Incorrect lifespan of brake pads - Sytners answer.

[E89_Gaz]

Had a painful visit to Sytner this morning. Having read the key, they pointed out that the front brake pads were showing 1100 miles so needed replacement. I quickly responded with the fact that they have 50% thickness left on them, so 1100 miles is nonsense. I politely refused. Upon collection, I was offered a 'special' service to correct the remaining mileage for the princely sum of £75.00 +Vat
One to be aware of, as I probably have another 10,000 miles left on them.

 

[paulgs1000]

Frightening! :thumbsdown:

 

[Mort]

I had this at a Ford dealer, he said all four sets of pads were 70% worn and could be replaced for £220. I pointed out that I still had 30% left which equated to 1000's of miles...I also pointed out the rears are drums!
Needless to say I've never darkened their doorstep again :thumbsdown:

 

[flybobbie]

I have no faith in these wear sensors. My rear has been warning me last 400 miles they need replacing, yet show 50% left visually, but the wear sensor is visually worn down.
At 50k miles the only thing I can see is the area of the sensor is the lip of the disc that doesn't come into contact with the pad so doesn't wear.
So will grind away the sensor before the pad has actually worn.

Perhaps to work correctly should be fitted with new disc, pads and sensor as a set.
I have a new sensor to fit, but no point with old pads or discs. Might just fit sensor and tie loose just to cancel the warnings until I get round to new pads or discs.

 

[E89_Gaz]

I am planning to set the Delphi on it later today and attempt a reset, I shall let you know if this resolves...

 

[simonlpearce]

How in gods name is a key supposed to tell you how much life your pads have left? I appreciate it may track mileage, but that is absolutely no indicator on how those miles were driven.

Seems they are programming these cars like easyjet manage their flights and excess baggage! Wonder how many poor soles they have screwed over by scaring them into coughing up monies for works that don't need doing

 

[cj10jeeper]

I have no faith in these wear sensors. My rear has been warning me last 400 miles they need replacing, yet show 50% left visually, but the wear sensor is visually worn down.
At 50k miles the only thing I can see is the area of the sensor is the lip of the disc that doesn't come into contact with the pad so doesn't wear.
So will grind away the sensor before the pad has actually worn.

Perhaps to work correctly should be fitted with new disc, pads and sensor as a set.
I have a new sensor to fit, but no point with old pads or discs. Might just fit sensor and tie loose just to cancel the warnings until I get round to new pads or discs.

For the average Jo public it's better to have a sensor that trips than nothing and see them driving around with metal on metal and failing to stop in an emergency. For sure visual examination is the key to it and not rely on a sensor or a salesman

In your case if the lip is wearing away the sensor while the pad has 50% left it would indicate the disc itself is very thin...

 

[E89_Gaz]

How in gods name is a key supposed to tell you how much life your pads have left? I appreciate it may track mileage, but that is absolutely no indicator on how those miles were driven.

Seems they are programming these cars like easyjet manage their flights and excess baggage! Wonder how many poor soles they have screwed over by scaring them into coughing up monies for works that don't need doing

We have magic Keys! They can tell you the average miles/week, the air temperature, battery voltage and the integration level of both the Car and the Nav system!

 

[Maniac]

Given my discs are shot thanks to a few sharp stops and commute traffic... I'll be waiting until sparks fly off and then I'll replace everything. Via a BMW specialist, not a dealer too, rip off merchants.

 

[Paulwirral]

I had this with an audi service manager , he told me the pads were ten per cent worn , I'd installed them 80 miles earlier with new discs , ebc yellows , when I told him that and asked him if he thought they would wear out in 800 miles as I was driving to the ring for the weekend he just sat and looked at me like a moron

 

[srhutch]

My local stealer said my pads were getting low as the comp said 3k left on my dd. I told them to leave as I could see they were fine. Changed then about a year and 10k later.

 

[flybobbie]

Well having looked at my rear discs again I can feel about a 1mm lip on the edge of the disc. So if that is subtracted from the thickness of pad, that then leaves about 2mm left, so far has the sensor is concerned probably about right, if very conservative.
Have been using EBC green, seems very harsh on the discs.
Probably invest in some new discs and pads.

