[rd450]

Idrive computer is saying my rear brake pads need replaced after only 15000 miles !? Front ones are saying still 8000 miles to go

Don\'t understand this. Can Anyone else check their brake pad wear indicator in vehicle settings for a similar mileage and let me know what it says

Thanks

[n55x3]

Not that unheard of. These vehicles really like to drag the rear brakes. This is done to keep the X3 level and not squat too much when braking. It ties back to the electronic brake distribution. Now when you brake really hard EBD will transition much more braking effort to the front which will allow you a shorter stopping distance. Before the EBD days, in most cases, cars would brake evenly across all 4 corners and as such the fronts would carry the brunt of the braking but again you got some nose dive depending on how hard you want to stop.

In my truck, which does not have EBD, I have replaced the front pads 3 times now but have only done the rears once at like 60,000 miles.

[Alligator69]

Also performance control triggers a lot of rear braking. When cornering at certain speeds, the inner rear wheel gets some braking to ease the turn.

(Sorry for the terms I use, I believe I can speak a good english, but mechanical terms are not always easy to find for me)

[LEDZEP]

BMW replaces them for free within the warranty period, so take it in and get them replaced.

[Nahoa]

I have 17.5k mi and neither font nor rear is up for replacement (which surprises me).

[mibmwx3]

I have close to 11,000 miles on my car. Fronts are saying pad replacements in 45,000 more miles and rears in 20,000 more miles. At that rate, my warranty will be up before I get new front pads.

[Rodion]

Is it really that you get new pads as a warranty coverage? In here warranty does not apply to normal wear and tear.

If I burn my tyres "drifting" all day, I will not get new tyres

[Nahoa]

On a previous 330i they wore out earlier than expected and they replaced pads and rotors on all four under warranty. Dunno if that was right, or if anything's changed. Was very pleased with that at the time!

[Steve30dMSport]

Nobody mentioned in this thread the main reason for accelerated rear pad wear so here it is:

The more you use the cruise control the faster your rear pads will wear out since the rear brakes are used to prevent the car from going faster than the set speed, particularly when going downhill or when reducing the set speed via the adjusting wheel on the steering wheel. When reducing the set speed this way the car will brake with the rear brakes until it reaches the new set speed.

[mibmwx3]

Originally Posted by Steve30dMSport

Nobody mentioned in this thread the main reason for accelerated rear pad wear so here it is:

The more you use the cruise control the faster your rear pads will wear out since the rear brakes are used to prevent the car from going faster than the set speed, particularly when going downhill or when reducing the set speed via the adjusting wheel on the steering wheel. When reducing the set speed this way the car will brake with the rear brakes until it reaches the new set speed.

I've never used the cruise control. Might start using it to wear down my brake pads when I get closer to 50,000 miles.

[troggy1969]

I have 50,000 miles on my passat and haven't changed the pads yet. I don't like braking, it slows me down!!!!

[sfax]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

BMW replaces them for free within the warranty period, so take it in and get them replaced.

They don't replace them in the UK under warranty as far as I know (unless there is something wrong with them). You'd have to "Service Inclusive Plus" to get them replaced for free (about £1300 for 5 years/60k miles). They aren't covered by "Service Inclusive" that everyone gets and costs about £300 and just covers oil and brake fluid and filters.

They aren't cheap either

[bluedevils]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these things are not covered under warranty. In the US at least, it is the maintenance plan that covers this and that is included as standard in the purchase of all new US (at least) BMW vehicles.

[n55x3]

Originally Posted by bluedevils

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these things are not covered under warranty. In the US at least, it is the maintenance plan that covers this and that is included as standard in the purchase of all new US (at least) BMW vehicles.

That is my understanding as well. These wearable items fall under the 40k / 4 year maintenance plan.

Now they could catagorize it as warranty repair if they dealer finds there is a stuck caliper or something else but for the most part brake pads fall under the maintenance plan same with things like wipers, oil etc...

[LEDZEP]

Originally Posted by bluedevils

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these things are not covered under warranty. In the US at least, it is the maintenance plan that covers this and that is included as standard in the purchase of all new US (at least) BMW vehicles.

You are correct. I mis-stated in my response. It is included in the 4 year/50,000 mile service plan. This applies to the U.S. though.

As to those comparing mileage and break wear.... apples/oranges. Brake wear has nothing to do with mileage on a large scale comparison. I drive almost 100 miles roundtrip on my commute, and if lucky I touch the brakes maybe a dozen times total - almost all highway miles. But if you do all or mostly city driving, and brake aggresively (like last second red-light stops, etc.) you're going to wear them out fast.

