What to use to clean rust on brake rotors?

[frankzlin79]

What is the best product to use to clean the rust off of the brake rotors and where can you buy it?

[Technic]

Originally Posted by frankzlin79

What is the best product to use to clean the rust off of the brake rotors and where can you buy it?

First, let's take care of the cause of the rust: wrong type of wheel cleaner.

I use the BMW wheel cleaner and there is no rust in my brake discs. Now, if you use those Autozone/Pep Boys wheel cleaners -regradless of the brand- they will literally corrode your brake discs, causing that rust of yours.

I know, I've used those wheel cleaners with the same exact rust result...

[frankzlin79]

I use black magic. But I'll give the BMW wheel cleaner a try. Do you have a part number and approximate price?

[Technic]

Originally Posted by frankzlin79

I use black magic. But I'll give the BMW wheel cleaner a try. Do you have a part number and approximate price?

That's your rust cause.

Just ask the dealers parts department for an OEM bottle... I normally pay less than $7 per bottle when I buy a case (12 bottles).

[kmac1980]

brake pads?.....

After driving my car around the block the rotor rust is gone.

[foosh]

Originally Posted by Technic

First, let's take care of the cause of the rust: wrong type of wheel cleaner.

I use the BMW wheel cleaner and there is no rust in my brake discs. Now, if you use those Autozone/Pep Boys wheel cleaners -regradless of the brand- they will literally corrode your brake discs, causing that rust of yours.

I know, I've used those wheel cleaners with the same exact rust result...

Huh? I only use car wash soap and water, and the rust appears within minutes.

The brake pads work fine to remove it.

[foosh]

Originally Posted by Technic

First, let's take care of the cause of the rust: wrong type of wheel cleaner.

I use the BMW wheel cleaner and there is no rust in my brake discs. Now, if you use those Autozone/Pep Boys wheel cleaners -regradless of the brand- they will literally corrode your brake discs, causing that rust of yours.

I know, I've used those wheel cleaners with the same exact rust result...

Huh? I only use car wash soap and water, and the rust appears within minutes.

The brake pads work fine to remove it, but I suppose if the car is primarily a museum piece you might need something special to clean it with.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by foosh

Huh? I only use car wash soap and water, and the rust appears within minutes.

The brake pads work fine to remove it.

If you use any of those wheel cleaners you will know what I'm talking about...

[anthony @ eas]

Originally Posted by kmac1980

brake pads?.....

+1

[doba_s]

wait, are you guys actually spraying it right on the rotors ?

[signes]

Originally Posted by Technic

If you use any of those wheel cleaners you will know what I'm talking about...

Not sure I understand what you are saying here. Like Foosh said, plain water used during a wash will start to rust your rotors. One brake application later, its gone. I use P21S wheel cleaner but wouldn't use any of the "spray and rinse" crap.

To the OP, just go around the block and the surface rust will be gone.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by signes

Not sure I understand what you are saying here. Like Foosh said, plain water used during a wash will start to rust your rotors. One brake application later, its gone. I use P21S wheel cleaner but wouldn't use any of the "spray and rinse" crap.

To the OP, just go around the block and the surface rust will be gone.

The kind of rust that I think the OP is talking about is much extensive that just the normal rotor surface rust after washing. The "cheap" wheel cleaners are really corrosive in my experience - one of the front calipers in my old E46 M3 was corroded to the point of replacement by the use of those cleaners in a couple of years. You know that these wheel cleaners corrode when right after cleaning the wheels you see brown residue all over the inside of the wheels after driving.

P21S and the BMW OEM wheel cleaner -they are supposed to be similar in formula from the same manufacturer- and just plain carwash liquid and water does not corrode at all and does not leave/produce any brown residue. So any rust that you can see in the rotors it is not only minimal but gone completely after the very first application of the brakes.

[doba_s]

you should post some pictures - before/after ...

[M3twins]

BMW will change out the rotors with your next brake service anyway, but the calipers are a different story. I'll use the BMW product to protect the calipers!

[NewM3driver]

I have had more BMWs than I can count, and all the wheels have always pitted and corroded.

The M3 wheels come perfectly clean with just carwash soap and water. (no wheel cleaner) and look "new" after almost a year.

[d00t]

Originally Posted by Technic

First, let's take care of the cause of the rust: wrong type of wheel cleaner.

I use the BMW wheel cleaner and there is no rust in my brake discs. Now, if you use those Autozone/Pep Boys wheel cleaners -regradless of the brand- they will literally corrode your brake discs, causing that rust of yours.

I know, I've used those wheel cleaners with the same exact rust result...

I have to disagree. I would think he's talking about the thing layer of rust that forms after washing the wheels with any type of cleaner (maybe your specific BMW one not.. but I'm not going to argue that). The rust is extremely minor, and will be cured the first time you step on the brakes. I've NEVER had an issue in the many years I've been detailing cars.

[ScheerSpeed]

you dont need to use wheel cleaners every time you wash

[haze gray]

Drive it around the block and it's gone. Come on guy's, really is this worth a post?

[konnery]

See pic

[Trier Germany]

Drive your car it will gladly come off on it's own