Rear pads down to 3mm, discs OK
Discussion
Just had my wife’s car (430D xdrive auto Gran coupe) into the stealer for a major service. They highlighted that the rear pads are down to 3mm (the limit) and need replacing - they “recommend” the discs should be changed at the same time even though they are fine.
Are they pulling the wool over my eyes or is this normal (I’ve never heard anything like it) - also why would the rear pads wear quicker than the fronts.
Oh and 10 miles down the road after picking it up, a warning “low oil pressure, drive very carefully & stop” flashes up - 5 hours later after freezing by the side of a busy motorway car is on a flatbed back to the dealer.
Why do BMW dealers have such a bad reputation?
Are they pulling the wool over my eyes or is this normal (I’ve never heard anything like it) - also why would the rear pads wear quicker than the fronts.
Oh and 10 miles down the road after picking it up, a warning “low oil pressure, drive very carefully & stop” flashes up - 5 hours later after freezing by the side of a busy motorway car is on a flatbed back to the dealer.
Why do BMW dealers have such a bad reputation?
Boxster5 said:
Just had my wife’s car (430D xdrive auto Gran coupe) into the stealer for a major service.
Oh and 10 miles down the road after picking it up, a warning “low oil pressure, drive very carefully & stop” flashes up - 5 hours later after freezing by the side of a busy motorway car is on a flatbed back to the dealer.
Why do BMW dealers have such a bad reputation?
Oh and 10 miles down the road after picking it up, a warning “low oil pressure, drive very carefully & stop” flashes up - 5 hours later after freezing by the side of a busy motorway car is on a flatbed back to the dealer.
Why do BMW dealers have such a bad reputation?
Hope the two aren't connected !Ask them what the minimum thickness is and the measurement taken on your discs as well as finding out yourself min thickness, just for added info. you understand
Think the engine problem takes priority atm ! All the best.
There's a good chance the rear pads aren't even 3mm yet, most of the time they eyeball it. I got told my pads were 8mm when I literally fitted new ones a few days before so I know they were 10mm.
If the discs are getting low there's a chance they will wear out before the new pads do. Then when you need discs you'll also need another set of new pads. It's the dealer avoiding you complaining if that happens. Instead they should explain as above. In practice changing pads is so easy and light on labour it doesn't matter doing pads twice, unless you're paying main dealer rates to do it...
There's been the odd horror story (with various car brands) of dealers forgetting to refill oil. I hope it's not that as the engine could be toast. Hopefully just not filled up enough, although this usually triggers the warning to top up not so low there's insufficient oil pressure...
If the discs are getting low there's a chance they will wear out before the new pads do. Then when you need discs you'll also need another set of new pads. It's the dealer avoiding you complaining if that happens. Instead they should explain as above. In practice changing pads is so easy and light on labour it doesn't matter doing pads twice, unless you're paying main dealer rates to do it...
There's been the odd horror story (with various car brands) of dealers forgetting to refill oil. I hope it's not that as the engine could be toast. Hopefully just not filled up enough, although this usually triggers the warning to top up not so low there's insufficient oil pressure...
Well I thought I’d just go through the job cards from the same dealer on my wife’s car.
Makes interesting reading!
4/3/22 22,800 miles front pads 8.33mm/rear pads 6.52mm
23/5/22 25,046 miles front 10.00mm/rear 8.00mm
12/1/23 c30,000 miles front 8.00mm/rear 7.00mm
7/3/23 31,277 miles front 6.00mm/rear 3.00mm
So within 1,200 miles the rears have worn by 4.00mm - I don’t think so.
UPDATE FROM SERVICE MANAGER - the low oil pressure has recorded an error message 68 times in the background since around 1/2023 (strangely the date it went in for a recall) - too much oil supposedly which can only be from another dealer as it has never needed a top-up. It’s never shown as a message when checking oil level on electronic dipstick.
Yesterday was the first time that low oil pressure has EVER appeared on the dash.
Needs a software update @£120 which they have now agreed to waive after we protested.
Mentioned the above brake pad measurements to the service manager - he tried to explain that somewhere on the pad, it would have measured 3.00mm and he had every confidence in his technicians - really? Well I’ll check them myself when I get a chance and perhaps send proof if I find they’ve been lying.
Also mentioned that service receptionist had told us discs needed to be changed at the same time as pads - he said that was not true.
