BMW Maintenance Program dilemma: Brake replacement

[quicktwinturbo]

My CPO / Maintenance program will expire within a week and the cbs indicated that front / rear brakes are about 500-700miles away from replacement. So here are my dilemma.
"Brake"hard on closed course for next 4 days and trigger the sensors / countdown the miles and bank in before the program expire

Or

Just let them worn out naturally and replace it when needed?

Current conditions of the brakes are pretty bad (3mm-4mm pads and starting to see some heat cracks on rotors) but my SA told me that they have very strict policy on brake replacement nowdays...

Feel free to share your thoughts / advices. I do plan on selling the car in a year or two. Therefore, BBK is not an option at the moment and there are no track days

[Seven11]

i would,

so go all out on those brakes, why pay for something when they are supposed to replace them but because of some stupid policy, they don't do anything about it.

[Crimson92]

My dealer told me within 2k miles is enough for replacement. Try another dealer.

Or just diy.

[aus]

I would go out at night and do repeated hard brakes from 60. Pretty much a bed in procedure over and over again. It took a few nights and the damn sensor wouldn't go on, but on the LAST day of the warranty, it went on and I got my rear rotors and pads changed out (fronts were done already).

I always wondered if I could just take the sensor out and file it down??
.

[Rat3d ///M]

I am sort of in the same boat *sort of*..

For the first time ever, I own a car that has 100% verifiable dealer maintenance records from both previous owners. In attempting to maintain as much value in the car as possible (though I don't intend to sell it, ever) I wanted to keep up with this trend, though I am 100% opposed to paying anybody to do anything on a car I can do myself, and have done my own maintenance for years, and feel confident I can do all routine maintenance on this car.

I had planned to bite the bullet, and pay BMW to do all required maintenance when the indicator tells me (plus a DIY oil change with Blackstone analysis at 7500 miles or 6-8 months in between) but when it comes to brakes I am torn. It is such an easy job, I wanted to buy the brake pads of my choice, and do the job myself, and reset the service indicator so it will show as due again when the time comes. Would the lack of a stamp in the book for the brake pads (assuming I had receipts showing the work was done DIY) worry any future purchasers, thereby defeating the purpose of doing any dealer maintenance, or would this not be something to worry about? Should I just say screw it and pay BMW to do the brakes as well, do all dealer maintenance but do brakes myself, or say fack it and do all maintenance DIY and forget the maintenance stamps in the book?

[mjposner]

My dealer always approves within 1000 miles. Press the dealer/service manager or try another BMW dealer if possible.

[gsmooth33]

+1 ^

[nick3753]

Press them for a change, if denied try another dealer. If another dealer says no, or there are no others near you, do some hard driving. Or you could just pull the sensor and grind it down a bit if they are going to be pricks about it.

[Hierlevelz]

Dealership told me that if its within 2k miles they will change the pads. My car tells me it's due in 3000 and my maintenance expires third week of October. So my question is are the pads mileage based or sensor based. If I drive the car like I stole it for a month then the cost of fuel for those 1k miles may add up to more than what it would cost me to DIY.

[quicktwinturbo]

Originally Posted by Hierlevelz

Dealership told me that if its within 2k miles they will change the pads. My car tells me it's due in 3000 and my maintenance expires third week of October. So my question is are the pads mileage based or sensor based. If I drive the car like I stole it for a month then the cost of fuel for those 1k miles may add up to more than what it would cost me to DIY.

They are sensor based. You just need to challenge your brake a little.. It takes a good beating to cut down 1000.. I can tell you that much..But it can be done in "closed course"...

[mxa121]

Keep in mind, the mileage indicator does not mandate a free brake service. Only a check. If they measure the pads and rotors and they are within spec, no free service.

(That was the case on the X3, since the rear brake mileage indicator was going down faster than the pads.)

[jphughan]

Originally Posted by Hierlevelz

Dealership told me that if its within 2k miles they will change the pads. My car tells me it's due in 3000 and my maintenance expires third week of October. So my question is are the pads mileage based or sensor based. If I drive the car like I stole it for a month then the cost of fuel for those 1k miles may add up to more than what it would cost me to DIY.

Pads have a mileage interval based on your driving, but that's just an estimate. Replacement is based on the wear sensor, which when tripped will light up the "BRAKE" instrument cluster light in amber, I believe.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by Hierlevelz

Dealership told me that if its within 2k miles they will change the pads. My car tells me it's due in 3000 and my maintenance expires third week of October. So my question is are the pads mileage based or sensor based. If I drive the car like I stole it for a month then the cost of fuel for those 1k miles may add up to more than what it would cost me to DIY.

When you get your key scanned at dealership, it'll say the range in addition to the interval mileage. As long as you're within the range, they will provide service. So basically, you don't have to drive 3k more, only 1k more to get inside the 2k range.

[aus]

With our 335, I went out and did repeated stops from 60-70. It took a few nights but got that lift to come on the last day of my warranty.
I love the smell of burnt brake pads at night!!