Most recent cars need always more maintenance, however, there are some more or less fundamental ones. In this article , we will look into a maintenance action that is essential to ensure your safety at the steering wheel of your car. In reality, we are going to explain to you how to replace the brake pads of your car in a Mini Cooper? For this, in a 1st step, we are going to find out why it is fundamental to replace the brake pads of your car, in a second step, we are going to find out what is the technique to replace the brake pads of your Mini Cooper, and at last, what is the price of this component.
For what reason changing the brake pads from my Mini Cooper?
Before we find out how to replace the brake pads of your car, we will begin our article by describing you what the role of the brake pads is, and when they should be replaced.
Function of the brake pads on Mini Cooper
The brake pads on an motor vehicle have a vital task in the proper handling of your Mini Cooper. In reality, they are the ones that will ensure braking capability. They are a form of pairs of metal pads that will pinch the brake discs when you press the brake pedal to slow down and stop your Mini Cooper. These parts are consumables and consist of a coating that will wear with time and use, hence the interest of replacing them on a regular basis to preserve ideal braking.
When to replace the brake pads of your Mini Cooper?
And now we will explain to you how to know if you have to replace the brake pads of your Mini Cooper. Be aware that based on the employ you have of your car (city or highway for example), the wear of your brake pads will not be the same at all. In reality, if you use your brakes very often, their lifespan will obviously be decreased. We consider that, in most cases, the brake pads of a motor vehicle have a longevity of about 10,000 to 30,000 kilometres. Nevertheless, there are several signs that should notify you to the wear of your car’s brake pads:
- A squeaking sound.
- Longer braking distance.
- Brake pedal vibration: If this is your case, but your brake pads are in good condition, check our article on brake vibration on Mini Cooper, to locate the cause of your problem.
- A brake pedal that’s too hard or too soft…
If you have any of these signs, do not hesitate to check the state of your brake pads yourself, either by getting rid of the front wheels and verifying their state, or by going directly to a garage area.
How to replace the brake pads of my Mini Cooper?
We will now go forward to the section you are most interested in, how to replace the brake pads from your Mini Cooper?. Below we will describe the simple steps to follow to replace the brake pads of your car correctly:
- Buy brake pads designed to your Mini Cooper, to achieve this use your car registration to be sure of compatibility with your motor vehicle when ordering on a specialized website or in a shop.
- Put your car on stands (being careful to lock the handbrake and engage a gear and unlock the bolts of the wheels you want to act on before you lift the car).
- Remove the wheels in question.
- Before getting rid of the clamp from your calipers, think about using a flat screwdriver to lever between the pad and the disc to completely retract the piston of your calipers, otherwise you will not be able to put the new brake pads.
- Generally, thanks to a big Torx tip, you’ll have 2 screws to remove to be able to replace the brake pads of your car and thus be able to take out the brake calipers from it.
- Once you remove the clamp from your calipers, you will be able to serenely remove the two old pads and replace them with the brand-new brake pads.
- Ensure that they are in the ideal spot before you re-install the brake calipers on your Mini Cooper.
- Make sure to complete locking your wheels on the ground, otherwise your transmission will be damaged.
- To finish, take into account that brake pads need a running-in period of 500 to 1000km, so you will have to drive very carefully the first 100km and take care until you reach 500km.
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That’s it, now you know how to replace the brake pads on your car.
What is the price of brake pads for an Mini Cooper?
At last, last section of our article on the process to replace the brake pads of your Mini Cooper. It’s just to give you an idea of the price of the brake pads of your car. Dependant on the finish of your car (sport or not), the pads will be different and therefore the price will also vary, however, usually it will take between 20 and 40 € for a set of 4 brake pads at a specialized online site like Oscaro, you can find here their entire offer of brake pads for your car. The benefit of this type of site is the choice, the price and the after-sales service you get. Finally, if you go to a car center or specialized shops you should be able to find the set of pads between 30 and 60€.
Whenever you have any further questions about the Mini Cooper, do not hesitate to consult our Mini Cooper category.