You can see why we don’t trust main dealers now.
Makes interesting reading!
4/3/22 22,800 miles front pads 8.33mm/rear pads 6.52mm
23/5/22 25,046 miles front 10.00mm/rear 8.00mm
12/1/23 c30,000 miles front 8.00mm/rear 7.00mm
7/3/23 31,277 miles front 6.00mm/rear 3.00mm
So within 1,200 miles the rears have worn by 4.00mm - I don’t think so.
UPDATE FROM SERVICE MANAGER - the low oil pressure has recorded an error message 68 times in the background since around 1/2023 (strangely the date it went in for a recall) - too much oil supposedly which can only be from another dealer as it has never needed a top-up. It’s never shown as a message when checking oil level on electronic dipstick.
Yesterday was the first time that low oil pressure has EVER appeared on the dash.
Needs a software update @£120 which they have now agreed to waive after we protested.
Mentioned the above brake pad measurements to the service manager - he tried to explain that somewhere on the pad, it would have measured 3.00mm and he had every confidence in his technicians - really? Well I’ll check them myself when I get a chance and perhaps send proof if I find they’ve been lying.
Also mentioned that service receptionist had told us discs needed to be changed at the same time as pads - he said that was not true.
You can see why we don’t trust main dealers now.
So they remove the pads on a service AND measure them ? And on a pad there is a point at 3mm whereas the rest of it is around 6.5mm !
That's quite some taper wear "Wedging"
"Sir, we suspect your car has sticking calipers which explains the accelerated wear. We've located some in stock which can be here tomorrow. Would you like to book it in ? "
Chasing targets this month by any chance ?
That's quite some taper wear "Wedging"
"Sir, we suspect your car has sticking calipers which explains the accelerated wear. We've located some in stock which can be here tomorrow. Would you like to book it in ? "
Chasing targets this month by any chance ?
Maxdecel said:
So they remove the pads on a service AND measure them ? And on a pad there is a point at 3mm whereas the rest of it is around 6.5mm !
That's quite some taper wear "Wedging"
"Sir, we suspect your car has sticking calipers which explains the accelerated wear. We've located some in stock which can be here tomorrow. Would you like to book it in ? "
Chasing targets this month by any chance ?
Yes you can more than likely get a 3mm thickness somewhere on the pad.That's quite some taper wear "Wedging"
"Sir, we suspect your car has sticking calipers which explains the accelerated wear. We've located some in stock which can be here tomorrow. Would you like to book it in ? "
Chasing targets this month by any chance ?
They’re just making it up in my opinion especially when some of the later measurements are more than the previous ones!
Boxster5 said:
Yes you can more than likely get a 3mm thickness somewhere on the pad.
They’re just making it up in my opinion especially when some of the later measurements are more than the previous ones!
My point is that's unlikely if the remaining material has a measurement of ~ 6.5 Also if the above poster's Beema tool only measures the outer how can they confidently know all pads are durable ?They’re just making it up in my opinion especially when some of the later measurements are more than the previous ones!
And I didn't spot this "some of the later measurements are more than the previous"
Maxdecel said:
So they remove the pads on a service AND measure them ? And on a pad there is a point at 3mm whereas the rest of it is around 6.5mm !
That's quite some taper wear "Wedging"
"Sir, we suspect your car has sticking calipers which explains the accelerated wear. We've located some in stock which can be here tomorrow. Would you like to book it in ? "
Chasing targets this month by any chance ?
Unless the car had some new tyres fitted whilst in for its service (even a major one), I can almost guarantee they won't have removed any of the wheels.That's quite some taper wear "Wedging"
"Sir, we suspect your car has sticking calipers which explains the accelerated wear. We've located some in stock which can be here tomorrow. Would you like to book it in ? "
Chasing targets this month by any chance ?
BMW said my pads were low during last service and quoted £260 for rear pad change.
Bought set of jurid pads online for £40 and paid £40 for a mobile mechanic to fit. cost £80 total, and new sensor was not needed as it wasn't tripped. Mobile Mechanic was a bit confused why pads were flagged by bmw, as they had plenty of life in them still.
Bought set of jurid pads online for £40 and paid £40 for a mobile mechanic to fit. cost £80 total, and new sensor was not needed as it wasn't tripped. Mobile Mechanic was a bit confused why pads were flagged by bmw, as they had plenty of life in them still.
sunnyb13 said:
BMW said my pads were low during last service and quoted £260 for rear pad change.
