2007 E85 Brake Pipe replacement - advice needed

W

wolverine2k

Member
Hainault IG7
Hey all,

I've still not managed to get an MOT for my Z4. Spent quite a bit on it now and it's getting quite frustrating!

It failed on a few issues that I can resolve myself mainly:
- brake hoses have some corrosion
- headlight adjustment (offside one isn't self levelling)
- ABS sensor on the front wheel being triggered as the reluctor ring is shot (so new hub/bearing kit needed)
- Front wipers shot

And it failed on something that I've never tackled myself:
- Brake pipe excessively corroded at both sides of the rear

The indy has quoted me £750 to replace the brake pipes as they say the petrol tank has to be dropped or something and it's a massive job. They only do stuff to BMW standard and nothing custom. They recommend that if I'm doing it myself, to cut and join a pipe to the line in the middle of the car and route it a different direction which means I don't need to remove the tank.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I'm not too confident about it and can't find a mechanic willing to take the job on local to me... :(

Thanks!
 
Garage local to me did a cut and splice job about 5 years ago and I've not had any problem since. It will be a lot cheaper that way.
 
Very common, and acceptable to cut and join, as long as the correct in-line fittings are used, and pipes are supported correctly.
 
Use kunifer(copper) pipes. These are bendable unlike the OEM steel pipes, so can be routed past the fuel tank without removing it.
Had this job done about three years ago, think I got charged about £150.
 
Sidewaze Samm said:
Use kunifer(copper) pipes. These are bendable unlike the OEM steel pipes, so can be routed past the fuel tank without removing it.
Had this job done about three years ago, think I got charged about £150.
Click to expand...

I would gladly pay £150 for a job like that if I can find someone to do it :(
 
Ross @ RBM Hampshire will do them for you. He's not right on your doorstep but you are closer than me and I think he's well worth the trip.
 
MKZ4000 said:
Hampshire
Click to expand...

Thanks - Unfortunately it'll cost about £250 to get the car that far (I don't have an MOT so will have to be trailered). I'm gonna start ringing local mechanics next week. There's bound to be one that can do it!!
 
Second this, I just had the same thing fixed at RBM, great service!

You might be able to drive the car there (if you feel safe enough in the car) if you book the work with an MOT… worth double checking the rules on this though, I’m sure you used to be able the drive to an MOT test.
 
Yeah no problem. No one will care as long as it’s booked in. You could just explain the work that was required and no one closer could do it or was available
 
My indie did front to back with copper plus hoses.
£ 300 all in.
Sorry hes in south yorkshire,but gives you an idea on price.
 
sw4nny said:
My indie did front to back with copper plus hoses.
£ 300 all in.
Sorry hes in south yorkshire,but gives you an idea on price.
Click to expand...

Cheers. So far found a guy 4 miles away who quoted £250 for the rears but that includes him replacing rear reluctor rings for me too.
 
The fixed lines for the rear emerege from within a plastic covered channel that emerges in the N/S wheel arch, the lines split there one to the N/s and the other across the car behind the fuel tank. It is possible to put a new line behind the fuel tank by poking it through across the car one you cut the old pipe out so the replacement will sit in the holding clips. At the rear discs the hard lines have joints secured to a bracket in the arch. Stock flex brake hoses fit to this and run down to the calipers. Stock pipes have a small hard line between the two flex pipes, you are best advised to upgrade these flex pipes to stainless hoses that do away with the small hard line the oem ones have, all available on ebay circa £70 for a full set here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274755823762?hash=item3ff8b92892:g:xMAAAOxyVLNSwuEt
All this is DIY if you have the tools to make flares in the pipes and the ability to bleed the brakes after the new parts are fitted.
If you did book an MOT at RBM you should be ok to get the car there if you have no one local to you who can do it or even prepared to do the job.

Just seen your result post whilst writing this reply, sounds like a good deal at that price but order the stainless flex hoses so he can fit them when doing the hard line replacements.
 
colb said:
The fixed lines for the rear emerege from within a plastic covered channel that emerges in the N/S wheel arch, the lines split there one to the N/s and the other across the car behind the fuel tank. It is possible to put a new line behind the fuel tank by poking it through across the car one you cut the old pipe out so the replacement will sit in the holding clips. At the rear discs the hard lines have joints secured to a bracket in the arch. Stock flex brake hoses fit to this and run down to the calipers. Stock pipes have a small hard line between the two flex pipes, you are best advised to upgrade these flex pipes to stainless hoses that do away with the small hard line the oem ones have, all available on ebay circa £70 for a full set here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274755823762?hash=item3ff8b92892:g:xMAAAOxyVLNSwuEt
All this is DIY if you have the tools to make flares in the pipes and the ability to bleed the brakes after the new parts are fitted.
If you did book an MOT at RBM you should be ok to get the car there if you have no one local to you who can do it or even prepared to do the job.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that... I have actually got those pipes in my basket since last week!! 😂

I've got about 6 mechanics in an industrial estate near me so gonna go see them all in person next week. Surely one of them can do the work. I can do enough jobs but replacing brake pipe I'd not want to risk.
 
This seems to be getting quite a common problem on E85/86s now. The plastic cover doesn't seem to help in some ways as road dirt builds up at the back of it then absorbs water that sits around the pipes with inevitable results.

My second E86 had advisories for the rear metal pipes on it's MOT when I bought it and got advisories again when I got it tested in 2016 and 2017. At that point I figured it was time to do something about them! :roll:

I happened to be spending a few days visiting a friend in Cheshire so I got them replaced in kunifer by a forum member whose name we don't mention very cheaply - but next time I got it MOT'd the tester was impressed with the quality of the job.

£250 including replacing reluctor rings doesn't sound like a bad price though.
 
So I finally got the brake pipes done with some assistance and put some steel hoses in too. Bled them and the brake pedal is still slightly spongy but working. All warning lights off and last thing to do is the headlight level motor and then back off to an MOT.

But me being the fool that I am... I decide to follow some YouTube advice on making brake pedal harder and use ISTA to run the DSC adjustment.

The DSC adjustment fails on the second step (Separating valves) and keeps failing. There are no leaks so no idea why it's failing but now I have the stupid traction control light on and the error code 5DD0.

I can't see any steps in INPA to recalibrate DSC.

Anyone have a clue how to solve this one?? I've been googling for hours 😣
 
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