[wasabisashimi]

ok, so this is my first bmw since switching over from an ITR.

I am driving X5 at the moment. My brake pad replacement indicator light came on, so i called BMW for service. The advisor quoted me $545 including replacing front pads, pad sensor, and replacing rotors.


What does she mean replacing rotors? does she mean machining rotors and not replacing rotors? I used to drive an acura and serving brake means getting a machine to smooth out my rotor surface, hardly ever heard of replacing rotors unless they are old and bad.

My X5 is new, i am abit confused with this female service advisor.

Can some of you bimmer owners shed some light for my noob experience ?

[Kalize]

With BMW's...they usually replace the rotors...

[wasabisashimi]

With BMW's...they usually replace the rotors...

ok, so front pads are $229, sensors are $45, plus 2 hr labour ( about $180, which leaves the rotors to be free almost? that doesnt make any sense to me at all. I used to paid brembo rotors for 120 a pair.

[CRS]

Try calling up Nixon or CG automotive for BMW specific advise or work.

From what I hear, they have better service and prices than the dealership service places.

[drunkrussian]

ok, so front pads are $229, sensors are $45, plus 2 hr labour ( about $180, which leaves the rotors to be free almost? that doesnt make any sense to me at all. I used to paid brembo rotors for 120 a pair.

unfortunately that's part of what you'll have to get used to when switching from a cheap common car to a bmw - possibly the most expensive non-exotic road car to maintain in gvrd.

I dunno if it's possible, but if it is I'd go to a small shop that specializes in BMWs rather than a big one or dealership. Prices may be cheaper and quality may be higher!

[bcrdukes]

I've had a positive experience with Nixon Automotive for some repair and diagnostic work. They're in my good books.

Get used to this - it is normal for them to do everything when it comes to brake service. The same rule applies to my 89 E30.

[wasabisashimi]

ok, i think you guys are not reading my question right. I have no problem paying for my BMW service. Thats why i switched. THis is not a money issue. My car is in the dealership right now.

My main question is : is it normal to change rotor on my first brake service? (according to service advisor.) Why did my honda rotor last so much longer, does this mean BMW rotors are weaker or cheaper quality?..

Lets compare brake services-->
Typical honda brake service : incluing pad, machine rotor, check brake fluid.
Typical BMW brake service: new pads, new rotors, new sensors, check fluid.

Can someone let me know about this rotor, seems odd and not environmentally friendly if i have to change the rotors everytime brake is low instead of just machine the rotor surface.

[Alphamale]

The pad/rotor compound on German cars is different than that of your typical Japanese car. All you have to do is take a similiarly used car of the same milage between a Japanese and German car and look at the wear pattern on the rotor/pads. You will see that on the German car, there is a significantly greater wear pattern such that the outter most part of the rotor develops a deep "ridge".

Most people opt out of machining the rotors for German cars/big rotors because it can simply just be a waste of time. Without proper machining, it is easy to have the rotors "warp" such that whenever the brake pedal is depressed, vibration is transmitted to the driver's foot = complaints.

Do it once, do it right, zero complaints.

[richee]

having a softer compound rotor that wears down also helps to reduce brake fade when constantly using the brakes
(such as when going downhill on the coquihalla)
in a typical japanese car, you may notice a reduction of performance in such a case
and not as much on a bmw.

this is also why you may notice your wheels are getting much dirtier quicker in your bmw compared to other cars,
because of the increased brake dust from rotors/pads wearing down
but you have to understand BMW does this for performance and safety reasons

machining a bmw rotor will simply wear down a rotor that's already worn,
and replacing the rotor along with pads will reduce the chance of vibration or squealing
from the brakes

[CRS]

What is a good body shop for BMWs?

I just noticed that there is some pretty deep scratches on the rear bumper my car and now probably will have to go to a bodyshop to get it repaired. Anyone recommend any good and affordable ones?

Probably not going to go through ICBC since I assume it will be less than the deductible.

Thanks!

[jeff_alexander]

unfortunately that's part of what you'll have to get used to when switching from a cheap common car to a bmw - possibly the most expensive non-exotic road car to maintain in gvrd.

I dunno if it's possible, but if it is I'd go to a small shop that specializes in BMWs rather than a big one or dealership. Prices may be cheaper and quality may be higher!

A BMW is a cheap and common car, you can get one for the price of an upgraded civic.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[sonick]

A BMW is a cheap and common car, you can get one for the price of an upgraded civic.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

+1, it's only because BMW's have more electronic gizmos and stuff that may mess up, which is expensive as there's no aftermarket and its mostly OEM replacement.

