how is the brake pad service computer reset? (miles to new pads?)

sayemthree · 03-10-2009, 10:26 AM

anyone know? also does this car have the pad sensor for minimum pad thickness?

lucid · 03-10-2009, 10:50 AM

the idrive estimate has nothing to do with the pad wear sensors. the pad wear sensor is a binary indicator. once you wear the pads beyond a threshold, and trip a curcuit, the "brake" light on your dash comes on and won't go away without the use of a proper reset tool. idrive "guesses" at how much pad you've got left, but who knows how. my guess as to how it guesses is the use of deceleration data. the miles left to brake service indicator can be incrementally increased with the use of a proper tool if the pads/rotors don't need replacement, or it can be reset back to 25000 miles if they are replaced. i looked for a tool i could buy that would let me manage this myself, but couldn't find one on the market.

sayemthree · 03-10-2009, 03:39 PM

thanks. so if I remove the stock pads. put on track pads for the weekend. replace the stock pads on monday it should not screw up the indicator. excpet that it may show less miles on the countdown due to the track use.

so far the coundown seems pretty accurate.

lucid · 03-10-2009, 08:24 PM

Yes, the miles to brake service will decrease and will be 0 way before your stock pads are worn out. At that point, you'll need to have it increased by using the special tool that only dealers and BMW service shops seem to have.

sayemthree · 03-10-2009, 11:20 PM

aaagggh! I thought we were past the days of special tools and reset tools that only the stealers have! ;(

JAJ · 03-11-2009, 01:05 AM

Sad but true - my slightly worn OEM pads, that I took off when I put on my RS19's, only have 7,000 miles left according to the computer. My guess is they'll do at least 40,000 miles, considering they're only on the car when I'm not driving hard.

I'll see what the dealer says when they do my free "low mileage" oil change in April. Maybe they can reset it.

sayemthree · 03-11-2009, 10:47 PM

so no one knows how the mileage countdown works? maybe an accelerometer used for DSC? it seems fairly accurate so far. and track work took it down quite a bit.

03-10-2009, 10:26 AM	#1
sayemthree Brigadier General Drives: bmw Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: usa Posts: 4,844 iTrader: (0)	how is the brake pad service computer reset? (miles to new pads?) anyone know? also does this car have the pad sensor for minimum pad thickness?
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03-10-2009, 10:50 AM	#2
lucid Major General Drives: E30 M3; Expedition Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA Posts: 8,037 iTrader: (0)	the idrive estimate has nothing to do with the pad wear sensors. the pad wear sensor is a binary indicator. once you wear the pads beyond a threshold, and trip a curcuit, the "brake" light on your dash comes on and won't go away without the use of a proper reset tool. idrive "guesses" at how much pad you've got left, but who knows how. my guess as to how it guesses is the use of deceleration data. the miles left to brake service indicator can be incrementally increased with the use of a proper tool if the pads/rotors don't need replacement, or it can be reset back to 25000 miles if they are replaced. i looked for a tool i could buy that would let me manage this myself, but couldn't find one on the market. __________________

03-10-2009, 08:24 PM	#4
lucid Major General Drives: E30 M3; Expedition Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA Posts: 8,037 iTrader: (0)	Yes, the miles to brake service will decrease and will be 0 way before your stock pads are worn out. At that point, you'll need to have it increased by using the special tool that only dealers and BMW service shops seem to have. __________________

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03-10-2009, 03:39 PM	#3
sayemthree Brigadier General Drives: bmw Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: usa Posts: 4,844 iTrader: (0)	thanks. so if I remove the stock pads. put on track pads for the weekend. replace the stock pads on monday it should not screw up the indicator. excpet that it may show less miles on the countdown due to the track use. so far the coundown seems pretty accurate.

03-10-2009, 11:20 PM	#5
sayemthree Brigadier General Drives: bmw Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: usa Posts: 4,844 iTrader: (0)	aaagggh! I thought we were past the days of special tools and reset tools that only the stealers have! ;(

03-11-2009, 01:05 AM	#6
JAJ Captain Drives: 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 896 iTrader: (4)	Sad but true - my slightly worn OEM pads, that I took off when I put on my RS19's, only have 7,000 miles left according to the computer. My guess is they'll do at least 40,000 miles, considering they're only on the car when I'm not driving hard. I'll see what the dealer says when they do my free "low mileage" oil change in April. Maybe they can reset it.

03-11-2009, 10:47 PM	#7
sayemthree Brigadier General Drives: bmw Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: usa Posts: 4,844 iTrader: (0)	so no one knows how the mileage countdown works? maybe an accelerometer used for DSC? it seems fairly accurate so far. and track work took it down quite a bit.