Eagles Canyon Raceway - TX with E92 MDCT

[Mack211]

Well I just had my first track run ever. It was a 2 day track event hosted by the LoneStar Chapter BMWCCA and sponsored by Classic BMW dealership. I am officially hooked! I have done a few auto-x but this was a completely different world. I never realized how much skill/technique is needed. We had 2 full days with roughly 5 fifteen minute heats each day. I had an instructor with me both days. All I have to say is that car is unbelievable. It was absolutely made for the track. This track is very unforgiving with very rocky terrain if you go off, so I left DSC on. Even with DSC on the car was phenomenal and made me feel like a pro once I started hitting the apexes and trackouts just right. The largest flaw was the breaks. On the second day when I really started pushing the car I had some serious break fade to the point were I had to take it down to 70%. I did not have the updated DCT and had the downshift problems. I left it in D5 most of the time so that I could focus on the lines and breaking.

My main issue was with the breaks. For some reason my cross drilled rotor holes filled with so much break dust that I think I had some overheating issues. I actually warped 1 or both of my front rotors.... Now when breaking at high speeds my steering wheel shutters. Has anyone else that has tracked noticed breakdust clogging all of the holes?

Think I will be able to get my rotors replaced under warranty? If not what would be the best breaks/rotors to get to fit 18inch rims and be useful for both track and street?

[Blake]

very nice thomas! glad you had a blast! next time a track day comes around we'll have to go so i can teach you a few things

[TLud]

Wow, that looks like fun, and the weather was perfect. I definitely would have driven up for that if I wasn't picking up my M3 that Saturday.

ECR has a layout that looks like it would be pretty hard on the brakes. Did you run it with the stock setup? One thought is that you might not have warped a rotor; you might be feeling melted pad compound on your rotor. If that's the case, it'll burn off in a week or two (depending on how much you drive) and the shuddering will go away.

[Mack211]

Originally Posted by TLud

Wow, that looks like fun, and the weather was perfect. I definitely would have driven up for that if I wasn't picking up my M3 that Saturday.

ECR has a layout that looks like it would be pretty hard on the brakes. Did you run it with the stock setup? One thought is that you might not have warped a rotor; you might be feeling melted pad compound on your rotor. If that's the case, it'll burn off in a week or two (depending on how much you drive) and the shuddering will go away.

Yes, I ran completely stock. I am pretty sure it is a warped rotor, the breaking is very very bad. My main concern is if I can get this covered under warranty or if I am going to just go with a Brembo setup.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by TLud

ECR has a layout that looks like it would be pretty hard on the brakes. Did you run it with the stock setup? One thought is that you might not have warped a rotor; you might be feeling melted pad compound on your rotor. If that's the case, it'll burn off in a week or two (depending on how much you drive) and the shuddering will go away.

+1

99.9% chance your rotors are just fine and the shuddering will go away as the unevenly deposited/melted pad material wears off. Takes times though. Get track pads next time. The breaks work well with the right compound. Actually, putting on track pads solves the molten stock pad issue very quickly since the more aggressive pads remove the stock pad material from the rotors.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by lucid

+1

99.9% chance your rotors are just fine and the shuddering will go away as the unevenly deposited/melted pad material wears off. Takes times though. Get track pads next time. The breaks work well with the right compound. Actually, putting on track pads solves the molten stock pad issue very quickly since the more aggressive pads remove the stock pad material from the rotors.

+100

my brakes were terrible for a couple days, but everything has smoothed out just fine. i think you'll be okay.

[addy85]

man looks like fun

[pittsy]

how are your tires looking now?

[sayemthree]

fun huh!!!

dealer should replace the brakes. most will do it and tell you dont come back fro 15-20k miles. I would say only 75% chance it would go away (deposits) could be truly warped.

if you do this a lot you need track pads and learn to manage the brakes. just like you manage tires and cant overheat them or they can go away too.

[Mack211]

Originally Posted by pittsy

how are your tires looking now?

Tires are fine. This course is very very hard on your breaks is all. On the longest stretch I would get up to 123mph or so.

[tszene]

Originally Posted by Mack211

Yes, I ran completely stock. I am pretty sure it is a warped rotor, the breaking is very very bad. My main concern is if I can get this covered under warranty or if I am going to just go with a Brembo setup.

in case the problem doesn't go away and you have to take it back to bmw, make sure you have nothing left in/on the car that can tell that you took it to the track.
i picked up mine in march i went to Watkins Glen for two days. being my first track event my braking technique wasn't refined to say the least, and i warped my front rotors. I took it back to bmw and i by mistake i left the flyer from the track in my glovebox. Sure enough they didn't cover the rotor replacement since the "manual clearly states that in case of track use the engine/body components may wear more extensive and will not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty." they charged me $1000. to replace the rotors and the pads.
a week after that i got my Brembo Gt kit, and since then i had the pleasure to spend 14 days on different tracks. Rotors held up without any problem. I had to replace the front pads once, but that's because they are street pads.

[Babaganush]

Just a heads up on Eagles Canyon. They have opened it up to the public one weekend a month. Check http://www.eaglescanyon.com/2008/home.php for details.

Can't wait for my car to be broken in....only have 500 miles on my 09 coupe. It's really a fun track and much of my track experience at ECR has been on my bike so I can't wait to get the car out there for a change of pace. The track is truly BRUTAL on brakes...much more than MSR. Definitely going to upgrade the brake fluid and pads.

