As i'm driving i hear this noise that sounds almost like brakes that have been unused for a while/ have been rained on.

It isn't that loud but at idle while driving i can hear it (not that loud so i have to focus my ears to hear it etc)

Anybody know what it is?

I'm hoping that it's just brakes because i am thinking alternator/supercharger noise if it isn't brakes? But then it only comes when i am at 10+ mph and not while stopped.

 

couple things to check.
guide pins on the calipers
dust shield behind the rotor

I would jack up the front of the car and move the wheels by hand to pin point the noise

 

there is a nice set in the 1st Gen Classifieds:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ss-guides.html

 

Do as this man says.

I had a noise coming from the brakes, and it turned out the inner pad had worn faster then the outside pad, and damaged the rotor.

Wouldn't gave caught it by sight without getting her off the ground.

 

Thx for the idea guys, will do it when i'm home today.

I'm guessing it actually is the brake since "flooring" the brake pedal doesn't make the tires chirp/abs to go on at all. It just keeps slowing down so that means something.. Unless the mini doesn't lock tires when its dry?

As for the replacement brakes, i'm in a budget (college freshmen soon) so what do you guys recommend?

 

I wouldn't be concerned about cost of "replacement brakes" until you find out what's wrong. It could be something so simple as a pebble caught between the rotor and the splash shield. If you need brake pads, inexpensive but effective pads can be purchased at your local auto parts store or from on-line sources like Rockauto.com.

 

The sound is getting sorta worse every day. I lifted the car and the wheels had some resistance but i think it's just normal in all cars. Brake pads are good and so is the rotors.

I'm kinda worried it's transmission related as i saw a clear liquid under my car today in the garage :(

My dad says it's the wheel bearing starting to fail so it sounds worse every day..

I guess that is it since i had a bad wheel bearing in my old car but it sounded 10x louder, but kinda same frequency..

Anybody know a way to check? and which side?

 

wait till its wet or find some dirt to hit the brakes in. in my opinion is probably just cheap pads. when i first got my car form a used dealer they put on "new" pads and "rotor" which did look new not even bedded at all but standing on the brakes wouldn't even get the abs going. switch pads and it grabbed hard. also try taking the calipers aprt cleaning the pins and apling either some fresh copper or silver anti seize to the pins and reasemble do not forget to compress the pistons when re assembling.

did you feel the liquid? smell it? was it an oil or water based? how much?

i doubt its the trans and also doubt its a wheel bearing.

after a drive go around and check each wheel and try and feel if one is hotter than the other. near the hub area.

 

I checked the liquid and it was kinda oily, but not as oily as motor oil.

Please check my other thread incase you know what i'm experiencing and if it's related to this one.
(https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3829049)

Thanks for your time man, i really appreciate it.

 

A way to check wheel bearing... Have a look at this: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...5930&styleid=8

In the 2nd post: There's a link to a YouTube video (its genaric/not mini specific) but the procedure of grabbing the wheel, pushing pulling turning etc to check a wheel bearing will be the same.

Also, thin, clear oily fluid... What color is your antifreeze, what about brake fluid? Most people will probably have clear brake fluid, and blue antifreeze in their MINI. Oddly enough, my car is the opposite, because I use ATE Blue brake fluid, and I'm not using MINI Brand coolant.
-Anyway, thin and kinda oily, check power steering fluid too. I've never seen an AC compressor leak oil, but that's probably thin oil too. Motor Oil or Transmission Fluid I would think would be obvious when you see them.

Check out the video, you'll be able to inspect brakes and check wheel bearings at the same time. Don't forget to look at your dust shield behind the rotor, make sure it's not hanging up on anything. Also in the video they have an impact wrench, if you don't, then remember to break loose the lug nuts before you put the car in jack stands,..

Hope that helps.

 

When i lifted the car the subframe? or w/e was under the engine (metal bars with holes) had oil on it and generally most of the area on passenger side was oily

I'm not exactly sure if it was passenger side but i'll lift it again tomorrow and take pictures.

I'm just hoping it's not something big as i just saved up for intake and pulley :(!

Also for the wheel bearing, when i lifted the car the front wheels seemed to have some play, not sure if it's wheel bearing though. Rear wheels were solid compared to fronts.

Pictures tomorrow hopefully here:

 

Subframe on the passenger side can get oil on it if your oil filter leaks.

 

Or if somebody was messy doing an oil change....or had a bad o-ring, had it leak then fixed it...then did not clean it up too well....
IMO just take it yo the car wash....clean it up...
And look in a couple days...see it it reappears...will be simpler to trace it back...
But one tip....any car can leak a bit as they age... The key is monitoring the leak and the oil levels.... That way you can fix it IF it worsens enough to warrant it....

 

^ +1

Good advice as always Zippy.

 

I would check your oil filter housing. That looks pretty fresh motor oil. Check the o-ring, if it wasnt oiled up when reinstalling it could bind which will make it leak.

 

For some reason i couldn't reply with the pictures posted in that post, so ill post it here

Anyways, i forgot to mention i changed the oil 4 days ago and some leaked from the filter housing.

Anybody know how to wash the whole engine from down there so all oil goes away? I don't think a car wash does that..

 

When I had a o-ring tear once when I changed a filter and had about a quart of oil drip down and back...I just went to the car wash... And used the high pressure hose with soap, sprayed under the car from various angles....
The did a automatic wash with the underbody spray for too measure (and to get my rear window clean) lol....
You will never get it perfect...but cleaned up enough to look in a couple days for new oil....
Very fee cars have totally dry, oil free belly's.... Especially mini's....

 

Well i just checked around the filter with my hand and it was very dry, no way it leaked from there after i installed it, but i'm sure some oil leaked when i opened it to replace the filter.

 

Your best bet is to jack it up and spray the whole underside with a foaming de-greaser. let it sit for 5 minutes and then wipe or hose off. Next time you change your oil loosen the filter but leave on then drain the oil. That lets the oil in the filter drain out before you pull the housing off.

 

Front wheels seem to have some play...

 

Its been 3 days and nothing has leaked into my garage floor, i'll clean the belly in the weekend and recheck. Hopefully nothing :(!

Thanks for your help guys!