Most common mechanical and wear items such as brakes, sensors, bushings, window regulators, are comparable to Toyotas/Honda.

[//RacingSpirit>>]

BMW offers package pricing for brake parts if you do it at the dealership. The parts are heavily discounted to offset the higher labour rate and for BMW dealerships to stay competitive with auto repair shops. If you buy the parts yourself over the counter, it will be more expensive than to get it replaced at the dealership with labour and taxes all in.

edit. Rotors on BMWs are replaced, not machined.

[!SG]

on euros like benz and bmw, they use a hard compound brake pad, and a soft rotor. this combo gives the best stoping power, as it evens out the wear on the pads and wear on the rotors to be closer life use.

if your car is under warranty, its better to double check to make sure u dont void the warranty, yes even something like a brake change can be possible.

[GabAlmighty]

That's alot of money stock pads... I think I can change my front/rear rotors and pads for that price.. Just sayin.

[van_driver]

I like you point out the service advisor was female :lol

[no_clue]

wait you said your X5 is new, shouldn't the brakes be covered under the 4-year free maintenance warranty?

[ericthehalfbee]

BMW offers package pricing for brake parts if you do it at the dealership. The parts are heavily discounted to offset the higher labour rate and for BMW dealerships to stay competitive with auto repair shops. If you buy the parts yourself over the counter, it will be more expensive than to get it replaced at the dealership with labour and taxes all in.

edit. Rotors on BMWs are replaced, not machined.Yup. BMW dealers are very competitive with independent shops on brake jobs because of the big discounts.

It's not just BMW's - many late model cars you replace rotors, and not just on the Euros. Asian and domestics it's comoon as well. Rotors aren't that expensive for most vehicles, so even if you can machine them, why spend the money to machine used rotors when new ones aren't that much more?

IMO, $545 for front brakes on an X5 is a good deal.


!SG. BMW can't void your warranty if you get the work done at an aftermarket shop. This has been settled in court many, many years ago. Many dealers still try to infer this to customers, but legally they can't do it. Though many still try, and if the customer doesn't fight back they'll get walked on. This applies to getting the work done at an independent shop. If you don't use the correct parts then you could void your warranty (like if you used the wrong oil in your engine). But you're 100% fine with an independent as long as they use the same quality (approved) parts.

[ELITE_TRAYUNZE]

wait you said your X5 is new, shouldn't the brakes be covered under the 4-year free maintenance warranty?

Brakes are wear-and-tear and, therefore, are not covered under warranty.

[!SG]

i dont know everything there is to warranty as im still new there. but ive heard of cases where bmw void warranty due to the car having the wrong tire, non run flats. sounds strange, but never can be too safe.

during those first 4 years of having a new car, you really gotta read the warranty documents just to make sure.

but its also always good to clear with the dealership. if they give u the wrong info, you have grounds to complain, but if they gave u the right info, then at least u have ammo to recover losses if an independant shop gave the wrong info =)


!SG. BMW can't void your warranty if you get the work done at an aftermarket shop. This has been settled in court many, many years ago. Many dealers still try to infer this to customers, but legally they can't do it. Though many still try, and if the customer doesn't fight back they'll get walked on. This applies to getting the work done at an independent shop. If you don't use the correct parts then you could void your warranty (like if you used the wrong oil in your engine). But you're 100% fine with an independent as long as they use the same quality (approved) parts.

[Rich Sandor]

As long as the vehicle is maintained within the factory guidelines, the warranty cannot be voided just because the work is done by an independent shop, unless that shop does the work incorrectly.

With the exception of carbon/ceramic composite brakes on supercars, all passenger car and light truck brake rotors are cast iron, and are made from 'gray iron' which has an SAE spec of G10. They are pretty much all the same softness and composition. The differences between rotors are DIAMETER, THICKNESS and VENTING. It is the brake PADS that come in many varying compositions, depending on your application.

Back to rotors: as mentioned before, BMW and Porsche and Mercedes sometimes size their pads and rotors so that they all get replaced at the same time. This is not to waste resources or gouge customers at service, it's because that combination of pad and rotor gives you the best stopping power for the lightest possible weight. On cars with more powerful and larger brakes, 1 rotor will last through 2 sets of street pads, but only 1 set of track pads. Remember brakes are unsprung weight, and the heavier your brakes are, they heavier the steering on the car. 1 pound of unsprung weight = 5-7lbs of sprung weight!!

