BMW Rear Brake Repair (E46) FCP Euro - DIY 8

[rmr748]

Excellent tutorial. What was the two clicks forward to clear the warning light. Was that the ignition switch

[jgas22j]

Love the video. Now I have an idea on how my rear brakes are and what to expect. Will do my brakes on me 04 325xi in a few days.

[multiradnik]

nice job...thanks !! :)

[pbcalzad]

Thanks for the DIY

[pcjudosambo]

Hi, quick question, where does the brake sensor connect to? I understand that one end connects to the actual pads but where does the other end connect to?

[mikefranky]

@pcjudosambo ..Hi,i done this job on my 330 last week.The sensor go's to the inner wing a small black box.

[howLOLOcanyougo]

You made it look so easy does the piston come back out as you tight it back down? Or do you need to apply brake pressure ?

[dalipampa]

Hi, I have the '07 E90. Do you know if there is anything I will need to do differently? The E90 is the successor to the E46 so I'm assuming not much is different in the brakes, but any information you have would be appreciated.

thanks!

[pauljoakley]

spot on video ,thanks, i,ve got discs and pads in boot of my 325ise ,i think im almost fully confident to diy thanks to you.

[forgottag]

Very helpful. Thank you Keanu Reeves

[MDCeasar]

A cute boy, performing quality repairs, in an attractively-formatted video... life is good ;-P

[wagonet]

thanks great video. 

[RoodySuf]

Thank You..

[RANS87IROCZ]

Great vid!, great detail! you even showed about removing lid on master!, then you know the trick to push the piston back in on caliper by using a prybar through the caliper hole! and best tip of all, how to reset the light on dash! only thing you might of left out was after job is done and you put master cap back on. to tell all the do it yourselfers,Always remember to pump up the pedal,after job is complete, and for sure on front brakes. if you don't pump up pedal, you wont have brakes at first

[jameskinloch1]

very useful as it was along time ago since i worked on cars it all came flooding back thanks

[orangeradford]

Awesome. Thanks so much! as an amateur, I look forward to heading up this project next week and I feel like I can do it. is there any difference for a 325i?

[acon1974]

Great DIY! Thanks! I fell much better taking on this task which I plan on doing next week but I have 2 questions:

1) I just purchased a set of PBR ULT Ceramic Performance brake pads for $64. Aside from price is there any other reason you chose PBR instead of OEM?

2) To get the sensor warning off what exactly did you click forward at 5:13?

[millertimebmw]

@acon1974

I would agree OEM is great but PBR is also a great alternative for some added performance (ceramic/metallic)

and I clicked the key forward two clicks (but do not start), then wait. And it will reset itself!

Good Luck!

[acon1974]

@millertimebmw Just got them done today thanks to your video! You R-O-C-K!!

[willie7777able]

very good video

[MaZaHaKa86]

HA innenbelüftet? wozu das den?^^

vorne reicht doch =)

[4711Express]

Nice and quick video! But I would always grease the retaining bolt a bit for easy unlocking next time. Clean the calliper. In Europe bolts of the calliper need to be self tightening with a bit of loctite, even better: use new bolts instead! (Normally to be delivered together with new pads) Decrease the new rotors 100% before these contact the new pads. After fastening check if the wheel runs free. Torque spanner? Use protective gloves so you don’t need bandage on your left hand in future…:-)

[trabbartsteve]

thank u for this v ideo,

i couldnt get the rotor loose i had to replace everything to keep on driving.

i hope i can get it loose by striking it with a hammer at the front like u did instead of striking it at the back side. i think my rotor is rusted in place and need some heavy hammer strikes.

great video,,normally an easy job, but now i needed this info, i also thought that the bearing nut needs to come off to.

[trabbartsteve]

thank u for this v ideo,

i couldnt get the rotor loose i had to replace everything to keep on driving.

i hope i can get it loose by striking it with a hammer at the front like u did instead of striking it at the back side. i think my rotor is rusted in place and need some heavy hammer strikes.

great video,,normally an easy job, but now i needed this info, i also thought that the bearing nut needs to come off to

[3bn3mar]

Excellent video series. Thank you for posting.