Bought set of jurid pads online for £40 and paid £40 for a mobile mechanic to fit. cost £80 total, and new sensor was not needed as it wasn't tripped. Mobile Mechanic was a bit confused why pads were flagged by bmw, as they had plenty of life in them still.
I was told by one dealer that front and rear discs were corroded; the fronts were which was fair cop but the rears were and are still fine. Cheeky sods.Bought set of jurid pads online for £40 and paid £40 for a mobile mechanic to fit. cost £80 total, and new sensor was not needed as it wasn't tripped. Mobile Mechanic was a bit confused why pads were flagged by bmw, as they had plenty of life in them still.
My M140i also had magically rejuvenating tyres; the depth measurements on the videos increased 2mm between two separate warranty trips.
OK so an update on this - before I decided to whip the rear wheels off, I went through the service menu on the I-drive.
Front pads 7,000 miles, rear pads 32,000 miles!!!
I really don’t know where they “measured” the 3mm from but it certainly wasn’t my wife’s car!
Surely they would have guessed someone with an ounce of sense would have checked this.
Imagine if we’d agreed to them replacing the rear pads, they probably wouldn’t have but charge us for the privilege and we would none the wiser as 32,000 miles sounds as though they are virtually new.
Front pads 7,000 miles, rear pads 32,000 miles!!!
I really don’t know where they “measured” the 3mm from but it certainly wasn’t my wife’s car!
Surely they would have guessed someone with an ounce of sense would have checked this.
Imagine if we’d agreed to them replacing the rear pads, they probably wouldn’t have but charge us for the privilege and we would none the wiser as 32,000 miles sounds as though they are virtually new.
I put my 335d into the dealer a few years ago ( after putting new front pads in)
Went to collect it, with an invoice from them for new front pads. I asked them how they had changed them, as it had Alpina wheels on, and I kept the key in my pocket….Service bod went red, got tech in, he went red, asked for Dealer Principle, he went on the missing list.
Ended up with 2 years free servicing…
Went to collect it, with an invoice from them for new front pads. I asked them how they had changed them, as it had Alpina wheels on, and I kept the key in my pocket….Service bod went red, got tech in, he went red, asked for Dealer Principle, he went on the missing list.
Ended up with 2 years free servicing…
Jag dealers are the same. Dec, went for service and Gideon said I needed
New pads all round but the discs were fine. 6 weeks later car went back to them as it had come back from them with a low rev misfire. New video produced with mechanic say the pads are ok but the discs need changing FFS.
Think they call it upselling but wouldn’t trust any of them. Oh and don’t get me started on them trying to sell new tyres every time it goes in. “We recommend change tyres as down to 4mm”.
New pads all round but the discs were fine. 6 weeks later car went back to them as it had come back from them with a low rev misfire. New video produced with mechanic say the pads are ok but the discs need changing FFS.
Think they call it upselling but wouldn’t trust any of them. Oh and don’t get me started on them trying to sell new tyres every time it goes in. “We recommend change tyres as down to 4mm”.
Boxster5 said:
OK so an update on this - before I decided to whip the rear wheels off, I went through the service menu on the I-drive.
Front pads 7,000 miles, rear pads 32,000 miles!!!
The I drive doesn’t actually know how thick the pads are. It’s a user resettable reminder and just works off an algorithm the manufacturer developed. You could have pads down to the minimum and as long as the wear sensor hasn’t made contact with the disc it could be reset and would show readings as if you just had pads fitted. Front pads 7,000 miles, rear pads 32,000 miles!!!
This thread is hilarious. Takes 2 bloody seconds to visually check brake pad life remaining, but no, OP takes it to a dealer and then whines about it on a forum afterwards. Jesus wept, the people on this forum.
It's because the rear pads are smaller and thinner to begin with, plus a strong rear brake bias because they are driven wheels.
helix402 said:
Rear pads wear faster than fronts due to traction control applying brakes. Discs don’t need changing if they’re not worn out.
How often do you think TC and ESP intervene? TC/ESP has kicked in 3, maybe 4 times in the last 4 months in my 30d.It's because the rear pads are smaller and thinner to begin with, plus a strong rear brake bias because they are driven wheels.
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