For each car, there is a 'new/maximum' and 'minimum' brake rotor thickness. Somewhere in between, there is a thickness where it is too late to machine them. Additionally, pads RARELY wear evenly. When you machine the rotor, you make it perfect, and then pair it back with pads that have been set into the old rotor. This can give you squealing pads and uneven braking forces. On a toyota corolla, it ain't gonna make a difference, but on a BMW... well, they have higher standards of performance.

Don't forget too, your X5 is a heavy and fast muthafucka... Force = mass x acceleration. You will probably go through pads and rotors much faster than a small car, even if your pads and rotors are much bigger. It's the nature of driving a heavier vehicle.

[ELITE_TRAYUNZE]

Back to rotors:....This is not to waste resources or gouge customers at service, it's because that combination of pad and rotor gives you the best stopping power for the lightest possible weight...


One of my favourite perks...

[wasabisashimi]

brake service done today, $545 including tax.

Note: the female advisor was wrong. It only included my front pads. It did not include rotor change.


Rotor change + pads will cost $1045. which will come later.

[JoshuaWong]

^ yup, did my rotors change during the end of 2nd year on my 2005 X3 3.0i $1100

[slammer111]

^ Oh snap. DIY.

My buddy had his MB done at the dealer. Front and rear rotors and pads. Cost him $2k.

I drive the same car as him, and decided to DIY. Parts at the stealer cost about $700, and only took a couple of hours of scratching one's head. If you look online or pick up "OEM replacement" it'll be even cheaper.

DIY is ALWAYS the cheapest option. And not sure about BMW (I'd assume they use the same OEM suppliers as MB), but usually you can get away with TWO sets of pads per set of rotors according to my SA, and I would have to agree. 2mm wear between "new" and "replace" is a little unreasonable imho when there is easily 15mm of rotor, not counting the gap. I'm on my 2nd pads right now and everything seems to work fine. (Don't hold me liable you fly off a mountain ;))

[willcls]

on euros like benz and bmw, they use a hard compound brake pad, and a soft rotor. this combo gives the best stoping power, as it evens out the wear on the pads and wear on the rotors to be closer life use.

if your car is under warranty, its better to double check to make sure u dont void the warranty, yes even something like a brake change can be possible.

how come it is typical to see bmw's with lots of brake dust on the wheels then? is that from the rotor or pads?

[achiam]

Going to the dealership is a rip-off. I drove a 7-series for 8 years, and bought ALL parts from Lordco and DIY'd. It worked totally fine and was a fraction of the dealership prices -- 40-50% off in fact.

Also, I have an EXCELLENT honest mechanic to recommend to you; he's an old frenchman named Marc, who specializes in Porsche and BMW, his hourly rates are much cheaper than dealers and he definitely knows his shit inside and out -- he even had a shop porsche that he used to track! He's out in Burnaby:

The internal motors controlling the HVAC were once busted, and Autowest quoted me $2500 after labor to fix the problem. I brought it to this dude and he fixed it for $1100 after parts! I even went and visited every 2 days and he would show us what was busted and each step of what he was doing.

Marc's Import Auto Repair Ltd
6841 Palm Avenue,
Burnaby, BC V5J 4M1
604-432-6636

[achiam]

how come it is typical to see bmw's with lots of brake dust on the wheels then? is that from the rotor or pads?

Brake dust comes from brake pads -- basically, brakes work by converting speed energy to heat energy via the friction from the pad clamping onto the rotor. If the brake pad is softer, more friction is produced resulting in greater braking force, but resulting in faster wear (hence more dust). If you get cheap pads that last a million miles, they are much harder, and hence less stopping force.

The above does not apply to carbon fibre porsche brakes. That's totally different.

[//RacingSpirit>>]

Going to the dealership is a rip-off. I drove a 7-series for 8 years, and bought ALL parts from Lordco and DIY'd. It worked totally fine and was a fraction of the dealership prices -- 40-50% off in fact.


Most BMW owners don't diy... BMW dealerships needs to charge you those prices because they need to pay their bills, pay their employees, AND make a profit.

[ericthehalfbee]

^ So you think independent shops don't need to pay their bills, pay their employees and make a profit? Or are they doing it out of the goodness of their heart?

Independent shops can do simpler things for cheap (simple like brakes) because it takes very little in terms of equipment and staff training to do such repairs. Independent shops with the same level of service as a dealer will not be cheap, since they have increased operating costs from all the specialized equipment they need to buy.

