So a few days ago, a light came on my dashboard, and not knowing what it was I started to panic and flipping through my manual to find out what it meant. Surely enough it was my brake sensor, so I am guessing I need new brakes. Now in the past I have always thought of upgrading to a BBK, but dreaded the fact that it would cost a lot of $$$$. I also would like to what type of rotors are better, drilled or slotted or both? Currently I have 16" rims, so if I were to get a BBK it would have to be able to fit 16s. But I don't really know any BBK that are not too expensive. I've only seen wilwoods or brembo for BBKs, are there any other kinds. Please any suggestions are welcome. I'm looking for anything that won't break the bank.

Thanks

 

The same warning light came on for me about 3 weeks ago. Major panic. The dash lights turned red, and the info said go directly to the closest MINI dealer for repair. The week before, my OBC showed 11,000 miles to go before brakes. A week later, brake pads were needed immediately, and I had only driven 60 miles.

Well, something seemed fishy, so I pulled the wheels to look at the rotors and pads, and there was plenty of meat left on every component, at least 50%, so I wondered what was up. Turns out that the wear sensors are on a tab that is on the brake pads. As the pads wear down, the tip of the sensor comes into contact with the rotor. As the protective tip of the sensor is worn away by the rotor it breaks an electrical circuit, triggering the dashboard warning message. One of the tabs (the one that sent the alarm) was significantly closer to the rotor than the other. As a suggestion, you might check for this. Just my two cents. Good luck!

Knowing that I had some breathing room, I ordered a set of DBA slotted rotors and Hawk HPS pads from Mach V, and am looking forward to better braking and peace of mind.

 

If the budget is tight, why not go with carbotech or hawk pads. An improvement over stock without much $$.$$.
Unless you track alot, the big brake kits are probably overkill.