Advice Needed.. 330XI Brakes/Rotors

Hello All,
I have been lurking for a while... and now I need some advice.


I currently have an 01' 330XI with 41k on her. I purchased her in July 04' with 32k. The car was CPO'd at the time of purchase. And the rear brakes/pads were replaced at that time along with some other misc. parts (hoses).
Here we are now 7 months and 9k miles further, and I already need new brakes and rotors on all 4? Does this sound right? I tore the $hit outta my 02 Mustang GT, and even after 30k miles the brakes were still reasonable. The dealership said the thickness for the rotors was 2mm front, 3mm rear.

I know that brakes are expensive, and they are wear and tear items. I am ready to spend the $$$ if I have to, but with the given circumstances do I have a reason to question my current situation?

Any advice would help. Again I'm not trying to find a way to not pay for my brakes, It all just seems a bit phishy to me.

Thanks

You'll have to find out whether your car had had similar rotor behavior for the first owner. I am the proud owner of an '02 330CI, and have just (at 43K) gotten back from the shop replacing my fifth set of rotors.

yep... fifith. Not counting the ones it got built with.

At first they said it was a faulty batch from Bosch... then it was control arm bushings... I think there was a campaign on it..... then it was ABS control... then it was master cylinders...now it's thrust arm bushings...

I drive to work, I drive home... I drive to Columbus on the weekends... I rarely even USE the brakes, but have yet to get more than 12-15K per set.

and no one's got an answer for me. I have searched here many times, and there's all sorts of explinations, but nothing fits/works/makes sense...

welcome to Bavaria!

I have a '01 330xi with 35.5k miles and I am still on the first set of brakes and rotors. Most of my miles are on the highway though.

WOW 35+k on the first set sounds good to me. I am in Boston, but I hardly ever brake... I always downshift.... When does the original warranty expire on an 01? 36,000 miles or how many years... I have surpassed the miles, but whats the timeframe?

Anyone know of any good independent shops in Mass? Any sites where I can locate them?

Thanks

Originally Posted by Blinky330XI

WOW 35+k on the first set sounds good to me. I am in Boston, but I hardly ever brake... I always downshift.... When does the original warranty expire on an 01? 36,000 miles or how many years... I have surpassed the miles, but whats the timeframe?

Anyone know of any good independent shops in Mass? Any sites where I can locate them?

Thanks

For '01 models, its 3/36k for maintenance and 4/50k for warranty. As far as shops, check the website of the Boston chapter of the BMWCCA. There is an independent out in Natick and I think there is one in Cambridge too. You can always drive up to Amesbury and visit Turner Motorsport, but they might be a bit pricey.

Originally Posted by Blinky330XI

WOW 35+k on the first set sounds good to me. I am in Boston, but I hardly ever brake... I always downshift.... When does the original warranty expire on an 01? 36,000 miles or how many years... I have surpassed the miles, but whats the timeframe?

Anyone know of any good independent shops in Mass? Any sites where I can locate them?

Thanks

You might want to just change them yourself. It's not such an ordeal.

If you don't feel confident, there's nothing particularly BMW about the brakes such that specialist knowledge would help, unless you want someone to diagnose the reason for this apparent rapid wear. So go to any local independent shop with a good reputation.

The Car Talk website has a database of user recommendations for mechanics that's useful if you have no other leads.

Edit: the warranty runs from the in-service date, I believe. Also, before spending money and time getting the cause of rapid wear diagnosed, consider that your brakes are not necessarily wearing out way early - the dealer may have not measured disc wear correctly during the CPO "certification" (and on these cars, discs and pads often wear out at the same time), or may have flat-out lied to you, like mine did, and given you a car with worn-out brakes.

I got 10K per set on my 325xi. But I whaled on it.

That said, if you're up to doing it yourself, you can to the whole thing for $250ish in as little as an hour.

