[copy and pasted from chit chat, sorry if it sounds mixed]


bump


k so i got the right coolant, topped it off, and now 3 weeks later the light is coming on again, so i must have a leak

not to mention my brake pad light came on too, so i gotta get those things changed out, hopefully it hasn't worn down so much it's hurt anything like the rotor or whatnot (im not a car person) but as far as i can tell i've noticed nothing different when braking, no squeaking or needing to mash down to stop at all. I think its just a warning light. I called BMW and they said the warning light comes on when you have 1-2k miles left before it needs replacement. Hasn't been that long


they also told me it would be $600 and I didn't even ask about the coolant part.


so ya, anybody have a recommendation for a reputable shop that works with BMWs and could save me some $$??

thanks!

12/1/2009 11:17:24 AM

http://www.euromotorsdowntown.com/

12/1/2009 11:21:28 AM

lol, you could probably find someone in the garage to swap your brake pads for $100 (if you buy the parts yourself).

I've never swapped BMW pads but pads on most cars is easy as hell.

12/1/2009 11:22:02 AM

^

12/1/2009 11:23:21 AM

year? model? Shadetree garage if you can get in touch with them.

12/1/2009 12:15:23 PM

MaximaDrvr swapped the pads on my BMW for a very fair price.
Jeepman and zxappeal both do excellent work at fair prices too.

If you insist on taking it to a shop it's worth the drive to go to http://www.stgbmwservice.com/. You won't find a better combination of price, BMW specific knowledge, and service in Raleigh.

12/1/2009 12:21:22 PM

shadetree does great work but its a pretty long turnaround time. i would take the care there for skilled stuff but anyone can swap out those pads.

12/1/2009 12:35:12 PM

thanks for the recommendations


if it were just the pads being replaced i prob. wouldn't mind paying somebody here who knows their stuff, but if the rotors and sensors need to be replaced, and my coolant level problem is due to a leak which needs to be run through diagnostics to find out for sure (both BMW and euro motors have told me this), i'd rather just have it all taken care of at one place, itll be easier for me, im kinda pressed for time this month, busy at work

12/1/2009 1:08:02 PM

^you do realize that BMW is bullshitting you. Your rotors don't need to be replaced. Every dealership will try to replace your rotors when your pads wear out.

You're probably also not aware that swapping rotors is even easier than pads.

12/1/2009 1:19:52 PM

rotors and brake pad sensor is really easy, anyone can do that

^if they are OEM rotors they could very well need to be replaced, BMW OEM rotors are pretty soft and not exactly known for having a particularly long life. is there any vibration under braking?

12/1/2009 1:25:27 PM

i figured they were, euro motors said they'd call me back with price quotes and an estimate, so i'll see how much they want.


rotors easier than pads, got it.


ya im not good at this. It's gonna suck in 6k miles when i have to change my oil

12/1/2009 1:26:00 PM

ive noticed no vibrations on the brakes, no squealing, and have not need to push down on the brakes any harder than normal. The light has been my only indication of anything wrong.

12/1/2009 1:27:08 PM

^^^thanks for the heads up.

I suppose one of us should ask you how many miles are on your car and if this is the first time any brake work has been done (i.e. are these all original parts?)

12/1/2009 1:39:17 PM

about 51k, never had any brake work done before.



i dont drive it very hard, mostly just city driving

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 1:42 PM. Reason : asdf]

12/1/2009 1:42:07 PM

Good to know. BTW city driving is harder on your car than highway driving

51k isn't bad for front pads. As far as rotors go, find out what the minimum allowed thickness is for factory spec and then have them measured. If they're not warped and are within spec there shouldn't be a reason to replace them yet.

12/1/2009 1:46:25 PM

lol well i knew that, i meant im not going all rally racing on it


when i get the call back from euro motors ill post what they say


another buddy of mine whos works in a repair shop (out of state) told me to take it there, have them look at the coolant first and get me an estimate, then call him and tell him what they said so he can let me know if they are ripping me off or not.

he also said b/c just in case its a blown head gasket i may want to trade it in before spending $1k on brake pads...god i hope not

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 1:56 PM. Reason : asdk]

12/1/2009 1:49:51 PM

at 51k on stock bmw rotors i'd bet they need to be replaced

12/1/2009 1:52:42 PM

This is why we can't have nice things.

12/1/2009 2:19:45 PM

I can do brake work if you want something super-cheap.

If you would rather have a shop do it, try shade tree garage out on old creedmore rd. They only work on BMW's.

51k on rotors isnt crazy. If you dont have vibrations and they arent visibly worn, I would not replace them unless you are super concerned and want to be extra safe. No need to spend a extra 100 bucks if you dont have to.

