Checked mine a couple of days ago..... NO RUST

 

I just checked our 06 MCS we have a small amount starting on the passenger side 600 miles left of warranty what should I do???

 

The big issue is this is an area where several areas are welded together (post #594 pointed this out) and the POR cannot protect where it cannot go. I would still clean well; POR15 where I can and after possibly add something like oil or grease later to the seam to lock out moisture and oxygen; periodic inspection and drying water after driving in the rain as someone else suggested.

I've used the POR in areas which had bad "cancer" and the rust never seemed to come back through. You do need to get rid of any scale rust but you do not need to get rid of every speck of residual rust before painting.


Once this stuff dries on skin it is basically impossible to remove without the skin too. Acetone removes it easily before it dries.

I buy disposable brushes and use them once. A little paint goes a very long way. I use a plastic scoop and scoop some into a small plastic container to paint from. It dries slowly and any brush marks will disappear. When you close your can use plastic wrap under the top else it will be hard to ever reuse the can. POR can be peeled from anything plastic so I save my scoop and container and peel them before the next time I use them.

It is not absolutely necessary to use their wash and Zinc etch. It is a nice idea but you need to flood with water after using the pretreatment and a lot of times like it is not super practical.

 

Based on what I've read here I checked my sills today. I've only had my 2004 S for a few days but am rapidly getting familiar with the little beast. Found some moisture on the sills along with water and dirt in the rubber seal groove. No rust though. Cleaned and waxed the metal sill and used a thin piece of metal with a shop rag to thoroughly clean and dry the inside of the rubber seal. I'm thinking about coating the metal with some silicone grease to help protect the surface from future water and will likely make pulling the seal a routine maintenance item.

Eric

 

I found the rust on my 2003 :( time to get it to a body shop to try and fix it...

Nick

 

See document here on how to...

http://www.weoneil.com/intranet/paint.pdf

 

Sorry for bringing back to life a dead thred but did MINI ever extend the rust warrenty for the older first gen cars? I am also curious about what this will cost? I am just trying to get a ballpark price so I don't end up paying to much. I wish I didn't have this problem.

Thanks for the help

Nick

 

i'm actually surprised my 03 doesn't have rust where everyone has been mentioning, especially considering the 110k on the odometer completely in New York and Minnesota. miracles do happen apparently. i do however have a tad bit of rust developing just on the bottom of the driver's door, which isn't bad enough to worry yet.

 

what is the difference between the revised door seam and the original?

 

Would never have thought to look for rust there if it weren't for this thread - I just happened to run across a month or two ago...

Just put Por15 on both sides under the weatherstripping. Hoping this kills it for good. Driver's side wasn't too bad, but passenger side had two very severe spots.

Also, the inside bottom edge of my passenger door was showing the beginning signs of rust and some minor bubbling, so I took the door paneling off and applied Por15 inside the door as well as on the bottom outside edge.

Hopefully that takes care of the rust...for now...

 

I just purchased on 05 MCS last week and I checked and found a couple small spots of rust. Does Mini cover this now or am I on my own with this?

 

I suspect you're on your own because it most likely hasn't perforated the metal. It's my recollection (without going out to the car and digging out the owner's manual) that the MINI extended rust warranty is against perforation, not against surface rust, which is most likely what you've got.

There are several ideas on this thread concerning how to deal with it. What I did was to use a tiny dremel grinder to carefully remove all visible rust from the small area affected, then cover with a liberal coat of Phil Wood grease (it's green, and my car is BRG/W - you can buy it at a bike shop, but any good water-proof grease will do the job). I pull the door gaskets after each wash, and as possible when the car's been in the rain, drain the water out, use a towel to sop up any extra, and re-apply the grease two or three times a year. So far (since 2004) the problem has not worsened, so I don't worry about it.

 

Hey my Mini is BRG too! Thanks for the info.

 

I would suggest that you take it to the dealer - it's a known issue with a service bulletin issued. Lots of people here have had various rust issues repaired while under the rust warranty, so I'd actually be surprised if they don't do it for you.

The rust warranty is for 12 years on that year. Make sure you do a complete inspection for rust in 2016 - it's your last chance for free rust repairs! Another common spot is the bottom edge of the doors. Wish I had caught it before my 6 year rust warranty ran out...

 

here's an interesting one,
i have bubbly rust developing down the bottom seam of my door. Its just started so the paint isn't completely blemished yet. but i also don't have the rust issue with the door seam.

was that covered under that bulletin for the door sills?

 

I believe the bulletin only covered the area under the weatherstripping, but it would be worth a call to the dealer just to make sure.

 

The extended 12 year rust warranty covers '04-'06 MINIs. A while back I ran across a post of a guy who had the same issue - rust on the bottom seam of the door and he caught it before the 6 year warranty on '02-'03s ran out. Everything was covered by the dealer. Definitely give them a try if you're still within warranty. If they give you a hard time, call MINI - it really should be covered.

I have an '03 with the same but didn't catch it in time! Ended up applying POR-15 inside the door - it seems like that's where the rust is starting...

 

i'm not the original owner so the factory warranty is well gone. i'll give the dealership a try anyways. otherwise full strip down and repaint

 

Vehicle warranties usually transfer with ownership, so as long as you're within the year range, I think you covered

From MINIUSA's site:
"Your MINI is covered, regardless of who's driving."

http://www.miniusa.com/#/contactFaq/faq/warranties-i

 

that only covers 04 and newer mini's. anything before that is 5 year. I'll try calling them up anyways due to the rust getting bad...quickly

 

the other day I was at the local dealership and the service adviser said he had never heard of any rust issue with the Minis. I was kind of surprised since it seems to be a known issue here on NAM. I told him there was a lot of talk about it on NAM but he insisted he has never heard anything about it.

Is he BSing me or is it possible? And how do I go about getting the dealership to fix the rust if they claim its not an issue?

 

Claiming ignorance of an issue is a classic dealership technique. You can point him in the direction of this thread, or have him call his regional boss. Dealers have been repairing this for several years at this point. Or you can contact MINI USA yourself and try to get clearance for the repair. Your 05 model is included in the extended 12 year rust warranty, so you're good til 2017.

 

There's an official BMW/MINI service bulletin on it that I ran across on the web a while back. Includes repair steps. Wish I had a link to it - you could print it out and lay it on the advisor's desk!

If I find it again, I'll post it here.

 

I would reply that since it's so unusual, then certainly it shouldn't have happened and of course they should fix it without question or cost.

 

Here is a link to the TSB

http://www.motoringfun.com/2007/07/1...ical-bulletin/