[328iKid]

There's 4 brake pad wear sensors on the car right, one for each caliper?

[silvermediastudio]

@328iKid Just two on the E46. Driver front and passenger rear.

[328iKid]

@silvermediastudio Awesome, thanks I wasn't sure if I should buy 2 of each.

[silvermediastudio]

@328iKid No prob. Check out RealOEM for drawings and part numbers, it's invaluable. Then try Pelican Parts, Bavarian, or even Amazon has good prices and free shipping. Also check out e46fanatics, bimmerfest, bimmerforum, and zhpmafia for details, DIYs, etc. Oh, and the Haynes manual can be gotten cheap on Amazon or eBay.

[seraphicness]

thank you for this video. awesome!

[stever0105]

why do you take the cap off the oil reservoir. i changed my brake pads and seem to be softer now .. I didn't take the cap off the reservoir my brakes seem to be soft now i checked my brake line and their fine what do you think ?

[silvermediastudio]

@stever0105 Taking the cap off makes it easier/possible to push the pistons into the caliper body to take off and put back on the rotor. With new pads it'll take about 200 miles to properly bed, during which time you should avoid heavy braking so the rotor and pads properly wear into each other. You may not feel the same "bite" until after the bedding process. Spongy braking may indicate air in the line, which would not result from this procedure as the line was never opened.

[kidstocks]

Yes, is a good video, but I do recommend using a hand wire brush or a drill with wire brush bit to clean the hub.

[orlando318]

@millertimebmw: what are your experiences with the reliabilety of the E46 ?

From what year and month is/was your E46 ?

[millertimebmw]

@orlando318

I have had a few problems with the car, but no more than any other. I think with proper maintenance the car can live on and drive wonderful. And My car is a 2002 model.

[iimprezu]

Wheel bolts, not lug nuts. And you really should sand down the hub surface before mounting those cheap "oem-style" rotors on to the car. Don't get me wrong, love the videos. But I think you should encourage better habits! At least mention it!

[millertimebmw]

@iimprezu

Thanks for the input, I'll try to add different things into the next ones. As for the brakes, I stay oem because I don't need additional stopping force for my daily driver. Thanks for the input!

[orlando318]

Hi, thanks for the nice vid. One question: is a bmw e46 a reliable car? On hears horror stories about rust and faulty rear suspension mounting/bushings ripping out from the body. Any signs of these things on your E46? Is it from after march 2000. They strenghtened the rear body, to avoid the tearing of the body at the subframe bushings.

Regards Ruben

[iimprezu]

@orlando318 very reliable. after owning 12 cars and driving way over 500,000 miles, I wouldn't trust anything other than a 3-series. you just have to have DIY skills and knowledge on where to buy the parts online. Take care of the car and it will take care of you. The BMW drivetrain (at least the 6-cylinder models) are very reliable, simple, and easy to work on. Things can get bad if you ignore subtle signs though. You have to keep on top of things.

[millertimebmw]

@orlando318

Adding to my earlier post, I would have a 1999-2004 E46 check for the faulty rear suspension, it is a free service here in America, if it is ripped BMW must replace it for you. I live with a lot of salt and I often was the cars bottom, so I have no issues with rust.

Good luck!

[mindgames11]

@orlando318 I had a 77 w123 benz and I now have a 2001 e46 3 litre and its a great car, I had to do some intake work to my car (it's got 120k) and preventative maintenance. decent gas mileage (30 hwy), 225hp, small trunk.

[bieli0]

wow thank you. i've been working on my volkswagen gti. mk4. just bought a 99 bmw 323i. thanks for the video. this helps tremendously!!!

[laurindok]

nice job !!!

[bnmayo11]

Thanks for the info!

[Voyeur12]

Excellent! Don't forget to put the brake reservour cap back on!

[SolarWinds63]

Good show. you have squeaky windows?