 

[E89_Gaz]

The Delphi system also failed to reset... I eventually got bored with the imminent brake pad countdown which was at 400 miles, despite having about 8mm of life left and a sensor that was about 6mm away from the disk. It seems to continually monitor the existence of the sensor, so the solution is to disconnect it (under the bonnet) turn the ignition on, enjoy the red lights, turn off and reconnect the sensor. You can then reset the counter from the CBS Reset options on the display. Please tell me this is not what I would have paid Sytner £75.00 for? :?

The reset has set the mileage to 12000.

 

[flybobbie]

I've tried every combination to try and reset.
Next I've ordered a new front sensor and will replace that to see if it makes a difference.
If I can reset I will tie them up away from the caliper.

 

[Nictrix]

Save your money, dont buy a new sensor.
I done this today when replacing the rear calipers on our mini.
The sensor was broken after trying to prise it out so I joined the 2 wires inside and once the new calipers were fitted I reset the service light. The service indicator now reads 36000 miles.
Considering there was a good 4-5mm of pad material left the sensor indicates a problem far too early.
I will now just visually monitor the pads from now on, just like everybody used to do.
There is no real point getting a new sensor as you will not be able to fit it without new pads, there will not be enough room to push it in place.
And if you are only getting the sensor to tie it up out the way, just join the wires, it will do the same job for free.

 

[californiagirl]

This is not just on Zeds as our BMW 330d (just over 2 years less than 20k miles) has been bleeping the same thing. Our local dealership saying the same thing as Sytners, but like you we haven't fallen for it!!

 

[flybobbie]

Save your money, dont buy a new sensor.
I done this today when replacing the rear calipers on our mini.
The sensor was broken after trying to prise it out so I joined the 2 wires inside and once the new calipers were fitted I reset the service light. The service indicator now reads 36000 miles.
Considering there was a good 4-5mm of pad material left the sensor indicates a problem far too early.
I will now just visually monitor the pads from now on, just like everybody used to do.
There is no real point getting a new sensor as you will not be able to fit it without new pads, there will not be enough room to push it in place.
And if you are only getting the sensor to tie it up out the way, just join the wires, it will do the same job for free.

Tried that method, doesn't work.
Tried open circuit, closed circuit and every combination of ignition on and off.
Have some diagnostic software I'm trying to get working to see if I can reset that way.

The dealers probably know these things are a pain, the reason why they want to just change the whole lot and be done with.

 

[no fit state]

Is there not a reset method you can do like there is the on mini? Turn this, pull that, wait 5 seconds and twiddle this and then it's reset..... or something like that.

Other than that what about something like the bmwhat app on the android market for resetting service lights? It seems to do a hell of a lot more than any of the other apps and even does some basic coding that you would of have to do with ncs expert of sss progman in the past.

 

[E89_Gaz]

There are plenty of proven methods, but there are some hard-set rules that prevent the reset from taking place. I had to disconnect the sensor, and power up, to push the CBS system into a state where I could reset. My sensors were fine, but the car insisted on continuing to count down without any real reason for doing so.

 

[Nictrix]

Save your money, dont buy a new sensor.
I done this today when replacing the rear calipers on our mini.
The sensor was broken after trying to prise it out so I joined the 2 wires inside and once the new calipers were fitted I reset the service light. The service indicator now reads 36000 miles.
Considering there was a good 4-5mm of pad material left the sensor indicates a problem far too early.
I will now just visually monitor the pads from now on, just like everybody used to do.
There is no real point getting a new sensor as you will not be able to fit it without new pads, there will not be enough room to push it in place.
And if you are only getting the sensor to tie it up out the way, just join the wires, it will do the same job for free.

Tried that method, doesn't work.
Tried open circuit, closed circuit and every combination of ignition on and off.
Have some diagnostic software I'm trying to get working to see if I can reset that way.

The dealers probably know these things are a pain, the reason why they want to just change the whole lot and be done with.

Must be a different setup with the Z then.
All I had to do was join the 2 wires and using the stalk went through the service schedule and reset the rear brakes.
I wasnt sure if it would work but it did.
Cant really see how it would be any different than that.