Price of dics's e39 M5

[Patrick L]

I am in the process of negotiating the sale of my e39 M5 and the prospective purchaser has sugested that all 4 brake discs need replacing.

Any ideas on how much would this cost (standard replacement) at a main dealer compared to an independant specialist?

Thanks

Patrick

[m-five]

Patrick L said:

I am in the process of negotiating the sale of my e39 M5 and the prospective purchaser has sugested that all 4 brake discs need replacing. Any ideas on how much would this cost (standard replacement) at a main dealer compared to an independant specialist? Thanks Patrick

If you are replacing the discs then you will need to replace the pads and fluid as well.

I had mine done in Liverpool (albeit on an e34 M5) and IIRC it cost £1100 at the dealer - it would have cost £800 at the local independent as the majority of the cost was the parts!

I can get the exact price this weekend from the receipts although prices may (will) have risen in 12 months.

[Patrick L]

m-five

thanks for that I am just after a guide.

[MattOz]

Patrick,

I paid just under £400 for OE front disks and pads from my BMW dealer. Fitted them myself. Guess the rears would be cheaper. Seem to recall that a full set of pads is about £100.

Matt

[m-five]

The rears are cheaper (but not much) and you also need to replace the ABS sensors (quite cheap) and the handbrake shoes (if the e39 has these).

Approximate breakdown:

• £400 for front discs/pads

• £300 for rear discs/pads

• £100 for handbrake shoes, fluid and ABS sensors

• £300 for 3-4 hours labour

[Patrick L]

Thanks guys. The deal is now done! Car being picked up this evening. We agreed to go 50:50 on the discs.

[rlk500]

Why do you have to change pads as well as disks on an M5 ?
I replace the disks fairly often on my e30 M3, no requirement to do pads at the same time, unless of course they are knackered too.

[m-five]

rlk500 said:

Why do you have to change pads as well as disks on an M5 ? I replace the disks fairly often on my e30 M3, no requirement to do pads at the same time, unless of course they are knackered too.

You don't 'have' to, although if you take it to a dealer they will invariably do so. The reasoning behind this is that the unevenly worn discs may have imprinted this 'pattern' onto the pads, and for the the discs to bed in properly the pads should be smooth - otherwise you start off with pads that do not contact the disc fully due to unevenness!

I usually get 4 pad changes to 1 disc change though so the £70 extra for pads is not a big deal!

[rlk500]

I figured as much. A rip off. Put it this way, I can guarantee that the pads are not flat anyway so that when they are bedding in they are going to adapt to the bias of the piston pushing against them.

A hundred miles would bed the pads into the new disks and you can send me the £70 for the advice.......seems like a fair deal....

[m-five]

I wouldn't complain about the dealer prices as much if they could just do teh job correctly first time, every time.

I've even had them install a brake pad incorrectly where the pad was left scoring a nice groove in the hub and they still wonder why I stopped getting the extended warranty and don't want to take it to a dealer any more.

Luckily a pad change on the e34 M5 is not difficult.