[r0mulyni2]

Thank u sir

[jaykrishan1]

Thank you for this video. very helpful. do you know how to change abs control. would like your coment. tahnk you jay

[elvyn07]

Hi, I have an e39 1998 528i, will this be the same process? and what does the little triangle light mean, it turned on with the ABS light. Please help. Thank you!

[mssheil81]

Very nice and clear video mate!! i can save a lot of money to fix my bmw . thank you so much

[badnews929]

just had my brakes done 8months ago now the brake pad light is on how can i reset it i have a bmw 2005 325ci  help anyone

[robdiesel1969]

i have odd question: im buying the replacement sensor wire. can the same front sensor wires be used for the rear? or does the rear sensor wire have to be specifically for the 'rear'?

[jcooks1]

Great video, Im having an issue getting the sensor wire off its original harness. Any suggestions?

[millertimebmw]

@jcooks1

Try to pull a bit harder, but be careful!!!

[ellemisha]

hi

i'm just about to change my brake pads but the warning sensor light hasn't came on the dash yet...do i still need to change the densor wire or i can still use the old one?

PLEASE HELP

thank you

[millertimebmw]

@ellemisha

When the light comes on, you need to buy and install a new sensor!

Good Luck!

[asob17]

good video man. i have a strange knocking noise from my 325 when i do sharp turns, do you have a possible diagnosis? cheers

[millertimebmw]

@asob17

Is it an AWD?

:D

[asob17]

@millertimebmw no its just rwd. its coming from the front, so im think it may be the cv joint?

[OldUncleMe]

This looks great. I'm about to do fronts and rears on my 335i (2007) and it looks like it should be very nearly the same.

Is it necessary to bleed the lines just with pad and rotor replacement?

What's the schedule on replacing all of the fluid?

[andrea182731]

HEY IM HAVING PROBLEM WIF MY DOORHANDER FRONT PASSENGER SIDE IT OPENDS FROM THE INSIDE BUT N OT FROM THE OUT SIDE, DO YOU HAVE ENNY VIDEO FOR THAT?

[hp11208]

nice

[moapys]

I gather that, if you were just doing pads, that you wouldn't have pulled the entire bracket assembly - but rather just the slide pins? Thx for the video, Zach!

[myrdajjj]

Thanks for the vid. I'm not a car guy and that really helps. Better DIY - i paid $600 to BMW for last brake job. Rip off.

[bo440guitar]

many thanks

[MrAllanbanks]

Thanks for the video but where is the connection for the sensor, it disappears into the body and I can't see where it can be accessed from.

[gotshirts2ink]

Great video

[wirsindheldenowns]

thanks

[bellaitalia21]

pfuscher.... die handbremse brauchen die amys wohl net

[TheEdreardon]

Perfect! 

[BMWPOWER4U]

My daily driver is E46 328i and E30 325 weekends. 328i is more responsive with Signature Motoring performance (CAI) intake kit. Installed it myself in under half hour. HP increase on the E46 is about 13.5HP for a cost of $170 or around $17 per HP gain. Best 1st performance mod to do. Other application data:

E30 series: 6.0-13.4hp gain

E36 series: 5.5-12hp gain

E46 series: 6.0-13.9hp gain

E92 series: 8.5+ hp gain

Z3/Z4 (all): 5.5-13.9hp gain

See my channel for driving action videos!

[terrelclark]

perfect

[blase99]

Sorry for the previous post great video!

[blase99]

Could be front end alignment or tire balance.

[hairyshitter]

Thanks for the video, I thought it would be more complicated but isn't.

[lircay1]

Thank you very much, for sharing your experience.

