Brakes....

[no fit state]

brake fliud change now (though prob worth it to keep the service book as FBMWSH)

I dont get this, they stamp a brake fluid change?

They tried to get me to do mine when it was in the other day - I said I would get it done by a family mechanic as its not a service book item - they couldn't argue

it's part of the time-based maintenance. check your service book. should be done every 2 years.

You get a little icon (in the shape of a clock I think) come up on the digital display of the instrument cluster, when the brakefluid needs doing

 

[Ben.]

Just as a bit of an update:

I have just fitted the following to my car:

Part No: USR932 FRONT
EBC Ultimax Brake Discs (Pair)

Part No: USR7196 REAR
EBC Ultimax Brake Discs (Pair)

EBC
Part No. DP21289
Compound Green
Rear

EBC
Part No.DP21211
Compound Green
Front

The total cost for the parts was £418. I purchased them from: http://www.ebcbrakesdirect.com

I fitted them yesterday at a Self Service garage in Chesterfield, it took me (and a friend) 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The job was really quite simple and having the car on the lift using the correct tools made it all the better.
The adjustment of the handbrake was the only real pain, the Haynes manual instructions I have (3 Series 99-05) is a little differant.

I think they look good:

I just need to touch-up the red paint now... and clean the car...

 

[wiseguy]

My brake pads light came on today. I called around this week to get some prices on installing new pads all around (and probably rotors too, in case they need it). The going rate: $130 labor for changing pads. They'll change the rotors at no additional charge if I want that done, as "it's just a couple more bolts." Parts are going to run me approximately $147 (dot 4 non-synthetic brake fluid, rear pads, fronts pads, 2 wear sensors) and another $196 if I change all 4 rotors. FYI, I'm at 48000 miles. I guess I'll get them to flush the brake fluid as well, for an additional charge.

I think I read that BMW wants to change the rotors out everytime the brake pads are changed, to ensure maximum stopping power (i.e., inflate the repair bill), so I think I'll stick with a local independent. I see nothing wrong with "turning" rotors (if needed) as long as they are sufficiently thick.

I'm just about to dive into changing the brake booster, pads and maybe rotors on my old Toyota, on which I don't mind learning how to perform brake maintenance and can take my time (I've never done any of it before, and can do it over the course of several weeks if need be), but would rather leave the Z4 to a pro, since it's my DD and it's driven a BIT differently than my clunky old SUV. Maybe by the time the next brake service is due, I'll be sufficiently experienced to handle it myself.

Edit: updated cost info I found for those of you waffling on whether to perform your own brake work (like I was). Since I need it completed ASAP, I'll leave it to the pros.

Will replacement of the wear sensors and pads cause the dash light (for brake pads) to go off, or is this something I can reset myself? I reset my oil/inspection service indicator with ease after my recent oil change.


Thanks!

 

[2alpsade]

Will replacement of the wear sensors and pads cause the dash light (for brake pads) to go off, or is this something I can reset myself?

Clears itself immediately as replacing the worn ie 'open circuit' sensor completes the electrical circuit again and no other adjustment by you is required. Change your pads early and you never have to change the sensor - uber-cost saving ,.,and safer too as you have more brake pad meat for longer :wink: I always change pads before minimum thickness is reached.

Rotors (as you call them pond-side) tend to require replacement more often than used to be the case in asbestos pad days. The brake discs (as we call them) wear more unevenly with current pad materials, causing grooving and pitting (not dances, btw) and faster wear rates. I reckon on 2 changes of pads per brake disc change as a rule of thumb.

 

[wiseguy]

Clears itself immediately as replacing the worn ie 'open circuit' sensor completes the electrical circuit again and no other adjustment by you is required. Change your pads early and you never have to change the sensor - uber-cost saving ,.,and safer too as you have more brake pad meat for longer :wink: I always change pads before minimum thickness is reached.

Rotors (as you call them pond-side) tend to require replacement more often than used to be the case in asbestos pad days. The brake discs (as we call them) wear more unevenly with current pad materials, causing grooving and pitting (not dances, btw) and faster wear rates. I reckon on 2 changes of pads per brake disc change as a rule of thumb.

Thanks! And I felt a little cheap for getting the brake service done for 1/3 the price of the stealership and skipping out on new rotors (I don't know if there are original or replacement rotors currently on the car), so I've decided to change those all around as well. On my SUV, my brembo rotors will be turned (resurfaced) unless they are in really bad shape, as I know they and the current pads were both new when my last brake service was done.

