Modern cars require always more maintenance, however, there are some more or less imperative ones. Today, we will look into a maintenance action that is fundamental to assure your safety at the steering wheel of your car. In fact, we are gonna describe to you how to replace the brake pads of your car in a BMW 3 Series? To do so , in a first step, we are going to see why it is imperative to change the brake pads of your car, in a second section, we are going to see what is the process to change the brake pads of your BMW 3 Series, and to finish, what is the price of this part.
For what reason changing the brake pads from my BMW 3 Series?
Before we see how to replace the brake pads of your car, we will start our article by detailing you what the task of the brake pads is, and when they should be replaced.
Role of the brake pads on BMW 3 Series
The brake pads on an car have a fundamental purpose in the proper handling of your BMW 3 Series. In fact, they are the ones that will assure braking efficiency. They are a sort of pairs of metal pads that will pinch the brake discs when you press the brake pedal to slow down and stop your BMW 3 Series. These components are consumables and consist of a lining that will wear with time and use, hence the interest of replacing them occasionally to preserve maximum braking.
When to replace the brake pads of your BMW 3 Series?
And right now we will explain to you how to know if you have to replace the brake pads of your BMW 3 Series. Remember that according to 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 fact, if you use your brakes regularly, their lifespan will inevitably be reduced. We consider that, in general, the brake pads of a car have a longevity of about 10,000 to 30,000 kilometres. However, there are several indicators that should alert you to the wear of your car’s brake pads:
- A squeaking sound.
- Much 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 BMW 3 Series, to discover the source of your trouble.
- 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 removing the front wheels and examining their state, or by going directly to a service area.
How to replace the brake pads of my BMW 3 Series?
We will now advance to the part you are most focused on, how to change the brake pads from your BMW 3 Series?. Below we will describe the basic steps to stick to to replace the brake pads of your car correctly:
- Purchase brake pads designed to your BMW 3 Series, to get this done use your car registration to be sure of compatibility with your car 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).
- Take out the wheels in question.
- Before removing the clamp from your calipers, think about using a flat screwdriver to lever between the pad and the disc to completely push the piston of your calipers, otherwise you will not be able to put the new brake pads.
- In general, thanks to a big Torx tip, you’ll have 2 screws to remove to be able to change the brake pads of your car and thus be able to take out the brake calipers from it.
- Once you take away the clamp from your calipers, you will be able to serenely take away the two old pads and change them with the brand-new brake pads.
- Ensure that they are in the ideal placement before you re-install the brake calipers on your BMW 3 Series.
- Make sure to finish locking your wheels on the ground, otherwise your transmission will be damaged.
- To finish, think that brake pads require a running-in period of 500 to 1000km, so you will have to drive very gently the first 100km and take care until you reach 500km.
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That’s it, now you know how to change the brake pads on your car.
What is the price of brake pads for an BMW 3 Series?
Finally, last part of our article on the operation to change the brake pads of your BMW 3 Series. 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 fluctuate, however, most of the time it will take between 20 and 40 € for a set of 4 brake pads at a specific online site like Oscaro, you can find here their entire offer of brake pads for your car. The advantage of this type of site is the choice, the price and the after-sales service you get. Finally, if you go to a workshop or specialized shops you should be able to find the set of pads between 30 and 60€.
If you wish more tutorials on the BMW 3 Series, go to our BMW 3 Series category.
