

I've already jacked the car up to see if I could hear any noise but I didn't hear anything in specific. I don't feel any 'play' in the wheel either so I'm guessing it couldn't be a wheel bearing then?

Also both rear discs get pretty hot after driving, I guess my pads are a bit too thick, but it is not noticeable at all that the brakes should be applied (to generate such heat) in any way except that the discs are hot when I've stopped and touched them.

Excuse me for some weird sentences, my english isn't flawless. ;-)

Thanks in advance!

 

Installation of the rear pads is a bit tricky in that there is a retainer spring that must encircle a slot on the pad plate. If not properly installed the pad may not fully retract, drag, and cause heat. If the pads were not installed by someone familiar with MINIs, perhaps they were not properly done. Insist that they take it apart and inspect. Check this out:

 

Right at the 4.00 minute mark on the video you will see that there are clips on the rear surface of the inner pad that need to slide down onto a groove in the piston. Those not familiar with this may have the pad improperly installed.

 

Thanks for the info! I've now checked the right rear brake, I removed the caliper and saw that the inner caliper wasn't mounted as it should. I then rotated the disc and saw a massive unbalance and heard a 'rasping' sound. I started to wonder if it was the disc that was bent due to too much heat, but I then removed the disc and there was an even bigger noise. Which means my wheel bearing seem to be broken.

It really looked like massive unbalance when i rotated the disc, it was pretty hard to check for unbalance when the disc was off though, but I'm guessing it must be the wheel bearing that caused that too. The disc looked great. Hopefully they are alright since there was never any heat in the caliper or at the wheel, only the disc alone, and that can't be too hot then.

I'm amazed I didn't feel that unbalance in the car though, I only heard that noise. I'm gonna check the other side tomorrow just in case, and then talk to the car company that sold the car to me. The car came with 3 months warranty so there shouldn't be a problem. :-)