This isn't really about a modification, but it's hard to find a forum area for stock issues that cover more than one model and this seems like the best fit. If you haven't checked yet, you really ought to look under the weatherstrip at your door sills.....you might find something disgusting like this: Those who've owned Gen1 MINIs for a while tend to already know about the well-documented door sill cancer issue, but people buy used MINIs every day. YES I do know it's been covered elsewhere but I don't care, I want a thread here on M/A. Besides, the best coverage elsewhere tends to have originated back when we discovered this problem and all started out as whistle-blowing and surveys to see whether it's widespread. The short answer is yes, it's a widespread issue. There, that's behind us. I'm more interested in suggested solutions. I've heard of people going to the dealer when the rust was just getting started and having the dealer wipe off the rust and tell them all they need is a little wax on there. I've also heard of people having work done in a body/paint shop either on their own or thru a dealer. There are other ways, more effective than wax and cheaper than a paint shop. So, for the benefit of others, how have you dealt with yours? How well did it work?
The rust on my door sill area is not bad, the dealer would do nothing about it because the rust did not 'perforate' anything. I plan on getting some POR-15 stuff and treating both sides. SUPER STARTER KIT-POR-15 Inc.
I noticed that my '02 has this problem, but I assumed that it was from an accident that has not yet been repaired. The whole rear panel on the right side (left hand drive) is push forward slightly, but now I think it was there all along. I only found it because I was running a wire for my dice unit (i-pod adapter).
Though a widespread issue, not all MINIs are afflicted. I've heard of it showing up on 02-05s though, so count yourself lucky!
Another spot is beneath the carpet behind the passenger seat, on the floor, down from the B pillar. I suppose it could happen on the driver’s side but I have yet to see it there.
I hadn't heard of that spot being a trouble area. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll have to take a look next time I'm rooting around back there. If anyone finds a patch like this, please post a pic or two.
POR-15 is mostly praised, but I've read a few lines like "I used it about a couple years ago and the rust is back!" Same re Wurth Rust Guard, though I've also read the two products are the same thing.....I don't suppose that's true but I'm willing to believe they work the same way. My question is why does the rust sometimes come back? POR-15 propaganda: That last bit about not applying over other paints is a worry for this particular fix. Wurth Rust Guard propaganda: Rather similar, yes? I get the impression these things just seal off the rust. Don’t you have to get rid of ALL the rust somehow first by cutting down to bare metal or converting it completely, or is it dead and gone, never to reappear, as long as you seal it away? Maybe the problem some people have is they don’t prep sufficiently?
I'm going to try to grind away the rust with a dremel and then use POR-15. I just have to get around to ordering some. My rust is minor on the door sill. It could easily be ground down without removing anything.
My door sills are OK, but the bottom of my drivers side rear light had some rust on it. Dealer fixed it, on a 6 year old car. Good thread:yesnod: Remember, Rust never sleeps:nonod: Mark
Are you concerned at all about the instruction to not apply it over other paints? I assume you'll have to overlap the POR-15 past the bare metal onto the adjacent paint in order to get a good seal. Check out their "Directions for people who don’t read directions" here -- see #10.
I spotted this rust under the door sill of my '06 MCS about 8-12 months after I bought it. It was just a tiny little spot, so I buffed it off with some very fine grit sandpaper and then packed the area with a good carnuba wax. Over 3 years later and still no return of the rust!
One of the reasons they call it metal cancer, plus in this situation water can actually get trapped under the weatherstrip (seems counter-intuitive, doesn't it?), feeding the process.
Isn't that the root cause of it all? To address this, when I wash my car I do not spray the door jam directly. I hold the hose above and spray down over the door. When I'm done washing, I pull up the weather stripping and dry under it. It also lets me inspect the rust's progress. Anti-progress, maybe?
I would have said the root cause is they didn't seal the paint well along that seam, but I suppose rust probably wouldn't develop under there anyway if not for the trapped moisture. I bet there are more people with this problem in areas where they dump chemicals on the road in the winter....wonder if the folks at MINI have been keeping statistics on the geography...
I know this is an older post, but wanted to chime on about the por 15 and other products. They don't want you to use over paint or clean metal as the chemical reaction happens between the por 15 and the rust. Using it on clean metal is no better than a good primer and topcoat would be. The best is to remove all loose rust and dirt and then apply. I would topcoat it with something as we have seen some cases where the sun really breaks it down if not topcoated. Another really good rust killer is Bill Hersh Miracle Paint. Cheers Mr. Jim
A local KC Club member just posted up some pics of work he's doing on his 2003 MCS......be forewarned - it's some scary stuff! This is around the taillight openings - both sides too. Car has never been hit or had any body repairs before.....and is always garaged.
Why/how could that area be so bad for a garaged car? I wonder what that area looks like for the rest of us? or maybe I don't really want to know. I actually had a small (size of a pencil eraser) rust bubble directly under my left tail light that the dealer fixed last year. I sure hope that was not the tip of the iceberg. Not only is my '06 garaged, it has been in rain maybe 4 times. And i don't even wash it, I just wipe it down. Ok, I am sufficiently freaked out now, thanks..........:cryin: