2005 MC, 47,000 mi


This morning I was driving to an appointment about 40 minutes away. About 15-20 minutes from my destination a high-pitched noise began - it sounded like it was coming from my rear right tire area. I was on the highway, going about 70 mph. It continued to occur whenever I was moving, until I reached my destination. Sometimes it would stop when I turned a bit, but would start up again rather quickly. It sounded like maybe something was rubbing or wobbling. When I took a quick look at the tire to see if there was anything obviously wrong, I thought it smelled a little burnt on that side of the car, but I didn't have time to really linger and investigate.

After my appointment, I drove about a mile to a store and heard absolutely nothing. I stopped at another store, and nothing. I drove the 40 minutes back to my apartment, and heard nothing.

When I texted my dad this morning to ask if I should be very concerned, he said it might be something with the brakes, and I did hear the rear brakes squeaking a little yesterday. I JUST got new brakes installed on my car 10 days ago (ceramic on the front, ceramic blends on the back).


My question is this - do I need to schedule an appt at the dealer in Pittsburgh (an hour away)? Should I be concerned about making the 2-hour trip back home tomorrow to visit my family? Is it possible that it was something that resolved itself, like a piece of debris?

 

I'm going to bet on debris or the rear inside pad clips may have come off the piston or the rear pads are not chamfered. Brand and type of pad did you use?

 

And please remember, once you are out of warrenty, you may find an independant MINI specialist to be cheaper in most cases, more convieant, and often faster.
Also remember, your breaks are a pretty standard system....no need to drive 1hr to a dealer unless it is free....

 

i got a rock stuck between my brake rotor and that little metal flap behind it one time and it did exactly what you're describing. all you have to do to fix it if its the same thing is take the wheel off and check back behind the rotor to see if somethings there. if there is, just grab a screw driver or a little stick or something and knock it out.

 

Yesterday I was just finishing a halfway point on a mountain road run and turned around in a parking lot when suddenly I heard screeching metal sounds.

At first It sounded like I was dragging a muffler pipe on the ground.

It turned out to be a piece of gravel or rock had been lodged up behind my left front driver-side wheel between the rotor and the metal flange cover.

I am glad it was an easy fix! With the noise it made, I was beginning to think I needed to do a road-side caliper rebuild out in the middle of nowhere!

I wanted to learn if anyone else had this happen to them?