amazingly, i have made it to just about the 105k mark with what i believe are stock brake pads and rotors (got the car at about 34k, so im assuming they werent changed before then).

finally that yellow light came on, with the circle and the dashes on either side. freaked out for a second, bc i have never seen that one before. quick search said it was time for new brakes!

also read i now have to have the sensors changed (they get worn down if the light comes on?) anyone have any info on this?

finally have a reason to have my drilled / slotted rotors and EBC red stuff pads installed! any suggestions with regards to bed-in / break in?

i dont have any tools with me since i moved recently, so mini of orlando will be taking care of it for me this time (hoping the cost wont be too much, cant take much more than an hour? to swap out everything)... but i still like to know as much as possible to avoid any extra costs and questions to ask the techs.

 

If the dealer is gonna do it..YOU WILL GET A NEW SENSOR (about $20-30)...as opposed to the sensor bypass...
Suggestion..if you have the parts...
Got to "Jim bob's brakes r us" or a local shop...
About 50+% of the profit on a dealer brake job is the parts....and their labour rate is usually 2x the going local shop rate....so I would expect the car to spend some timen the lift while the mechanic has some coffee... Maybe helps out another mechanic...to justify the bill you will get. Any shop can do YOUR brakes.....

 

My experience is that a Mini dealer will only replace your brakes with OEM parts and you’ll pay about twice as much as it would cost from an independent shop where you would get better parts.

For what it’s worth, I use coated rotors and Hawk HPS shoes and have not regretted a minute.

That said, 100,000 miles on a set of brakes has to be some sort of record.

///Rich

 

i got my light at 36k =)

 

i have 2 brand new pad sensors for my r53 im loking to get rid of. i bought them then decided i didnt care to use them.

im not sure if they are the same for your vehicle, but id offer them cheaper than any dealer/store if youre interested.

 

buy the parts and bring the car over

I'l show you how to put them on

have all the tools and have done it for MANY folks

 

where you located? i live on maitland and i4. have the parts already too!

 

Mine got me to 92k before I changed them, still didn't have the light, just thought it was time. Brakes are like clutches, driving style means much more than miles, good job.
And it still wasn't time to change the Hawk's & Power Slots that we put on then, when I parked the car at 212k.

 

PM sent

 

I got a quote from my dealer to do my front pads/rotors with OEM parts... I forget the numbers now, it was something like $500. I ended up buying Akebono pads and cheap blank Brembo rotors instead. I was going to take them to my independent brake/tire guys, but I was getting something else done at the dealer soon anyway, so I asked them if they'd install my aftermarket brake parts and what they'd charge. The gap in the labor quote between the dealer an the indie on the job was pretty marginal, so I just had the dealer do it.

So, some dealers will install aftermarket stuff for a reasonable price. They replaced my plugs with NGK iridiums for next to nothing, too. I know that's an easy DIY, but UPS screwed up getting my torque wrench here in time.

 

It's a 20 minute job per wheel, if you do it yourself. Rotors and pads, Rent the brake piston squeezer for the back pistons from pep boys, it's free when you take it back..