Heat + Iron = Iron Oxide aka rust. Just a fact of life. Nearly all stock and aftermarket brake rotors are cast iron. It is an ideal material for this application. Even some expensive two-piece rotors use an alloy hat with a cast iron rotor.

There is no coating you can apply that will prevent rust from forming on the rotors in humid conditions. However, as others mentioned, many aftermarket rotors have a coating that prevents rust from developing on areas of the rotor that are not swept by the pads.

The rust is just a cosmetic problem; braking performance and rotor life are not affected.

 

Best suggestion - don't look at the wheels.

I was at a Honda dealer two days ago and the new '08 in the showroom had rust on the rotors.

 

I think that advice goes well with the "turn the radio up" so you don't hear the rattles.

 

What EVER am I going to do with you, D!

I bought my car off the showroom floor and I noticed the rust then but was told it would be okay once the car was driven. I don't remember it being this bad while it was in the garage (either that or I never saw it up close and outdoors like this). But yesterday, it looked like they'd rusted through and I guess I panicked. Oh well, guess I'll have to take her to the store for groceries now just to keep the rust down.

Ems, with your tires off, at least you can get to them a bit easier. If I could do that, I'd break out my Brillo pads. I guess in my little mind, it just doesn't fit on such a beautiful piece of machinery. Or they could have covered them or something. I take it this design is set up for maximum cooling when you guys make them glow red or something.

Now, I did notice some with another kind of light-colored coating on the site Trip linked. Wonder if that would detract from the overall look of the car though.

 

No, Honda just chooses to not coat their rotors, and barte metal rusts, no two ways about it...

 

The only possible issue is if the rust streaks and sits they will stain the wheels..not impossible to clean but difficult.
There are many non-harsh spray on/rinse off products that can keep this from being a problem.

Also, the cover will stick to the car if sleet/melting snow freezes over again. I had to remove mine recently and left layers of fabric (Evolution) and shortened the life of the cover. They say you need to pour water on it to pre-melt before removing if you must...just a thought if you need to drive after a snow.

PS: Our SO tires are summer only! I finally changed to All Season Bridgestones and find the loss in ultimate dry grip was offset by cold/wet performance and a much quieter ride.

 

Entirely different rotor, coated during the manufacturing process. The outer brake surface will rust once used but that's no big deal it coes right off when used, however, the outer edges and the iner surfaces won't rust so they stay bright and clean, and you don't get the brown stains inside your wheels.

Slotted or diamond slotted, no need for crossed drilled.

 

If its any consolation, Granny, Porsches and Ferraris get rust on their rotors too...unless they have optional carbon-ceramic rotors. But those are a $10,000+ option. Ferrari is making them standard equipment in 2008 but everyone expects the price of Ferraris to go up to pay for them.

 

I feel better now, Tof. At that price, I'd just as soon take DL's advice. Guess I just don't like rust. In the olden days, it used to eat up everything it touched. Guess this is some new-fangled kind of high tech rust.

Oh, and thanks Dex for the heads up on cover removal. That's it, it's going back in the garage for the winter.

 

I think it is important to point out, there is a huge difference between rust on the rotor surface and rust on all the rest of the rotor.

Yes, the rust on the braking surface will go away when they are used. The other rust, the stuff on the inside of the vanes and on the outer edge, that does not go away, it looks like crap, and after driving in the rain sprays brown water on the inner wheel surface that then makes the wheel look like crap.

I don't mind the rust on the brake surface because it does indeed go away, it's the rust on the other surfaces that bother me. I even tried to use my 1,400 degree heat paint on a new set of rotors, but it only made a tiny bit of difference and by mid summer they too were rusting on the inner edges.

I understand what Granny wants, and I don't blame her, for me though I just have to live with rusted OEM's because I have to change them so often doe to track use, and I have never met a slotted rotor that can handle the abuse of a high brakeloa course.

Painted on the left, unpainted on the right.
It seemed like a great idea, but never really worked out.
Mind you this paint is so good it works on the CRX-SiR header without problems.