Is our Z4 brake fluid supposed to be Dot4 synthetic? My dealership specifically told me to use the Dot 4 non-synthetic stuff when I called them this week. I can't find it locally- were they wrong? The local parts houses think all dot 4 is synthetic. BMW has been completely wrong before, so I won't be surprised if that's the case once again...

 

[2alpsade]

Thanks! And I felt a little cheap for getting the brake service done for 1/3 the price of the stealership and skipping out on new rotors (I don't know if there are original or replacement rotors currently on the car), so I've decided to change those all around as well. On my SUV, my brembo rotors will be turned (resurfaced) unless they are in really bad shape, as I know they and the current pads were both new when my last brake service was done.

Is our Z4 brake fluid supposed to be Dot4 synthetic? My dealership specifically told me to use the Dot 4 non-synthetic stuff when I called them this week. I can't find it locally- were they wrong? The local parts houses think all dot 4 is synthetic. BMW has been completely wrong before, so I won't be surprised if that's the case once again...

Don't know why you'd feel cheap saving money!

Anyway, Wiki's page on brake fluid is all you really need to know. All DOT4 is the same Glycol-Ether mix wherever you are, as the DOT number relates only to its boiling point and therefore chemical make-up. Don't use DOT5 - that's silicone-based and will wreck your seals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_fluid

 

[wiseguy]

Don't know why you'd feel cheap saving money!

Anyway, Wiki's page on brake fluid is all you really need to know. All DOT4 is the same Glycol-Ether mix wherever you are, as the DOT number relates only to its boiling point and therefore chemical make-up. Don't use DOT5 - that's silicone-based and will wreck your seals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_fluid

I guess because I'm lucky enough to have the good fortune (and sense) to drive one of the best vehicles on the road today (looks, performance in relation to gas mileage, fun factor, well-made), I ended up feeling as though I shouldn't be too frugal with her maintenance! As it turns out, the rotors being replaced were beyond resurfacing, so it was a wise decision. Original or not, they've taken quite a beating on my Z4. As you noted, the newer pads aren't as forgiving as the asbestos ones of old. Curiously, the rotors listed at the local parts house for my model were 1 inch too small in diameter- an '08 set fit the bill. Probably just an error in the parts house database.

Thanks for the Dot4 info. The repair shop would not agree to flush my brake fluid. They aren't accustomed to working on sports cars (with the extra stress our "spirited" driving puts on the braking system), so they said to do so was a waste of my money and their time. It was surprising, since I offered to pay extra for the service. Anywho, the bill was a bit more than the quoted price- $225 labor, and an aditional $44 in parts for the larger rotors (once the boss heard about the offer of "free" install on the rotors and the wear sensors, he "corrected" the price upward, but did not do the work until I had approved the charges). Still, I figure I saved around 40% to 50% off the stealership price. I'll have the fluid flushed elsewhere, which should run $60 or less.

I've only driven it about 6 miles with the new hardware installed, but the brake pads light is still on. Perhaps it takes a few miles to break the pads in?

 

[ga41]

I've only driven it about 6 miles with the new hardware installed, but the brake pads light is still on. Perhaps it takes a few miles to break the pads in?

It takes 5-6 start ups of the car to clear the code. A couple of days of normal driving.

 

[2alpsade]

I guess because I'm lucky enough to have the good fortune (and sense) to drive one of the best vehicles on the road today (looks, performance in relation to gas mileage, fun factor, well-made), I ended up feeling as though I shouldn't be too frugal with her maintenance! As it turns out, the rotors being replaced were beyond resurfacing, so it was a wise decision. Original or not, they've taken quite a beating on my Z4. As you noted, the newer pads aren't as forgiving as the asbestos ones of old. Curiously, the rotors listed at the local parts house for my model were 1 inch too small in diameter- an '08 set fit the bill. Probably just an error in the parts house database.

Thanks for the Dot4 info. The repair shop would not agree to flush my brake fluid. They aren't accustomed to working on sports cars (with the extra stress our "spirited" driving puts on the braking system), so they said to do so was a waste of my money and their time. It was surprising, since I offered to pay extra for the service. Anywho, the bill was a bit more than the quoted price- $225 labor, and an aditional $44 in parts for the larger rotors (once the boss heard about the offer of "free" install on the rotors and the wear sensors, he "corrected" the price upward, but did not do the work until I had approved the charges). Still, I figure I saved around 40% to 50% off the stealership price. I'll have the fluid flushed elsewhere, which should run $60 or less.

I've only driven it about 6 miles with the new hardware installed, but the brake pads light is still on. Perhaps it takes a few miles to break the pads in?