I've never owned a vehicle long enough for it to need brake work.

[Radioactive]

Had this problem on a Jag a few years ago. As it turned out the car was designed to engage the rear brakes before the front brakes to mitigate front diving under hard braking. Perhaps.....

[gareth12468]

Originally Posted by Lotus7

The BMW N.A. vehicle warranty covers essentially everything including "wear and tear" items like brake pads, rotors, engine belts, fluid replacement, oil changes (as prescribed by the vehicle "Condition Based Maintenance" computation), windshield wiper blades, EXCEPT tires (tyres) and body damage not due to manufacturing defects, for 4 years or 50K miles (80K km). BMW calls this warranty "BMW Ultimate Service". It can be upgraded to 6-years and 100K miles for a substantial additional fee.

Tires are covered for a limited time, usually (1) year for manufacturing defects, but NOT wear or road damage, by the tire manufacturer warranty which varies from brand to brand.

BMW anticipated drivers like Rodion who might decide to turn their X3 into a "drift-mobile" They think of everything!

P.S. for the best drifting experience, increase front tire pressure to 50 psi and rear tire pressure to 70 psi (ignore the tire manufacturer's maximum pressure warnings) and be sure to turn the DSC and DTC completely off. Proceed at your own risk, and be sure that your life insurance is paid up to date.

Originally Posted by bluedevils

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these things are not covered under warranty. In the US at least, it is the maintenance plan that covers this and that is included as standard in the purchase of all new US (at least) BMW vehicles.

Wear and tear of brake pads, rotors and windshield wiper blades not covered in Canada.....

[bigblackwolf]

Originally Posted by Lotus7

To those few who may have appreciated my previous posts, I thank you for your kind words and will miss your interaction.

Your reaction is understandable, when you have put your heart and time into something, and then you are attacked. I would feel the same way.

Myself, I would like to ask that you stay in the forum and let the forum administrators deal with the people who break the forum rules.

[jk]

Originally Posted by Lotus7

Obviously I will defer to your impeccable social skills and superior knowledge and since you’ve appointed yourself to speak for the whole Forum, I won't be posting here any longer.

To those few who may have appreciated my previous posts, I thank you for your kind words and will miss your interaction.

Arividerchi

why would you let the comments of one jerk determine your behavior? or are you making a joke of that guys arrogance?

[MAKE]

Originally Posted by bigblackwolf

Your reaction is understandable, when you have put your heart and time into something, and then you are attacked. I would feel the same way.

Myself, I would like to ask that you stay in the forum and let the forum administrators deal with the people who break the forum rules.

+1 you have been invaluable to all the members of this forum, even the hater who presumes to judge on your superior technical knowledge. Let him go... You Lotus 7, please for all our sakes; stay.

[sfax]

To add a qualified of defence of Lotus:

I have read probably 95% of his posts on this forum, even stuff I'm not really that interested in, and he often responds to praise modestly and states that much of the information and diagrams supplied are just copied and pasted from various sources like RealOEM and the user manuals. I don't think he tries to pass it off as his own, he just adds his knowledge and opinion and it's very insightful, useful and interesting. Sometimes it's just his own opinion and people are entitled to disagree. I just think in this case his comment was misconstrued and it turned into a little rant which I now see has been removed which is probably a good idea on reflection but that email doesn't get deleted too unfortunately

And even when someone has just straight copied and pasted from another source and not added their own thoughts, it has still taken them time and effort to post and it saves other people time so it should be welcomed as part of the forum IMO. And yes, this last paragraph is because it's often exactly what I do!

[JOHNBMWM5]

Originally Posted by sfax

To add a qualified of defence of Lotus:

I have read probably 95% of his posts on this forum, even stuff I'm not really that interested in, and he often responds to praise modestly and states that much of the information and diagrams supplied are just copied and pasted from various sources like RealOEM and the user manuals. I don't think he tries to pass it off as his own, he just adds his knowledge and opinion and it's very insightful, useful and interesting. Sometimes it's just his own opinion and people are entitled to disagree. I just think in this case his comment was misconstrued and it turned into a little rant which I now see has been removed which is probably a good idea on reflection but that email doesn't get deleted too unfortunately

And even when someone has just straight copied and pasted from another source and not added their own thoughts, it has still taken them time and effort to post and it saves other people time so it should be welcomed as part of the forum IMO. And yes, this last paragraph is because it's often exactly what I do!

SECONDED his contributions are welcomed by me.