Rear disc corrosion on hybrid?

[dashnine]

The rear discs on my VZ2 Hybrid after 10K miles are very rusty, where even driving around 'normally' doesn't really clean them up.

My assumption is they are barely used with the rear brakes doing very little in a front wheel drive car (even with the hybrid battery in the boot) and having regen set to high for more or less one pedal driving probably doesn't help either.

I found the activating the electric parking brake while moving (when safe to do so) activates the rear discs bringing the car to a stop (i.e. it doesn't just lock the rear brakes!) which I think has helped a little to clean them up so will try doing that a few more times.

Anyone else found this on their hybrid, and found a better way to clean them up?

I can see the conversation at the next service: 'Your rear discs and pads need changing Sir, £500 please', to which my response will be forget it, they'll be like that again in 10K miles.

I had a similar problem with my two Discovery Sports, the first one had them changed under warranty, the second one LR refused to pay with exactly the same condition brakes (i.e. that's how LR reduced their warranty costs). Interestingly, the Cupra Born has rear drum brakes, much better for light duty braking - most cars have rear discs at the insistence of the marketing department as drum brakes aren't sexy!

 

[SRGTD]

Does your car have ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)? My VW uses the rear brakes when ACC is engaged to help maintain a ‘safe’ distance from the vehicle in front, and the rear braking probably helps to keep the rear discs clean.

 

[dashnine]

Does your car have ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)? My VW uses the rear brakes when ACC is engaged to help maintain a ‘safe’ distance from the vehicle in front, and the rear braking probably helps to keep the rear discs clean.

It does, and I do use ACC quite often but not necessarily noticed any change in the state of the rear discs as a result.

 

[BigJase88]

Yeah thats the problem with these electric handbrakes. With an old manual handbrake you could put it on a click which would clean the rear discs up a treat

 

[DEAN0]

Chuck a few bags of sand in the boot or carry rear seat passengers.
The brake bias valve will proportion more brake force to the rear because of the extra weight.
that should clean up the discs.

 

[dashnine]

Setting the regen to Low, and hammering the brakes so that more then the 'regen braking' is needed to stop the car appears to be cleaning them up, albeit slowly...