[mintrkiller]

thankx for the fix. will try replacing my pad this weekend

[ashman1615]

Great video and thanks for posting. But you never said to not put your parking break on. I did to stabilize the car but because it was set, my rear rotor didn't want to come off and scared the S*(T out of me. Yanked on it for some time. Only after I thought about the parking break and unset it did it come off easily. :-)

[madlou77]

@millertimebmw 1st of all thanks for the post..well I installed the brakes as you did,but when I speed up and press on the brakes I hear a clicking sound on my rear brakes and i am not able to reset my dashboard..please any suggestions..any body..thanks

[swizz85]

Where are the proper jack points on the front and rear of the car? Do you jack up the car from the middle, then place jack stands underneath the car?

[TheRipePunani]

@swizz85 Your owners manual will point out the proper jacking points, but BMW usually makes it easy to find the jacking pads on the rocker panels.

[girvasij]

tanx dude...

[zatorato43]

Thx Miller Time On The DIY #8 E46. A Great Help With My E34 Brakez! =)

[doozaadoozaa]

Good hint on spreading the caliper in most easiest way; however, you forgot to put the brake reservoir cap back on, Man. Cheers, by the way.

[johnny30320]

Great Video, I like how you keep it detailed but simple and to the point.

[ferrari4sale]

Is there a class that i can take in college and learn how to fix BMW e46?

[jaseese2]

Thanks for the helpful video. Where does the sensor wire hook up to on the chassis?

[MrGermancarlover]

hey bro nice video but could you please tell me all the deferent between ur E46 and my E39 break pad job

[dmfx360]

Great Job mann, I'm a true BMW head i owna 2005 745Li & i wish that i knew how to replace the brakes on it cause the dealership is killing me the messed up thing about it all is that i have an extended warranty on it along with the maintenace pakage, & i'm experiencing this real annoying squealing noise and their telling me at the dealership that they can't replace under warranty just because of that noise which i think is straight bullsh** i bet if i said that i was gonna come out of pocket -

[michaelssocks]

hey man, i changed my brakes and rotars today bc they were sticking, the brake lines were bled as well. Also back in feb the E brake was replaced. A few months ago the Caliper was replaced but there still sticking and getting really hot. Do you know what it could be?

[TheRipePunani]

@michaelssocks Not sure if you still have this problem, but did you check if your caliper guide bolts were lubricated properly? It's also important to keep the plastic caps back on after your brake job because it keeps out outside contaminants, preventing it from sliding properly. If you did all those, my guess would be you have a stuck caliper, meaning you would need to rebuild it. It's pretty easy, just means the seals around the piston need to be replaced & the piston/caliper wall cleaned.

[davidmiami10]

good job !! very clear and didactic .

[jye365]

thank you bro for all.......

[23gatesy]

Thats some high mileage :D You forgot to put the cap back on the reservoir :P

[schwind4]

Great help, I asked the guy at the auto parts store if the rear brakes had wear sensor. He said no, back to the store.

Thanks for your help...

[kpineyro]

Thanks for your help now I think I know how to do it.

[bo440guitar]

thanks for the help

[xRASMUSx]

thx for video)

[millertimebmw]

Без проблем!!

[rednightist]

Hello.  What's with removing the cap of the brake fluid reservoir? Is this to allow for retracting the piston?

[canoeshoe]

did u grease the sliding pins? FSM says not to grease them

[DiarmaidGNR]

Just got my E46 yesterday!!!! Great video.

[SolisticSounds]

Thanks for the video! The manual wasn't really clear on how to replace the breaks and without the video I probably would have payed through the nose! Thanks again!!!

[TigerOscar78]

hey I got a prtoblem with the DSC & Brake lights comes on while driving the car. Could it be that The rotors are warped. Does anybody know what could be the problem.

[millertimebmw]

It could be low voltage from your battery, low brake fluid or it could be a wheel speed sensor.

Good luck,

Zach

[dreamwisperer]

@millertimebmw Your video rock ! BUT i'd like to see more DIY vids, like an oil/filter replacement !

[blase99]

@TigerOscar78 Check your wheel alignment or your tire balance.

[thugzthrust]

@TigerOscar78 More than likely a wheel speed sensor, not an expensive part, but a royal pain to remove the old sensor.

