Hi guys...
2nd day with my car, I noticed that there are lot of black powder from the brakes, making the rims look like a year old. Is this normal? My 2000 Tundra's rims look newer :-(

The other thing I noticed is that Mini factory used "carpet like" around the fenders....not "tar like" like other cars or trucks. I wonder how it is with snow, salt, mud, water and sand in the wet or snow seasons.

And for those who wondered about the groves in the side-door pocket...they are not for drainage :-), it's there for the ridget (my 2 cents)

thanks in advance.

 

Brake dust from the OEM German pads is a painful fact-of-life for a MINI owner...until you swap out to Carbotech brake pads, though!

Wash the wheels, apply several thin coats of Wheel Wax or Rejex (letting dry to a haze & buffing between coats) and get an inexpensive "California Duster" that will fit into the grooves of your wheels. Every other day (depending upon your driving habits) you'll want to "dust" your rims to remove the brake dust--it WILL eventually etch & pit your wheels if you don't keep 'em clean.

"Carpet like" what? (I think you forgot to type a word or two...)

What in the heck is a "ridget"?

 

what's a ridget?

what he means to say is that the fenderwells
are made of what looks to be very stiff carpet.

i've noticed this too.

my other cars have plastic for the fender wells.

(the inserts up under the fenders)

 

The carpet is supposed to help with road noise sort of like sound proofing material. I dont know what its like in snow because it doesnt snow where I come from. It seems fine in all other conditions.

 

My wife's Mercedes has "carpet" on the wheel wells. If it is good enough for MB, It is good enough for MINI.

As for the drain holes, I think that they eliminated the door rubber at the bottom. Som of the other NAM members have posted discussions about this. Ask the service department, I think if you b1tch enough, they will install the weatherstrip. I know I plan on doing this at my first service!

 

MINI has stated that the bottom door seal was no longer needed after 8/07. Unless you get a friendly dealer, you'll have to pay for the strips.

 

I live in snow area..no problem with wheel well "carpet"' Brake dust--just learn to live with it and get good wheel cleaner.

 

thxs for the tips abt the wheels...i spent one day using soap and toothbrush to scrub away the brake dust that has accumulated..

 

get a SOFT wheel brush and buy some P21S wheel cleaner.

A wheel reapir guy I used recentlky recommnended Simple Green but I have not tired it yet. Likely alot cheaper than P21S...

 

I thought we couldn't mention the ridgets in an open forum?

Brake dust is easy enough to get off. Get a soft brush to use on the spokes.

Congrats on the toy.

 

Ridget? http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ridget

 

I use Simple Green. It works, is easy and smells nice too!

 

Thanks for all the tips and answers guys/gal...and pardon my English, spelling and car terminology. Honestly, I don't even know some of the jargons in here....but I'm learning :-)

I meant rigid... :-)

 

+ 1 for the simple green, my family has a stock pile of it for some reason, lol. when the rest of the car is clean and i feel like cleaning the rims i just use a tooth brush and a rag, all four are done in about 15 min.

 

Been a Rejex fan for a long time. When I took delivery of my C4S Cab a few years ago, I had a long talk with the folks who developed Rejex. It was originally for the marine industry, and has been sold to our US Navy for years. Yep, it's on the boats, planes, choppers and saved a ton of damage on chopper blades in desert storm 1.

I used it, and was convinced it beat anything I'd tried.

It is not a wax though, but if your paint is in new condition, this is the product that does what it claims. It makes surfaces more slippery.

Get your wheels really clean, I mean really clean, and apply Rejex (whole car is fine too), according to directions. It cures overnight in the dark, then do this again a week or so later. Do not apply over wax. If waxed, use Dawn liquid to remove first, then use Rejex, remove, buff, let cure.

When the time comes to wash, hit the wheels with enough regular pressure from your household hose, and most of the brake dust will wash right off.

Questions on Rejex? eric@bumperplugs.com

We carry it, but not a, er, uh, 'plug' if you know what I mean.

 

Another plug for simple green. The best de-greaser in a spray bottle I have found.

 

KUDOS to your webmaster/webmistress! I absolutely LOVED the intro with the dancing "plugs"!

 

Simple Green is good stuff, but i would suggest using it diluted 1 to 1 with water. However if you clean the wheels regularly you don't even need it. I use a quick detailer spray a couple of times a week and it takes all the brake dust off and leaves the wheels looking great. If you wait till they are really dirty, or they get wet, then you need the Simple Green.