12/1/2009 4:04:27 PM

51k on BMW rotors is a long fucking way, anyone telling you to just slap pads on it needs to check themselves. dharney- this is your brakes we are talking about here, the first and most important safety feature on the automobile. Please dont gamble by letting just anyone work on your brakes.

12/1/2009 5:45:14 PM

well, i scheduled an appt thursday morning with euro motors which you recommended, and the man i spoke over the phone described to me in good detail exactly what he would do and promised it would cost less than the dealership


If the rotors need to be replaced then so be it, i just think it can be done for less than $1200.

12/1/2009 7:58:55 PM

jesus christ i'd hope so

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 8:17 PM. Reason : what model/year exactly?]

12/1/2009 8:15:47 PM

wow, I knew BMW would rape you on dealer maintenance, but I didn't know it would be THAT bad.

12/1/2009 8:32:58 PM

a quick googling for rotors found me about $400/set on the very highest i could find

and 100-150 for pads

so

$700 for less than an hour of labor?

i understand doing it right and all but shit.

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 9:05 PM. Reason : asdf]

12/1/2009 9:05:17 PM

Wow, remind me not to buy a BMW. I had no idea their brakes were shit

12/1/2009 10:20:44 PM

Shadetree is always my recomendation but they do have a longer than usual turn around time. On the other hand, the work you need done is the quick stuff that Nick loves to do so it might get done sooner than later since he could always round out a day doing brakes and a coolant leak. Your best bet with Shadetree is to email them since they rarely answer a phone. If you do call, leave a message.

12/1/2009 10:27:32 PM

The brakes aren't shit, but don't worry BMW does not want you as an owner anyway.

12/1/2009 10:27:42 PM

Quote :

"well, i scheduled an appt thursday morning with euro motors which you recommended"

Good for you, I am sure they will take good care of you. Be sure to tell them Joel sent you too.

12/1/2009 10:29:33 PM

Quote :

"you do realize that BMW is bullshitting you. Your rotors don't need to be replaced. Every dealership will try to replace your rotors when your pads wear out"

You are a fucking idiot.

12/2/2009 2:39:07 AM

Quote :

"The brakes aren't shit, but don't worry BMW does not want you as an owner anyway."

what kind of owners does BMW want?

12/2/2009 4:48:17 AM

the dumb kind that will blindly pay $1200 for service after an over-the-phone diagnosis

12/2/2009 8:11:49 AM

Quote :

"a quick googling for rotors found me about $400/set on the very highest i could find"

Looks like the BMW Rotors are ~$130 each at Pelican Parts. The dealer is probably going to charge him $150+ each. Pads are ~$270 for front and rear. That's around $850 in parts by the time you add the two sensors at $15 each.

There are, however, much cheaper alternatives to everything except the sensors. dharney should really find out whether the shop he is using is going to use OEM parts. The difference just in parts cost could be $350.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/catalog/shopcart/B120/POR_B120_BRKpad_pg2.htm#item6

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/catalog/shopcart/B120/POR_B120_BRKpad_pg1.htm#item0

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/catalog/shopcart/B120/POR_B120_BRKpad_pg1.htm#item1

12/2/2009 9:00:34 AM

^yeah i wasnt sure what year/model so i was just googling

bbbut still. pretty damn expensive

[Edited on December 2, 2009 at 9:07 AM. Reason : and did he ever say what model he's driving?]

12/2/2009 9:06:52 AM

Quote :

"You are a fucking idiot."

Fuck off big shot. Most dealerships try to push rotors on you when your pads wear out. Or at the least insist that you need them to be turned.

12/2/2009 9:07:03 AM

true. the funny thing to me is when they push them to be turned when on some cheap ass honda's you can get new rotors for almost the same cost. i guess they need to get their moneys worth out of the machine that does the turning

12/2/2009 9:08:45 AM

no, they just know that if they turn them now you'll be back in a few months to buy some new ones

12/2/2009 9:16:12 AM

yeah, i'm sure that's the only reason.

12/2/2009 9:27:32 AM

Quote :

"did he ever say what model he's driving?"

I think he said in the Chit Chat thread that it is an X3.

12/2/2009 9:42:01 AM

i got 190k out of the original rotors on my Jetta.

As long as they are not warped, visibly worn/damaged, and exceed the manufactures' minimum thickness specifications..

if there is something about rotors here I am failing to understand, please enlighten me.

12/2/2009 10:02:42 AM

bmw rotors are soft..or at least that's what someone else said in here

12/2/2009 10:07:17 AM

just get some one here to do it. there is nothing special about BMW brake pads and rotors. The only specialty item would be the sensors but they are plug and play, easy peasy fo sheasy.

