Hello all,

Ever since I have had my R52 (June 2008, now with 26k miles), I have had an occasional rubbing sound coming from the front driver side wheel area in first gear when I take off from a dead stop. I had Mini check it once and they couldn't hear anything. It has continued since then and I have a service appointment tomorrow. I hear it after the brake is applied, and have heard it often after I roll backward out of my garage, apply the brake, shift into first, then pull away (I hear it when I pull away). It stops after a few seconds. Could it be a sticking brake caliper? Anyone else experience this or hear of it? Thanks in advance!

 

What I find more often than not, are MINI techs who "can't hear noises", happen to also be the same ones who never take the owner for that ride to POINT OUT that annoyance. Then just write it off as unable to detect.......

Perhaps they prefer to wait until something actaully breaks or a code comes up ?....sheer laziness in my book and totally unacceptable.

If it's easily duplicated under the circumstances you described, and since your MINI is still under warranty, go back to the dealer and demand that the tech accompany you for the test ride and point this noise out to him.

Brakes are nothing to mess around with and if the inside pad is indeed sticking, that could lead to undetectable premature pad and rotor wear.

 

Actually, it's not easily duplicated, it only happens occasionally and randomly. The conditions that I described are common to the sound I hear but it doesn't always happen. The one time I took it to Mini they did accompany me on a test drive and we didn't hear it, so I don't want this to become a rant on the service department of my Mini dealership.