[samsung16k]

very informative and good job, thanks

[ghettochild602]

Hi Zach

Is this the same procedure for a 2005 525i? I went to dealer they told me it will cost me $600+ just for the rear... also I see that you replace the rotors is that a must when you change brake pads? thanks much

[geomall]

great demonstration..thank you

[stevesalts]

Some times you have to de-adjust the hand brake shoes through the lug holes to get the discs [rotors] off.

[dOlCeCaRaMeLo]

thank you !

[miguelroblesg]

hey dude, I own a 3 series and I know it is recommended by BMW to buy original parts but at the dealer are too pricey, do you think is good to get aftermarket or any other cheaper brand rotors and brake pads?

[dOlCeCaRaMeLo]

hey bro do you have to pull the parking brake

while doing that ?

if you know what i mean !

[millertimebmw]

@dOlCeCaRaMeLo No,

You will need to remove the rotor and it will be held in place if the parking brake is on.

Zach

[BABAROGUE]

@millertimebmw but where are the little shoes? how does the parking brake engage there? shouldn't you adjust the park brake after that brake job? if i was a native indian i'd be called Many Questions lol. no but seriously i see no connection to parking brake on the rear brake system.

[pastalavista]

Is it true you should clean the new rotos to remove the packing grease they apply for anti-corrosion at the factory? Apparently this can contaminate the new pads.

[millertimebmw]

@pastalavista

This is true, I had checked my rotors and they were rust free and no oil was present. On some rotors the oil is more like molasses or maple syrup and will ruin pads.

Zach

[pastalavista]

This is great! I'm now going to cancel the appointment with BMW next week and do it myself. I was worried that I would need specialist equipment for the warning lights. Great video, Thanks!

[millertimebmw]

@pastalavista

REALLY Glad to hear!

Good luck,

Zach

[hetch2002]

what about bedding the brakes?  Other wise pad deposits will cause steering wheel shudder

[millertimebmw]

@hetch2002

Very true, I took the first few miles easy, it's true this is a major benefit to longer brake life.

Zach

[JMNCKT]

Helpful vid- Whereabouts does the connector end of the wear sensor connect, the front was easy to find (the black box) - but can't see where the rear ends up??

[millertimebmw]

@JMNCKT The rear part on the pad or in the black box?

Zach

[ochoriostube]

Wonderful video. I just KNOW stealerships hate to see things like these :)

[millertimebmw]

@ochoriostube Perhaps :)

Thanks for the kind words,

Zach

[707umair]

hey quick question the video doesn't show where the other end of my brake sensor wire goes? and do you get a new wire with your brake pads? or do you have to buy it separately?

[millertimebmw]

@707umair The sensor comes separately and the other end follows the rear trailing arm to a connection. you will see it when you remove the old one.

Cheers,

Zach

[707umair]

thanx man much appreciated... another question would this same thing apply for the front brakes?

[waterfisher83]

Thanks bruv!

[850T5R]

DO NOT let your brake fluid contaminated... they absorbs moisture that will create air bubbles in your brake line. It will heats up and kills your brake line system later. BAD IDEAS

[millertimebmw]

@850T5R

You only open the brake fluid while you do the repair and then when finished, you close it!

I hope this helps,

Zach

[dga4d]

Great help I never thought i could do it myself. Good tutorial.

[JazForMe]

Great advice!!! '03 325xi....very grateful.

[dhulla]

Great video! Thanks

[ochoriostube]

Hallo Zach, now I won't have to go to the stealership for a brake job. Thanks for your easy to follow crash course!

[danimal0223]

dude your the best thank you so much!

[08joshsmith]

Huge help

[Armennnn11]

Thank you for teaching how to reset the brake light. God bless you!

[memtigernmia]

Thanks for the help. You are the MAN Zach.

[dodger59]

Just flushed the brake fluid on my 325xi. It was quit dirty. I used a motive power bleeder purchase via ebay.  I did have a partially blocked bleed valve, and one frozen bleed valve that I will need to complete the flush.. BTN to have 3 brakes flushed. Zach... Any luck with that valve cover gasket project? I look forward to that video..