And I'd never buy Lordco parts for a 7 Series. I've seen way too many brake problems from doing things too cheap. I'd like to know what brand of pads & rotors you bought, cuz some of the stuff I've seen from Lordco gives me the shivers thinking about stopping a 2 ton luxury car.

slammer111: 2mm is a lot of wear. That's about 80 thou, and if you were machining rotors you'd never take off that much. After 20-30 thou you'd give up and recommend new rotors. You can't compare that wear to the total thickness of the rotors. Since many rotors are vented, that 2mm represents a significant portion of the material between where the pad contacts the rotor and the inside of the rotor where the vented area is. Running on rotors that are below recommended thickness will often lead to braking problems.


As to your brake job, $1,045 is too much for everything, even for a BMW.

[!SG]

funny you mention that, because my friends with bimmers always mention that as well. i believe its the brake compound that bmw uses in its brakes. lots of dust but better stopping power.

how come it is typical to see bmw's with lots of brake dust on the wheels then? is that from the rotor or pads?

[!SG]

haha, some of you guys think the prices are a rip off,

but to put into perspective. ill be doing my own brake upgrade soon. parts alone are costing me around $800 bucks for 2 front brake rotors, 1 set of front brake pads, and lexus hardware for the calipers. this is with a pretty decent discount already.

so factor in that im not adding the cost of labour as im doing this myself (being some what mechanically incline), its actually on par with what the dealership charges.

i think its just some see the prices skewed from seeing advertisement from canadian tire for brake rotors starting at $60 bucks. they are probably on the cheaper end of rotors and remember, the key word is starting.

[JV6]

I was a newbie at first aswell for being to used to a honda major brake service where they machine your rotors instead of replacing it.

[achiam]

And I'd never buy Lordco parts for a 7 Series. I've seen way too many brake problems from doing things too cheap. I'd like to know what brand of pads & rotors you bought, cuz some of the stuff I've seen from Lordco gives me the shivers thinking about stopping a 2 ton luxury car.


Heyah! This was years ago, but I believe I used only Bosch generic parts. They have several differently priced brands for Euro parts, and Bosch I believe was their most expensive brand -- I remember trying OEM BMW pads/rotors once after generic use and found no change at all. Mind you I was not racing this car obviously and using it only for city driving.

[!SG]

the thing ive learned through the years is its the top, the corp, the main company that makes the judgement on what to charge for labour hours at the dealership.

in the years, the labour hours keep going up, to reflect the overall higher cost to run a dealership.

sure indy shops charge a lower labour rate, and use aftermarket oe parts. but their are so many of them, they have to charge a lower profit margin just to stay competitive.

the issue comes when an indy shop uses inferior parts, charges a low labour rate. ppl start using that as a base line to judge the pricing of dealerships and high end indy shops that charge a premium for their services AND their premium parts. see, these shops have repuations, such as those of dealerships. risk of using inferior parts just to make a buck but also risk their rep if the part fails is too much of a risk.

what they do is offset the cost by providing the best service out there.


^ So you think independent shops don't need to pay their bills, pay their employees and make a profit? Or are they doing it out of the goodness of their heart?

Independent shops can do simpler things for cheap (simple like brakes) because it takes very little in terms of equipment and staff training to do such repairs. Independent shops with the same level of service as a dealer will not be cheap, since they have increased operating costs from all the specialized equipment they need to buy.

And I'd never buy Lordco parts for a 7 Series. I've seen way too many brake problems from doing things too cheap. I'd like to know what brand of pads & rotors you bought, cuz some of the stuff I've seen from Lordco gives me the shivers thinking about stopping a 2 ton luxury car.

slammer111: 2mm is a lot of wear. That's about 80 thou, and if you were machining rotors you'd never take off that much. After 20-30 thou you'd give up and recommend new rotors. You can't compare that wear to the total thickness of the rotors. Since many rotors are vented, that 2mm represents a significant portion of the material between where the pad contacts the rotor and the inside of the rotor where the vented area is. Running on rotors that are below recommended thickness will often lead to braking problems.


As to your brake job, $1,045 is too much for everything, even for a BMW.

[J____]

i believe OP is asking why a brake job is so cheap if it includes replacing rotors. It does sound cheap especially from a dealer. Call back and ask another rep.

[//RacingSpirit>>]

^ So you think independent shops don't need to pay their bills, pay their employees and make a profit? Or are they doing it out of the goodness of their heart?


