I have to replace the brake pads on my 08 Cooper S and I am under the understanding that I will need to purchase brake pads with the brake sensors. Does anyone know of a website that sells ceramic pads with the sensors for cheaper than an auto parts store?

 

Nice double thread. http://www.detroittuned.com/brake-pad-wear-sensor/
They are roughly going to cost you the same no matter where you are buying them. As far as pads it depends on what you are looking for in terms of performance. Also you are most likely going to need to change the rotors and add new fluid.

 

Yup...cross posting is frowned on...will make folks tune out and ignore your posts...
If you want a "commodity pad" aka a OEM equivalent.... Search away....places like rockauto are a good places to look....
But if you want a pad to suit you specific driving style....
Then many vendors have speciality pads...
And brake pads are not something I would buy from a untrusted/unknown seller...lots of counterfeit crap on eBay......

 

Whoops, it said it didn't post the first time but apparently it did...lol sorry about that. But thank you. I found some online but they didn't include any info on any of the sensors so I couldn't tell if they'd work or not.

 

The sensor is a separate wire that clips into the slot in the pad....usually $18-35.

 

Brake pads and sensors are two separate wear items.
Sensors are nothing more than a wire encased in a plastic plug that wears with the pad. Eventually, the wire wears through, and the dashboard light goes ON.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...23&hg=34&fg=05

If your "brake pad" light has not been tripped, you can gently pry the sensor out of the old pad, and insert it into the new one. It may break in the process (plastic gets brittle with heat cycles), but you can always replace it later. Those of us who swap brake pads regularly for autoX and track, never bother re-installing with the pad sensors: you just zip-tie them to the strut tower and watch the brake pad wear rate with your own eyes ;-)

As to the best places to shop, I've always found the best prices on Amazon.com. If you know exactly what you are shopping for (down the the part #), then Amazon is the best.
If you are not sure, or need advise, check out the usual MINI specialists:
http://detroittuned.com/
http://www.waymotorworks.com/
http://www.ecstuning.com/

a