Why My Car's Brake Rotors Are Turning Blue?

Primarily, there are two essential components that complete the responsibility: the rotor and brake pads. When a driver presses the brake pedal, the brake pads receive the command to take action against the rotor. In general, the brake pads press against the rotors to stop the moving wheels.

Let’s understand the workings of a vehicle’s brakes in depth.

Being drivers, most of us are just aware of pressing the brake pedal as expected. When the pedal goes down, the vehicle stops gradually. In modern cars, there is the concept of hydraulically pressurised brakes. In general, the mechanical force of the brake pedal converts to hydraulic pressure.

A master cylinder controls the other four wheel cylinders, one at each corner of the vehicle, ensuring that the brake shoes (in the case of drum brakes) or pads are effectively applied against the rotors.

The fluid inside the calliper causes a piston to move, effectively closing the calliper. As a result, the brake pads squeeze the brake rotor at the both sides. Therefore, the hydraulic pressure increases as the force applied to the brake pedal increases. However, the whole process produces a lot of friction.

Here, friction is a crucial element for stopping a car. Even though heat is inevitable, extreme temperatures can actually harm things. It's crucial to get the issue diagnosed if one of your rotors has turned blue, because that's a sign that something isn't right. Over time, it might even result in rotor damage and cracking. These could be common causes of any blue rotor episode.

Is your car's brake system dealing with locked callipers?

Calliper instructs the brake pads to press against the rotors. A calliper that is malfunctioning, such as a locked calliper, might be quite problematic. In such a condition, brake pads do not detach from the rotors completely, and there would be some sort of friction.

However, it is unnoticeable during normal driving, even though it can generate enough heat and friction to make the rotor look blue.

Are worn or squeezed brake lines making rotors blue?

As discussed above, the hydraulic pressure depends on the flow of fluid. Therefore, the brake lines become too important. Even a small crack or internal damage might obstruct the flow of fluid to the wheel cylinder. It also disturbs the working of the clipper, and if it stays engaged for an extended time, there is a lot of chance of rotor deterioration.

Are these defective slide pins (corroded)?

Calliper heavily depends on the metal pin, especially when it moves back and forth. However, the pins are prone to corrosion and may get damaged if there is a shortage of lubrication. When these things do not work properly, there is a high probability of getting stuck in one position. And if it got stuck to the rotors, the latter would almost certainly be on the receiving end and turn blue.

Is it offensive driving?

Poor driving practises, particularly using the brake more than necessary or driving through areas with heavy traffic, almost always result in damaged brake rotors. Additionally, vehicles in hilly areas may experience blue brake rotors earlier than usual.

The same amount of heat is generated when your brakes are continuously applied as when your calliper is locked, but you might find all four rotors go blue in such a condition as compared to just one.

What are the consequences of brake rotors turning blue?

Heat exposure has the capability of damaging the hardest of metals. So brake rotors might get damaged due to high exposure to heat, and they may receive cracks at some point. This also results in uneven deterioration of the brake pads. Sometimes you have to replace your brakes entirely.

In such conditions, the result would be annoying noise and even disconnection. However, poor quality brake discs also break down more rapidly than normal. They might appear equally good as the original, but the material would not be as expected, and the technology might be inferior.

However, failure on the road is a significant risk of a faulty braking system. Even a brake rotor could help you with the problem. In many cases, observations suggest that improper installation of callipers and brake pads is a major reason behind blue rotors. In this condition, the brake pads constantly touch the rotors and generate heat.

When there is inadequate tightening of the wheel bolts and nuts, the distortion of the disc is evident. There is also a requirement to follow the tightening torque and sequence. Get it done in a professional manner at Service My Car. Here you also get brake pads replacement by an expert.

In the case of high quality spare parts and professional service, you always have an option through Service My Car. Here, you get assured quality in terms of product and service. Just take a step forward by booking a car service or ordering a car repair quote online on our app or website.

Thank you for taking the time to explore this blog. If you require services related to Brake Rotors, please don't hesitate to reach out to Service My Car at your convenience.