You want to try owning 2 Alpina's and being a quality and perfection-nerd like me Incredibly costly, but luckily I'm a bit above 'handy' which helps keep costs down for labour-related stuff

Your rotors (discs) will be the same as on my Roadster S - which indeed are a size above the standard 3.0, and should be the same as the Z4M and similar vintage M3's (eg, E46) IIRC.

Still sure your warning light should be clear now. If you were a bit closer, I'd take a peek :!:

 

[ga41]

Your rotors (discs) will be the same as on my Roadster S - which indeed are a size above the standard 3.0, and should be the same as the Z4M and similar vintage M3's (eg, E46) IIRC.

Still sure your warning light should be clear now. If you were a bit closer, I'd take a peek :!:

The Z4M doesn't share brake discs with any other Z4 model. It shares them with the E46 M3 CSL only.

 

[2alpsade]

Your rotors (discs) will be the same as on my Roadster S - which indeed are a size above the standard 3.0, and should be the same as the Z4M and similar vintage M3's (eg, E46) IIRC.

Still sure your warning light should be clear now. If you were a bit closer, I'd take a peek :!:

The Z4M doesn't share brake discs with any other Z4 model. It shares them with the E46 M3 CSL only.

It does, actually - the Alpina Roadster S. I have one, and have bought and fitted the parts. Don't forget, the Roadster S is a 3.4l M3-derived engine (stroked/bored) so why would they fit smaller brakes from a 3.0? The 3.0Si shares its brakes with the Alpina Roadster S...I've done my homework, as Alpina's are very difficult to source parts for, and on many parts sites (inc BMW's own) the incorrect parts are listed.

 

[ga41]

Every picture of a Roadster S shows solid discs, not crossdrilled as in the Z4M. What size are they? Z4M's is 345mm for the front.

 

[ga41]

2alpsade, just saw that you're talking about the 3.0si's discs in your last post. I was only talking about the M's...

 

[2alpsade]

Every picture of a Roadster S shows solid discs, not crossdrilled as in the Z4M. What size are they? Z4M's is 345mm for the front.

Indeed, they are solid as is the 3.0Si disc. The pads however, are from a Z4M Roadster...here is a brief I wrote on my 'home' forum giving parts:-

'Rear brakes are these standard 3-litre derived items:-

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/BMW_Z4+Roadster_3.0_2004/p/car-parts/brakes/brake-friction/brake-pad/?101110316&1&2f5da34d5b4a942d1f4abe65fa9e0acfc9d29145&000036

The fronts supplied were, however, incorrect. So, with a little help from my neighbours' Friction Lining handbook, I found that the front brakes are not standard 3-litre derived items, but from a 3.0Si. These are the same pads on a Z4M Roadster and E46 M3. For reference, my front disc part numbers are 1 166 071, and the correct pads are these:-

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/BMW_Z4M+Roadster_3.2_2006/p/car-parts/brakes/brake-friction/brake-pad/?101110415&1&135a42993d4ab30b2ca7cd8afa75da4734a57937&000036

Frustrating, but hopefully may save a fellow RS owner a headache if they decide to overhaul theirs!'

I checked for size and profile prior to fit-up as the 1st set of pads I received (3-l items) were incorrect and had to go back to the supplier. And they all fit together with the original ATE brake calipers. Lovely

 

[ga41]

Dude i didnt mention the pads, just the discs. Took us a while but we got there in the end.

 

[2alpsade]

Dude i didnt mention the pads, just the discs. Took us a while but we got there in the end.

Absolutely. That's what discussion is about

Dude, however. Nah.

 

[wiseguy]

Ignition all the way on, but not started and wait for 45 seconds. Ignition off and then back on and all should be good.
Well that's what worked when my brake sensor light came on and I changed the pads.

Cheers
Lance

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=28811&p=394280&hilit=brake+reset#p394280

The brake pad light reset method described above worked for me. The light went off as soon as I turned the key on the 2nd time after the 45 second delay.

You want to try owning 2 Alpina's and being a quality and perfection-nerd like me Incredibly costly, but luckily I'm a bit above 'handy' which helps keep costs down for labour-related stuff

Your rotors (discs) will be the same as on my Roadster S - which indeed are a size above the standard 3.0, and should be the same as the Z4M and similar vintage M3's (eg, E46) IIRC.

Still sure your warning light should be clear now. If you were a bit closer, I'd take a peek :!:

2alpsade, that is interesting. I can imagine how you feel, with the rare Alpinas to look after. FYI, the 2007 SI rotor listed by the parts house measured 11.75 inches in diameter. The 2008 version, which worked on my car, measured 12.75 inches. I wouldn't have guessed we shared the same rotor size.

Thanks for the input, as always!