Independent shops are smaller and have lower overhead. The service and parts department pays the majority of the bills to run the dealership. Premium car dealerships need to pay their employees good money to keep them and to keep their customer service high. You go into a BMW dealership for servicing, you get a nice wait area with free drinks from the fridge, coffee/tea/hot chocolate, and free muffins, scones, pastries. Overall the environment is alot nicer than independent shop wait areas. You get a free car wash, courtesy car/shuttle service when you get your car serviced. What you pay for servicing at a BMW dealership is not just parts and labour, you also get the service and hospitality.

[?NR]

for New BMW owners, did you know you can purchase a service inclusive package from BMW Canada starting from $700 that COVERS your wear and tear items such as brakes?

just one set of retail front complete brake job cost exceeds that already. Now why wouldn't you want to take advantage of that? If you drive hard and needs brakes atleast twice a year, or go thru wiper blades like crazy, the package has already paid for itself. Useful for hi-usage leased vehicles.

just boggles me.

and its a BMW. Can't afford it, don't drive it. Too many complaints of expensive parts, when in reality, BMW parts are not that expensive for common parts. It's only expensive when you get into the electronics and heavy mechanicals.

http://www.bmw.ca/ca/en/owners/service/maintenance/service_inclusive_upgrade.html

and for a list of pricing honored at all dealers

http://www.bmw.ca/ca/en/owners/service/maintenance/value_service_packages_1.html

[ivanz]

having a softer compound rotor that wears down also helps to reduce brake fade when constantly using the brakes
(such as when going downhill on the coquihalla)
in a typical japanese car, you may notice a reduction of performance in such a case
and not as much on a bmw.

this is also why you may notice your wheels are getting much dirtier quicker in your bmw compared to other cars,
because of the increased brake dust from rotors/pads wearing down
but you have to understand BMW does this for performance and safety reasons

machining a bmw rotor will simply wear down a rotor that's already worn,
and replacing the rotor along with pads will reduce the chance of vibration or squealing
from the brakes

You are comparing apples to oranges (A Japanese econobox to a luxury car). Lots of Japanese luxury cars have high friction brake/softer rotors like the Lexus GS for example.
Nobody in their right mind should use their brakes that much on the Coquihalla unless they want to risk losing them...they should be engine braking. I can easily make it down most hills in 3rd/4th at 3-4k RPM without using the brakes at all or just a bit. This is in an SUV...

[?NR]

wait you said your X5 is new, shouldn't the brakes be covered under the 4-year free maintenance warranty?

brakes not included. If it's a new car it will be covered under condition based (CBS) ontop of the BMW Inspections 1/2/3 at certain km intervals. Typically covers only oil+filter or oil+filter+air/microfilter.

[Rich Sandor]

pads & rotors are so easy.. here's an e46 rear rotor job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcSstG_el-I

I have to admit.. my favorite brakes are the big brembos off the 993tt. Those are the easiest brakes to change I have ever had the pleasure of working on.

[//RacingSpirit>>]

brakes not included. If it's a new car it will be covered under condition based (CBS) ontop of the BMW Inspections 1/2/3 at certain km intervals. Typically covers only oil+filter or oil+filter+air/microfilter.

Inspection 3? Just curious, what does that include? I thought BMW only had insp. 1 and 2 only...

[?NR]

Inspection 3? Just curious, what does that include? I thought BMW only had insp. 1 and 2 only...

3's are typically done first at 80km interval (before 4yr/80k warranty runs out).

includes :

oil and filter change
spark plug change
air filter
microfilter(s)
fuel filter
diff fluid (though specified lifetime fill, it's done anyways)
flushes (coolant + ps + brakes)

inspection 3 components differ from vehicle to vehicle, but you get the jist.

essentially, everything that can be flushed, changed, etc plus inspection of driveline, suspension bits and pieces such as worn control arm/tension strut bushings or anything that can be covered before the end of warranty period.