They just resurfaced the track a couple weeks ago. Prior to this, the surface was horrible. The difference now is truly amazing. If they can only smooth out the back straight and the run off areas it would be perfect. Have to keep in mind they've been open only for a year now.

[Mack211]

Originally Posted by tszene

in case the problem doesn't go away and you have to take it back to bmw, make sure you have nothing left in/on the car that can tell that you took it to the track.
i picked up mine in march i went to Watkins Glen for two days. being my first track event my braking technique wasn't refined to say the least, and i warped my front rotors. I took it back to bmw and i by mistake i left the flyer from the track in my glovebox. Sure enough they didn't cover the rotor replacement since the "manual clearly states that in case of track use the engine/body components may wear more extensive and will not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty." they charged me $1000. to replace the rotors and the pads.
a week after that i got my Brembo Gt kit, and since then i had the pleasure to spend 14 days on different tracks. Rotors held up without any problem. I had to replace the front pads once, but that's because they are street pads.

Thanks for the information.

I have a few questions. I'll PM you most likely as well.

If they don't cover my rotors I will most likely be going with some brembos instead. Will the Brembo Gt kit fit the stock 18inch rims? Also where is a good place to purchase the kit? And should I just go ahead and buy front and rear brembo kits or just stick with stock rears and front brembos?

[lucid]

Originally Posted by tszene

"manual clearly states that in case of track use the engine/body components may wear more extensive and will not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty."

Where exactly does it say that in the manual? I didn't see anything like that in the manual. It only references competitive events. Driving schools are not competitive events. Sounds like BS to me.

[Dascamel]

The manual almost seems to encourage track use... even refers you to the dealership for performance parts like the racing pads.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by lucid

Where exactly does it say that in the manual? I didn't see anything like that in the manual. It only references competitive events. Driving schools are not competitive events. Sounds like BS to me.

+1

Originally Posted by Dascamel

The manual almost seems to encourage track use... even refers you to the dealership for performance parts like the racing pads.

it would seem like bmw would want you to track it...then when they come out with a new M3 you'll get the itch pretty quickly

[armyav8tor]

Originally Posted by tszene

in case the problem doesn't go away and you have to take it back to bmw, make sure you have nothing left in/on the car that can tell that you took it to the track.
i picked up mine in march i went to Watkins Glen for two days. being my first track event my braking technique wasn't refined to say the least, and i warped my front rotors. I took it back to bmw and i by mistake i left the flyer from the track in my glovebox. Sure enough they didn't cover the rotor replacement since the "manual clearly states that in case of track use the engine/body components may wear more extensive and will not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty." they charged me $1000. to replace the rotors and the pads.
a week after that i got my Brembo Gt kit, and since then i had the pleasure to spend 14 days on different tracks. Rotors held up without any problem. I had to replace the front pads once, but that's because they are street pads.

Basically the same thing happened to me. Warped front rotors from tracking the car but in my case it was replaced under warranty. I straight up told them, WTF? I tracked my 335i more than this thing and I never had warped rotors. The M3's brakes are definitely the car's weakest link. So, where do you get the brake pads for the Brembo kit? Everybody seem to sell the kit, but nobody sells the pads.

[skierman64]

Doesn't anyone know where it's written that the warranty doesn't cover track events? I need to see it in writing. I know when the US M brand manager came to talk to our BMW CCA chapter, I asked him the question and he said the warranty will cover you as long as you're not racing or in a timed event.

I also had pad transfer after my track events, where the symptom was moderate brake shudder, but it went away after a few weeks of street driving. I wouldn't assume that you've warped your rotors.

I have since began taking a 2 or 3 mile cooldown drive after coming off the track, this allows the rotors to cool before I park the car in the paddock after my track session, this seems to solve the pad transfer problem.

Next year, track pads.

[tszene]

Originally Posted by armyav8tor

Basically the same thing happened to me. Warped front rotors from tracking the car but in my case it was replaced under warranty. I straight up told them, WTF? I tracked my 335i more than this thing and I never had warped rotors. The M3's brakes are definitely the car's weakest link. So, where do you get the brake pads for the Brembo kit? Everybody seem to sell the kit, but nobody sells the pads.

unfortunately i got the stock brembo street pad with the kit, and i have a set of track pads ordered. It should be here in about 6 more weeks.

[tszene]

Lucid,
Here's the part of the manual that discusses track use.

http://www.m3post.com/goodiesforyou/e92-m3-manual.PDF

page 109 top right

[lucid]

Originally Posted by tszene

Lucid,
Here's the part of the manual that discusses track use.

http://www.m3post.com/goodiesforyou/e92-m3-manual.PDF

page 109 top right

Hmmm. Thanks. I don't recall seeing that section in the manual that came with the car. The pdf says online manual. Either I missed it, or the digital copy is different. I'll check when I go home.

[tszene]

Originally Posted by lucid

Hmmm. Thanks. I don't recall seeing that section in the manual that came with the car. The pdf says online manual. Either I missed it, or the digital copy is different. I'll check when I go home.

i got lucky finding this manual online, i actually read it in the hardcopy.
however i think it sucks that some got away with warranty and i got screwed
Anyway, i'm glad at least some got a chance to beat the system.