Thanks

[millertimebmw]

Hey Dodger, the Valve Cover video is ALREADY UP! ! Let me know what you think!

Take care,

Zach

[efremis]

Well presented and really helpful tips such as fitting the sensor the correct way round!

This vid will make disc changes even easier.

Cheers

[Rumplemenz]

much appreciated. It sure makes you realize how much dealers overcharge for brake jobs! Thanks again

[mrg0nzz]

Great stuff. Really helpful and gives me confidence to look into doing it myself. Thank you and keep on posting!

[tunett123]

Good Job. Thanks

[dodger59]

Here a link from Pelican in regards to a E36 valve cover install that you can derive a few pointers... I would be interested in getting a good parts list for this project. I never want to get in the middle of something an find that I don't have what I need to do a good job.

Best Wishes to you.

[dodger59]

Zach. I think the other coil was trash too.. not worth saving. NTB handled the install. If you have acess to a lift and a good bar to lower the upper control arm, I think someone could do it themselves. This was beyond my comfort level to attempt. With the new coils and shocks the ride is improved.. Next projects  I am looking at is replacing the valve cover gaskets, and the oil level sensor. About $ 700 for coils, shocks and wheel alignment. So other projects can wait for now. Regards.

[millertimebmw]

Thanks so much for thinking of me!

As for your future projects, I will have a valve cover DIY within the week.

As for comfort levels, they will slowly become larger and larger. :)

Cheers,

Zach

[dodger59]

Zach. My 325xi wagon is going into the shop tomorrow to replace a broken coil spring. I am replacing both shocks and springs. Would you like for me to save the unbroken coil for you?

[catsoandahalf]

Good video, but don't forget to clean the areas where the pads sit in the caliper assembly.

[Page27music]

nice lesson

cheers

[juansito52]

thanks nice job

[millertimebmw]

Thanks so much!

[bumler12345]

Hey Miller. Thanks for your help. It definitely helped me out. But why does it matter to replace the old break pad wear sensors?

[millertimebmw]

My wear sensor was worn down and needed to be replace to clear the warning light on the dash.

-Zach

[labedra]

good diy

[millertimebmw]

Thanks so much!

[dodger59]

Success! I used PB Blaster on the hub and smacked the heck out of it and it broke free. Now... next thing. I have a broken rear coil spring ( common problem.) Looks like I should stay with the oem BMW spring to maintain the proper height because I have a 325xi. Any insight into what springs I should get?

[millertimebmw]

I too am trying to locate a set of rear springs. It is all too common, rocks,grit and water wear away the protective coating on the spring and they rust away.

[dodger59]

Rotors are pretty well frozen on.  And other tips for loosening them. The hammer didn't help all that much and I am afraid to to abuse them any more. BTW my anti rattle clip was missing!

[millertimebmw]

Use a heavy hammer :D If a regular hammer doesn't work.

I know it may seem abusive but it's a necessary action. Also penetrating oil helps!

GOOD LUCK!

[dodger59]

I've just ordered my new pads and rotors. You've given me the courage to do it myself. Great video. Thanks. Gonna line up getting my jacks, chocks and other tools.

[millertimebmw]

Way to go! I will tell you, there are few other examples of something so easy yet so gratifying! Good luck, I'm here to help if you may need it!

[kenaida22]

What model was the brake pads?

-thanks

[millertimebmw]

Ceramic by PBR :)

[laufutzu]

I am searching brake parts for my 01 x5. should I stick with BMW Genuine parts or any OEM/third party factory are fine. I mean the quality. Someone told me even BMW does not make its own brake pad and rotor. Do I need to upgrade to ceramic pad? Thanks in advance.

[millertimebmw]

Ceramic pads are good for performance braking and for high temp applications. I just installed a set myself and love them!

[laufutzu]

millertimebmw,

Can you tell me the brand name of your brake pad and disk set and where you order them?

thanks.

For the same car as mine?