Now, with new 2010 models, BMW has launched their automated services. For vehicles with standard BMW Assist, it should come with teleservice. What it does is the car itself will send periodic messages to the home dealer and if it needs servicing, the home retailer will then make the arrangements for you instead of the other way around. But if you think your BMW needs service, you can initiate a manual teleservice call so the computer will send data to the home retailer, then the retailer takes over and make arrangements or call you.

more info here http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/service/bmw_teleservices.html

[wasabisashimi]

You go into a BMW dealership for servicing, you get a nice wait area with free drinks from the fridge, coffee/tea/hot chocolate, and free muffins, scones, pastries

Just curious what BMW dealer did you go to? I went to brian Jessel, and I pay my own coffee at the M-cafe. They give you free water only, and it is not even chilled. Oh and my courtesy car is a Honda accord with cloth seats

Now lets compare to my lexus dealer : i go in, there is a fridge with aluminum can juice, pop, ice cold water and a Van Houtte coffee machine that you can choose your own flavor and brew. My courtesy car is either RX350 or IS250

I do not agree that Brian jessel customer waiting room is any special.

[wasabisashimi]

i believe OP is asking why a brake job is so cheap if it includes replacing rotors. It does sound cheap especially from a dealer. Call back and ask another rep.

Thank you, finally one person got my question right. I did talk to another service advisor, My $545 does NOT include rotors. (rotors are $575 alone for front pair)

I dont know any indy shops and would prefer OEM parts over aftermarket stuff. Thats why i do dealer service at BMW.

Maybe people should just buy OEM parts and take it to their own trusted Mechanic to install for cheaper labour per hour rate.

[//RacingSpirit>>]

Just curious what BMW dealer did you go to? I went to brian Jessel, and I pay my own coffee at the M-cafe. They give you free water only, and it is not even chilled. Oh and my courtesy car is a Honda accord with cloth seats

Now lets compare to my lexus dealer : i go in, there is a fridge with aluminum can juice, pop, ice cold water and a Van Houtte coffee machine that you can choose your own flavor and brew. My courtesy car is either RX350 or IS250

I do not agree that Brian jessel customer waiting room is any special.

The BMW Store... They have canned pop, juice, etc in the fridge. Coffee/hot chocolate is from one of those fancy machines from Van Houtte. And they have a selection of tea bags if you're into tea. They get muffins, scones, etc delivered there every morning. They also have a 60" plasma tv in the waiting area so you can watch hockey or whatever while you wait. The courtesy cars are all E90 3series sedans I think (they may have X3s there too).

[wasabisashimi]

The BMW Store... They have canned pop, juice, etc in the fridge. Coffee/hot chocolate is from one of those fancy machines from Van Houtte. And they have a selection of tea bags if you're into tea. They get muffins, scones, etc delivered there every morning. They also have a 60" plasma tv in the waiting area so you can watch hockey or whatever while you wait. The courtesy cars are all E90 3series sedans I think (they may have X3s there too).

I should switch dealership

[ELITE_TRAYUNZE]

My dealership is BJ...I've never done this waiting room stuff you guys are talking about, as I've never had to wait for anything...But then again, I've only had to go to the dealership twice, first to buy, then to bring home. I've always gotten a brand new 335i for courtesy car and I drive a 328i...

[CRS]

You can't switch dealerships for service?

[//RacingSpirit>>]

My dealership is BJ...I've never done this waiting room stuff you guys are talking about, as I've never had to wait for anything...But then again, I've only had to go to the dealership twice, first to buy, then to bring home. I've always gotten a brand new 335i for courtesy car and I drive a 328i...

So what you are saying is you got a 335i courtesy car when you've never had servicing done at the dealership....how does that work?

[maxx]

ok, so this is my first bmw since switching over from an ITR.

I am driving X5 at the moment. My brake pad replacement indicator light came on, so i called BMW for service. The advisor quoted me $545 including replacing front pads, pad sensor, and replacing rotors.


What does she mean replacing rotors? does she mean machining rotors and not replacing rotors? I used to drive an acura and serving brake means getting a machine to smooth out my rotor surface, hardly ever heard of replacing rotors unless they are old and bad.

My X5 is new, i am abit confused with this female service advisor.

Can some of you bimmer owners shed some light for my noob experience ?

That sounds pretty cheap, instead of inquiring on a forum, why dont you call her and ask her yourself.

BMW replaces rotors, not machines them.

[ELITE_TRAYUNZE]

So what you are saying is you got a 335i courtesy car when you've never had servicing done at the dealership....how does that work?

They've come to my house every time, picked up my car, and left the 335i with me. And I'm pretty sure you can switch dealerships for service.

[?NR]

So what you are saying is you got a 335i courtesy car when you've never had servicing done at the dealership....how does that work?

What he's referring to is probably valet service. pick up/drop off.

[GabAlmighty]

Rich, is your avatar from one of those porsche events at the police training facility?

[Rich Sandor]

^ yes. :)