Hello all
How long does it take for the vented holes to clear/unclog on the front rotors? I have 540 miles. Should i clear them myself or over time will they clear up? Thanks

 

I just noticed this as a result of your post. I don't know if all of the holes will ever clear by themselves. Even if they do, there's no guarantee they'll stay unclogged. Brake shoe compound will likely clog them again. Some of my holes are clogged with loose particles that can easily be cleared. However, some holes seem to be packed tight. I have more than twice your mileage and I'd say about 1/4 of my holes are clogged. Will they all clear over time? Your guess is as good as mine. I guess you could drill them, if you're that intent on clearing the holes. But I doubt if that would last very long. Personally, I'm not losing any sleep over this one.

 

They wont unclog themselves and you dont have to worry about it.

 

I've never noticed this on any drilled rotors I've had and never thought to look. But, if they are drilled rotors and the holes are clogged, then what's the purpose of the holes? I thought it was about heat dissipation and therefore shouldn't the holes be free of debris?

 

Yes, you are correct. On mine the majority of the holes are open. But to achieve the "full" benefit of heat dissipation, they "all" should be open.

 

I doubt there is a real advantage in terms of thermal dissipation, especially are we are not talking race cars here. The main reason for the holes is that it looks cool. In races they tend to prefer slotted disks over drilled disks because they are more resistant, and you can find many cases of cracked drilled disks. Personnally I dont bother cleaning the holes in the disk. Too much effort for too little gain, and for a short period only!

 

I have not seen my w204 and ML350 with slotted rotors have filled holes on the rotors. Is this normal for the newer MBs? Even my afternarket drilled rotors on my other rides does not have any of those? Where do you guys drive anyway?