Thanks for the info thus far. Looks like I have some researching to do. I know that the brakes need to be fixed. Plain and simple. Im not going to hassle this time around, but hopefully its not a start of things to come.

I really don't have the know how if I wanted to do it myself. WHAAAAAAA

The dealer quoted me $925 including labor. Whats ballpark? Thanks again!

Genuine BMW Front Brake Rotor $ 52.90
Genuine BMW Front Brake Rotor $ 52.90
Genuine BMW Rear Brake Rotor $ 32.90
Genuine BMW Rear Brake Rotor $ 32.90
Pagid Front Brake Pads $ 46.90
Pagid Rear Brake Pads $ 43.95
---------------------------------------------
Total $262.45

From eap4parts.com

Just as an example. Pagid pads are OE. You could get, say, Axxis Deluxe Plusses and save money there.

Tools needed:

Jack
Jack Stands
Socket wrench
7mm male hex socket (basically an allen wrench socket--but allen wrenches won't do)
5mm male hex socket
16mm socket
17mm socket for wheel removal

I can do the whole thing in less than an hour, but it'll take you longer since you've got no experience.

Hey Man your pretty good... I just called Autobahn and I got a much better offer (~700). Considering 270 in parts, I'm basically paying for 4 hours of labor @ 100 a pop.

I have changed out the brakes in my 91 Prism, but I have a feeling that this is going to be, oh, just a lil' bit different.

Originally Posted by Blinky330XI

Hey Man your pretty good... I just called Autobahn and I got a much better offer (~700). Considering 270 in parts, I'm basically paying for 4 hours of labor @ 100 a pop.

I have changed out the brakes in my 91 Prism, but I have a feeling that this is going to be, oh, just a lil' bit different.

As long as they were discs, BMW brakes are extremely simple and shoudl be pretty much the same. Primitive, actually.

The only real gotcha with BMW is the rotor set screw, which keeps the rotors from falling off when you take a wheel off. Just make sure you buy the hex head and socket set... I'm going off of memory here with those, so I might be off in the exact size you need. (Rotor set screws and caliper brackets, particularly. I believe those are 5mm and 16mm respectively, but don't hold me to it! The caliper guide bolts are DEFINITELY 7mm.)

Oh, and I forgot the last tool you need: A flathead screwdriver to pry off the pad anti-rattling clip.

Brake changes are basically a scam. Shops charge positively usurious amounts of money for them.

Looks like I'm going to have my hands full next weekend! Heeve-Hoe... Time to get Dirday!

Im finding such ridiculous prices... One place wanted 1k+.... I just hung up!

Thank you Nick325xiT for your generous input.

Originally Posted by Blinky330XI

Looks like I'm going to have my hands full next weekend! Heeve-Hoe... Time to get Dirday!

Im finding such ridiculous prices... One place wanted 1k+.... I just hung up!

Thank you Nick325xiT for your generous input.

http://www.e46fanatics.com/howto/how...hp?howto_id=29
http://m3.madrussian.net/diy_front_brake_rotors.shtml
http://m3.madrussian.net/diy_rear_brake_rotors.shtml

The first link is a really excellent pad repalcement DIY. The others are mediocre, but I've included them just to complete it.

Do remember that you shoudl not work under the car with it supported only by a jack.

Basically, once you get the caliper off as per the fanatics DIY, you have four more bolts to go and the rotor comes off.

You should also have a dead blow hammer, as these things do get stuck over time.

If you plan on changing the rotors, all the DIYs mention removing the rotor retaining screw last. Do this step first! If its rusted and you manage to strip the screw head trying to remove it, the screw will probably need to be drilled out. Unless you can do this yourself, you're going to have to take the car to the shop, which means you will have to reassmble everything you took apart. Not having to go through this will be a serious time saver.

As a corollary, if it really won't come out, don't strip it. Go get a $20 impact wrench. (The kind you hit with a hammer.) That should knock it loose.

