Orange powder from brakes after a wash

Joined
Apr 13, 2013
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9,246
Location
FL, USA
I’ve noticed a fine orange powder on one wheel of the Jetta after washes, but only after the car has been moved. Example, the car gets washed and dried in the driveway then I move the car back under the carport. At that point the orange powder is present on the wheel.

Today after the wash I noticed it was present, but when looking closer I saw even more had accumulated on the hub area of the wheel.

I would assume it was rust (though the color seems off) that was scraped off by the pads but why would it only be present on one wheel?

Here are some pics.

2D5FD196-6F47-4112-8DB0-8F07B206B7BF.jpeg
0C561EB9-4333-47D5-ABC5-27036F8337F6.jpeg
0CA81D20-4376-4636-AC4E-E63EF1A8ED91.jpeg
21E83190-DBE0-488D-A4E5-B66B6800C992.jpeg
 
Huh, that's interesting. It looks like rust, but it also looks way too orange and fine. Hard to tell from the pics.

I'm gonna go with rust on the rotor surface, builds up and falls down on the hub. Maybe a fine layer of pad material too? I have seen rotors rust after a rainstorm. In the movies, come out, notice flash rust on the rotors..
 
My brakes looks like they’ve been down with the Titanic after a wash. When you drive and use the brakes the pads will clean the rotor off. That’s probably what you’re seeing.

Some rust on the rotor hats is normal. You probably also have some embedded rust fallout on the wheels, you can use an iron remover to get rid of that. Also normal.
 
Yeah just rust on the surface of the discs getting removed by the pads on the first application. Perfectly normal.
 
Honestly, that looks more like pollen than rust, at least the stuff stuck to the brake rotor. The particles look too big for it being rust scraped off by the pads.
It certainly is an odd color, but not pollen. It happens right after a wash only, and only one that one wheel. Very odd.
 
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