So I have a 2002 mini cooper and it has about 45000 miles on it. I found out the other day that both the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. I bought the car about 3 months ago from a 3rd party dealer and have only put about 4000 miles on the car (most of them being highway miles) My 1st question is if the brakes were that close at the time of sale shouldn't they have been replaced? On typical brakes that would have been less than 10% life left. 2nd, they charged me $475 for the whole job (all 4 corners) and after reading some of the posts on this site that seems a bit low...not that I mind the price but I'm now wondering if they did everything that they said. Does everything sound kosher?

Thanks

 

Was it done at Midas or some other mechanic joint? What does your reciept say? It should list parts and labor for each part of the job. They might have used generic parts and not BMW replacement.

 

It was done at the dealership that I bought the car from, which I am rapidly losing faith in, My guess is that they did use generic parts cuz of the price. (I found about the same prices on the internet) I guess I'm not too worried...i mean if there is a catastrophic failure due to generic parts and i don't die they should be responsible.

 

Depending on the dealer I would say, and how good of an inspection they did on the car. If it had 45000 miles on it, why would you need all the rotors and brake pads done?

I am just getting started in the MINI world, but on all my cars before I have done all the work myself. Buying the right parts. I got burned once long ago, and that is all it took. But check your reciept and see if it has any description on it.

 

My original brakes were spent at 18k miles. Rotors worn heavy (unturnable) and pads were almost gone.

New ones have over 17k on them and have no appreciable wear on them. (powerslot cryotemperd rotors and hawk ceramic pads)

 

45K on stock pads and rotors is reasonable. The price is a great price if they replace all the pads and rotors all the way around. I would ask for some paperwork to see what they actually did, what they replaced. Do you feel comfortable looking at the rotors and pads to determine if they are new or old? Can you spot your sensors to see if they are in the right place?

It is always a good thing to be familiar with the parts on your car so you can identify what is what and if they actually replaced what they said they replaced.

nabeshin makes a good point, higher quality rotors and pads make a big difference, not only in longevity, but performance. Cost for the upgrade over OEM replacements is usually pretty minor. I upgraded to cadmium plated drilled and slotted rotors with DS2500 pads and I am very happy with the performance. Next time around though, I am going PBR ceramic for better street performance as I do minimal tracking these days and do not need the higher resistance to fade that the 2500s provide.

But again, check to see what was actually done by the dealership, that will provide a lot of answers.

 

I upgraded mine to PowerSlot rotors up front when the car had 35K miles. My brakes were in perfect condition, minus the front pads. If your front rotors are in bad shape, let me know if you need them (PM me).

 

Mini Rotors are made by Brembo. They are fairly soft. It is not uncommon for the rotors and pads to be changed at the same time due to the softness of the rotor. My first rotors were changed at 24K Miles!

 

I really appreciate all the responses! Thanks.

I seriously debated doing the brakes myself and upgrading but I've never done brakes with sensors in them before and quite frankly, anything with a sensor in it kinda scares me after my whole "honda debacle" But thats why i bought an extended warranty....i just wish it had covered brakes.

One last question....after i left the dealership when my brakes were done, the tire pressure warning light came on. I haven't had this happen before and was a little freaked out. So i checked my tires and one was a bit low so i filled it and reset the system. I am wondering if that coming on could have anything to do with the brake system.

 

I have 37k on my '03 Cooper and the brake indicator light has come on. 4 weeks ago, the dealer told me I had 3mm on the front pads and 4mm on the rear. Since then, my warranty has expired. 1 mechanic told me that I would have to have the rotors changed with the brakes (he didn't inspect them), and the other guy said that he wouldn't know until he looked at them.
What can I expect? Are rotors going to definately be either turned or new, or is it possible that I can get away with new pads only?
Also, how do I decide what kind of breaks to get?
I do mostly spirited street driving, hwy 1, and the steep hills of SF. Don't do rally or races....yet.

 

I don't think they turn the rotors. I would seriously consider buying aftermarket upgrade on the rotors....they will last longer, and the cost difference is minimal as you will have to replace them less often.

It really depends on how worn your rotors are, but they will probably replace them, and not just the pads. If your indicator light is on, they will also replace that part of the harness, as it can not be re-used.

to decide what type of brakes you want, and your driving style. driving spiritedly is one thing, but do you ride your brakes, hit them hard, ever experience any brake fade on your OEM pads? If not, a modest upgrade will be more than fine for you. Getting a rotor that is slotted would be great for the needs you described above, something with zink or cadmium plating will help reduce rust since you live near a coast. For pads, you can either use OEM or upgrade to a Hawk, EBC green, or PBR Ceramic. those are wonderful for spirited street ventures. I personally am a big fan of PRB Ceramic pads, great for street driving and mountain driving...not ideal for extended track time, but more than ok for autocrossing.

 

The most important thing of going fast? being able to stop. In my opinion, the best performance investment is in your brakes. I drive hard (in Mexico, speed limits are meer suggestions), when I had my stock brakes (I have an S with approx 200 hp, fun!!!) they faded a couple of times. I replaced my stock brakes with a big brake kit for Detroit Tunning ($900) + Ferodo brakes, result AWESOME braking and no brake fade whatsoever. I later changed the rear rotors with slotted and the same Ferrodo pads and also replaced the factory busdhings for brass bushings (I had too much front bias), once I replaced them, my car stops on a dime, no matter how much I push them (130 to 0, no problem). For what it costs you for dealer service and parts, it is the biggest bang for the buck.

 

great price if you got new pads and rotors all around. maybe they felt guilty about selling a car without breaks that passed state inspection?

get a list of what they put on ...and how long they are warranted for...probably 12 months 12,000 miles.


i had new rotors and pads put on our company buick century..at the Buick DEALER. they charge an arm and a leg, and the rotors warped after about 7,000 miles and 6 months...they said that the rotors weren't covered due to heat damage to the rotor?

i am still debating with myself the extended warrnty on the mini through 6/100,000 miles.