12/2/2009 10:26:47 AM

There are two kinds of people when it comes to brake rotors- those who will follow the correct procedure for maintaining the specifications provided by the manufacturer who engineered the braking system for their vehicle- and those who feel they know enough about brakes to make the informed decision to dismiss the suggestions of experts and do what they please.

Here are some things you should know:

1. When your brake pads wear out, the correct way to preform the "brake job" is to replace the pads AND rotors. Like I said before, if you choose not to, that's up to you but never expect to get optimum brake performance and pad life if you only do half the job. Rotors that are thick enough to be machined smooth again can be done so, however when a rotor approaches or falls below the minimum thickness it can no longer dissipate heat properly. Heat is an inherent by product of the friction caused by braking and the leading cause for damage to brake systems. Thin, overheated rotors not only wear quickly, they can glaze, crystallize brake pad material, form stress cracks and even create enough heat to burn the paint off your wheels and boil the brake fluid in your calipers.

2. While BMW, Mercedes, and other Europeans can have different specs for their brake rotors, to say "BMW OEM rotors are pretty soft" is just silly. A more correct view on the situation would be to say that higher end manufacturers demand higher performance from the braking systems installed on the vehicles they build. They realize that maintaining this braking performance is a matter of safety and this is why they have a reputation for expecting a commitment from owners to pay a little extra when it comes time for brake service. Overall, the general conception that a new set of pads alone is the standard or correct way to maintain your brakes is absurd.

"Wow, remind me not to buy a BMW. I had no idea their brakes were shit."

I've got one for you- in Japan even 3 year old Hondas can't pass inspection standards and are regularly exported before their $1000 inspection is due. What do you drive again Pat? Oh that's right.

3. No, I do not always follow the rules, even though I know better, I used to be about as cheap as they come when it came to my brakes. About a year ago I just replaced my pads alone on my personal vehicle. When those new pads were over 50% worn out after a few short months I measured the rotors and they were too thin, so I replaced pads and rotors. It has been 6 months now and I have kept a careful watch on things, to my amazement even though the brakes feel no different than before, there is no noticable wear at all on the pads and the rotors still look new.

12/2/2009 10:46:38 AM

Quote :

""Wow, remind me not to buy a BMW. I had no idea their brakes were shit." I've got one for you- in Japan even 3 year old Hondas can't pass inspection standards and are regularly exported before their $1000 inspection is due. What do you drive again Pat? Oh that's right."

I was commenting on an apparently incorrect statement about soft rotors. Sue me

And I'm well aware of how things operate in Japan. How else would all these used JDM motors get sent over here...motors that exceed 300,000 miles with bare minimum maintenance

12/2/2009 12:10:07 PM

lol, this thread went well


i have an appt at 8am tm morning, i'll let everyone know what the mechanic says and the estimate.

12/2/2009 12:31:45 PM

Quote :

"2. While BMW, Mercedes, and other Europeans can have different specs for their brake rotors, to say "BMW OEM rotors are pretty soft" is just silly. A more correct view on the situation would be to say that higher end manufacturers demand higher performance from the braking systems installed on the vehicles they build. They realize that maintaining this braking performance is a matter of safety and this is why they have a reputation for expecting a commitment from owners to pay a little extra when it comes time for brake service. Overall, the general conception that a new set of pads alone is the standard or correct way to maintain your brakes is absurd."

its a simplified response for someone that needs help adding coolant. they actually are softer for better braking performance. the SAE standard includes a hardness range for brake rotors, not all gray irons are the same. you probably know this, but your response was a whole lot of words that really didnt say anything.

12/2/2009 1:16:04 PM

Wow, 50,000 miles and needs several $grand in service. That BMW must be worn the fuck out. You should sell it me for $500. I'll slap a $50 set of pads on it, replace the $5 hose that's leaking and drive it until 100,000.

12/2/2009 1:17:40 PM

$1200 != several grand

12/3/2009 10:37:48 AM

alright, christian from euro motors called me up


i need front brake pads, rotors and sensors. Rears are just fine


I also need a new water pump

$600 for the brake problem
$500 for the water pump

12/3/2009 10:50:44 AM

call Dave's automotive 829-9599, he IS the real deal

12/3/2009 12:27:43 PM

I love shade tree, specifically Detrick. You must call his cell, however. Do not expect many call backs from the main number. If you want it, send me an IM.

W/R to BMW brakes, I think they are just fine. I had a 93 300ZX before the Z3, and I was replacing the damned rotors and pads every time I turned around. I get around 40-50k on a brake set on the Z3, and as long as I dont choose OEM, the pricing comes out to be about the same as anything else.

My fronts are starting to shimmy a little with pressure, and will probably have them replaced in the next 3-4 months.

12/3/2009 12:36:38 PM