[minionefun]

MY BRAKE PAD LIGHT HAS JUST COME ON and im going to the motorshow sunday i only have 2-3mm left on my pads, i can get some tomoz from bmw dealer but how do you change them ? dont wanna miss out on the convoy need a guide of how to fit new front pads. pls help

[ALD0]

they will be ok till Monday wont they?

[Jaffa Racer]

sure they will be more than OK prolly more like 1000+ miles left depending on your driving habits of course

[punkeyfunky]

Quote: Originally Posted by minionefun

MY BRAKE PAD LIGHT HAS JUST COME ON and im going to the motorshow sunday i only have 2-3mm left on my pads, i can get some tomoz from bmw dealer but how do you change them ? dont wanna miss out on the convoy need a guide of how to fit new front pads. pls help

Have you fitted pads before? If so, then it's along these lines (a /very/ rough guide):

1) Jack up car
2) Whip off wheel, and remove lid from fluid reservoir
3) Pop off the anti rattle spring
4) remove the bolts that hold the two halves of the caliper together (hex key, rather than a bolt with a head) - insert from the rear, as you look at the hub
5) pop out old pads, and then push the piston back into caliper
6) Clean up guides where pads sit (get rid of the crud, rust etc)
7) Whack in new pads
8) Bolt caliper back together (you might want to copperslip the threads)
9) Pop anti rattle spring back in
10) ensure disc turns ok, and the pads are sitting securely in the right place, depress brake pedal (gently) a few times to push the pads onto the disc
11) repeat (3-10) for other side
12) put wheels on, and drop car down to floor, torque up lug nuts
13) put brake fluid reservoir cap back on
14) take a test drive, and be very very careful, as pads won't work properly for a little while...


-Lee

[minionefun]

my dad wil help me as he has done many before, but i was worried because the car has abs, ect and also the wire for the warning light? is the hex key a normal alan key thing or is it one of those speial job ones?

thanks for your help so far ppl

[punkeyfunky]

Quote: Originally Posted by minionefun

my dad wil help me as he has done many before,

Cool.

Quote: Originally Posted by minionefun

but i was worried because the car has abs, ect

Don't worry about that.

Quote: Originally Posted by minionefun

and also the wire for the warning light?

There is a sensor attached to the front, passenger side, inside brake pad, and the drivers side, inside rear pad (assuming you are driving a right hand drive).
A tiny clip holds it in place - pop off the clip and the sensor will come free.

Quote: Originally Posted by minionefun

is the hex key a normal alan key thing or is it one of those speial job ones?

A normal one.

-Lee

[captain]

the allen key is normal but is 7mm so you have to buy it seperatlel as it is not includedin sets but car shops sell them

[Jeep-2-mini]

I managed to do over 500 miles between the light coming on & getting the pads replaced, including doing a MINI run - dealer couldn't fit me in anny sooner. 1000+ miles seems about right from when the light comes on, so you sould last out the weekend.

[Mr_You]

Seems these electronic sensors are always overly sensitive (to the repair shops advantage). I wouldn't be overly concerned one bit with going a couple thousand (or more) over.

[minionefun]

thanks so much ppl, gonna try fit them tomorrow at bout 5pm after i finish work, does any one know how much they cost? and will i invalidate my warranty ? any more detail , pics on fitting would be a gr8 help if poss, dont wanna do anything wrong. thanks again to all of you , any onegoing to motorshow sunday in the convoy?

[Tonyt3]

Theres a reason why theres always a lot of pad left when the light comes on - the last 2-3 mm of pad is for heat dissapation, not braking. So if you wear it right down, your brakes may well perform worse over the last few thousand miles.