Brake Warranty

[Mr.AK]

At the end of the warranty are you allowed to go in and say," I want new brakes, please replace them." This could affect my braking habits!

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by Mr.AK

At the end of the warranty are you allowed to go in and say," I want new breaks, please replace them." This could affect my breaking habits!

What are breaks,is this refering to automotive brakes?

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169747

[Mr.AK]

Nice looking Canada! Now back to the breaks! lol

[Partsdood]

No, BMW will replace the brakes under the maintenance plan only when they are worn below a certain limit.

[masmole]

Originally Posted by Partsdood

No, BMW will replace the brakes under the maintenance plan only when they are worn below a certain limit.

Does anyone know if BMW has a limit as to how many times they will replace the brakes at no charge courtesy of BMW Ultimate Service?

With my E60 M5, they replaced rotors and pads after 5k miles after I wore the pads down although the rotors still looked very healthy. They did it with no questions asked even though I was very forthcoming about having attended a few "car club driving schools" but was never "racing" on track. The service advisor said that everything "falls under the normal use category". I'm not sure if BMW USA corporate feels the same though and I have yet to test them.

My thinking is that it's a high performing car and occasionally it should be driven to its high performing levels in a safe and controlled environment (at a track, with instructors, and without any wheel-to-wheel funny business going on or recording of lap times). This is normal use to me. But at this rate, my normal use will use up brakes every 5k miles. Will Ultimate Service keep covering this or will they draw the line to one free brake replacement?

Not that I'm too concerned about it because with the M3, I fully intend to use Pagid RS19s for the track and save the stock pads for street use. I'm just curious if anyone has managed more than one set of brakes from BMW Ultimate Service with any past or current cars.

[Mr.AK]

So now the question becomes: How many miles do M3 brakes last before needing replacement? Just give an average approximation with nonaggressive street driving. What i'm getting at is whether it is a better idea to take care of the brakes for the 4yr, 50,000mile warranty or to beat the shit out of them so that they can be replaced before the warranty expires? -Thanks

[808MGuy]

Originally Posted by masmole

Does anyone know if BMW has a limit as to how many times they will replace the brakes at no charge courtesy of BMW Ultimate Service?

With my E60 M5, they replaced rotors and pads after 5k miles after I wore the pads down although the rotors still looked very healthy. They did it with no questions asked even though I was very forthcoming about having attended a few "car club driving schools" but was never "racing" on track. The service advisor said that everything "falls under the normal use category". I'm not sure if BMW USA corporate feels the same though and I have yet to test them.

My thinking is that it's a high performing car and occasionally it should be driven to its high performing levels in a safe and controlled environment (at a track, with instructors, and without any wheel-to-wheel funny business going on or recording of lap times). This is normal use to me. But at this rate, my normal use will use up brakes every 5k miles. Will Ultimate Service keep covering this or will they draw the line to one free brake replacement?

Not that I'm too concerned about it because with the M3, I fully intend to use Pagid RS19s for the track and save the stock pads for street use. I'm just curious if anyone has managed more than one set of brakes from BMW Ultimate Service with any past or current cars.

Well, your insurance company probably doesn't consider any track time to be normal use because every insurance company I know of will not cover damages that occur on the track. It seems that some BMW dealers may be a little more tolerant of this but it's not something I would count on.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by Mr.AK

So now the question becomes: How many miles do M3 brakes last before needing replacement? Just give an average approximation with nonaggressive street driving. What i'm getting at is whether it is a better idea to take care of the brakes for the 4yr, 50,000mile warranty or to beat the shit out of them so that they can be replaced before the warranty expires? -Thanks

As to your original question: develop a good relationship with your SA, and he will take care of you "within reason". I speak from experience.

With the M3, if even you don't trak it, you should need need new front pads/rotors at least twice during the 4 years, or you are driving it like a minivan or you aren't driving it at all.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by masmole

With my E60 M5, they replaced rotors and pads after 5k miles after I wore the pads down although the rotors still looked very healthy.

There doesn't need to be anything visibly wrong with the rotors. The thinking is that if you wore out your pads, the rotors experienced wear as well, and you can't just leave the rotors there until they fail. They obviously considered data on rotor wear before coming up with this schedule, so they are doing the safe thing.

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by lucid

There doesn't need to be anything visibly wrong with the rotors. The thinking is that if you wore out your pads, the rotors experienced wear as well, and you can't just leave the rotors there until they fail. They obviously considered data on rotor wear before coming up with this schedule, so they are doing the safe thing.

Rotors are replaced when they approach minimum thickness (which is stamped on the center). Typically, they will last two sets of stock pads, but your results may vary.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

Rotors are replaced when they approach minimum thickness (which is stamped on the center). Typically, they will last two sets of stock pads, but your results may vary.

That has not been my experience with BMW service. I was told by my SA that they need to replace the rotors each time they replace worn out pads. (No he was not trying to squeeze cash out of me since it was done under the service plan in my previous car). Plus, it is hard to believe rotor "thickness" would be the only servicing criteria for rotor replacement. One would think heat cycling would have adverse effects as well.