Just one other thing: my rotor wouldn't come out no matter how hard I struck it with the rubber mallet - the whole car was shaking on the stand - so I stopped.

I used a C clamp instead, to clamp the rotor bracket from behind with one clamp end, and the edge of the rotor on the other end. I used caution and tightened just 1-2 turns, enough to notice the rotor slightly moving.

When I took the clamp off, the rotor fell off the car.

adc
03 330 ZHP

Originally Posted by adc

Just one other thing: my rotor wouldn't come out no matter how hard I struck it with the rubber mallet - the whole car was shaking on the stand - so I stopped.

I used a C clamp instead, to clamp the rotor bracket from behind with one clamp end, and the edge of the rotor on the other end. I used caution and tightened just 1-2 turns, enough to notice the rotor slightly moving.

When I took the clamp off, the rotor fell off the car.

adc
03 330 ZHP

I have the same problem now. It is stuck. Rubber mallet does not help. I was actually looking to see if I could use the C clamp. but...

I don't understand what you did with the C clamp. Did you actually pressed the rotor INTO the hub (as sppose to press it out?)

Can you explain better? Thanks!

Originally Posted by MatWiz

I have the same problem now. It is stuck. Rubber mallet does not help. I was actually looking to see if I could use the C clamp. but...

I don't understand what you did with the C clamp. Did you actually pressed the rotor INTO the hub (as sppose to press it out?)

Can you explain better? Thanks!

Yes.

At an angle, so it broek the rotor free. He was not pressing it out, he was simply dislodging it.

Originally Posted by Nick325xiT 5spd

Yes.

At an angle, so it broek the rotor free. He was not pressing it out, he was simply dislodging it.

I don't get it.... I need someone to explain to me like I am a retard.

Originally Posted by MatWiz

I don't get it.... I need someone to explain to me like I am a retard.

I'll try to explain it a little better... Once you take the caliper off and remove the set screw in the rotor hub, here is what you will see:
- The rotor attached to the hub
- The caliper bracket behind it that has two "arms" sticking at 45 degrees up and down.

Your aim is to unstick the rotor by forcing the upper edge of it to go a little inwards, towards the caliper bracket. You will use the caliper bracket arms as a leverage point, in 3 easy steps:
1) You put the far end of the clamp behind the upper arm of the caliper bracket.

2) You put the near side of the clamp on the edge of the rotor.

3) You turn the handle until the clamp gets tight (no longer moves). Then turn 1 or 2 more revolutions. At this point, the rotor is dislodged and is no longer sitting vertical, but at a very slight angle "in", towards the caliper bracket.

4) Un-tighten the clamp and the rotor will simply fall off.

Just remember not to over-tighten the clamp, you don't want to bend anything simply to break the bond between rotor and hub.

Hope this works for you...

adc

Thanks, adc, this is very clear. I will try it next weekend again...

45,000+ and still on the first brakes - in mixed commute and heavy city driving. I use the brakes a lot - prefer not to downshift when coming to a stop to save the transmission.

Originally Posted by Nick325xiT 5spd

As a corollary, if it really won't come out, don't strip it. Go get a $20 impact wrench. (The kind you hit with a hammer.) That should knock it loose.

Like this - plus some allen key sockets. It's nice to be able to wail away at that little eff-er, particularly if any have stripped on you in the past......

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...&bidsite=CRAFT



(trying to link an image from Craftsman......)

So...

I happened to be today at the dealer's service department for some screw I needed to buy.

I saw the master tech outside next to the gate, he recognized me and said hi. So I told him I was trying to replace the rotor and it stuck and I used rubber malet...

He laghted and said "you have to put an IRON hammer to it, and hit it hard. These things get stuck." He showed me two old rotors on the floor there and they had two big dents on each one of them. "See? these marks are from the metal hammer".

I asked him if that could damage the bearings or something there. "No."

Well... Iron hammer. Hit hard... :gay:

adc, I'll try your method first....