[Motorsport]

I took my E46 M3 to the dealer due to a noise in the brakes. I received a call indicating that the cost to replace all four rotors and pads would be around US$1,700. I was shocked since the car only has 12K miles (including 3-4 autocross sessions) so I drove there and found out only one rotor is showing some wear (internal face).

I put asked them to hold on ordering the parts, their extra precaution in recommending the change of all four is one other "stealer" story.

The car has OEM drilled rotors and they say they don't machine those.
Any experience?

Thanks

 

[vndkshn]

Not all shops will touch them, but they can be turned. It just generally takes longer, requires more patience and more attention to turn them.

 

[DZeckhausen]

I took my E46 M3 to the dealer due to a noise in the brakes. I received a call indicating that the cost to replace all four rotors and pads would be around US$1,700. I was shocked since the car only has 12K miles (including 3-4 autocross sessions) so I drove there and found out only one rotor is showing some wear (internal face).

I put asked them to hold on ordering the parts, their extra precaution in recommending the change of all four is one other "stealer" story.

The car has OEM drilled rotors and they say they don't machine those.
Any experience?

Did they explain what caused the wear on the internal face and how that caused the noise in your brakes? Was the inboard pad in that caliper worn all the way down the the backing plate and scraping against the rotor?

Let's back up even further. What noises did your brakes make and under exactly what conditions did they make them?

 

[Lobo]

The car has OEM drilled rotors and they say they don't machine those.
Any experience?

Thanks

The shop I work at has a 15 year old Amco break lathe (machine that turns rotors) and we turn rotors that have been drilled all the time. It's just a matter of experience. Some people don't do it because they think it's going to break their machine or that they need a "special" machine for drilled rotors. Drilled rotors are the same as regular non-drilled rotors. The dealer is just being a "stealer".

 

[Motorsport]

DZeckhausen:

Interesting questions, the sound was a low scratching noise and noticed while parking (at very low seeed and the engine quiet). Their explanation about the abnormal wear was that a piston may have put more pressure on that side of the face. The wear is not signifficant but the outer side of the inner face (half an inch) has the marks as if the pad was gone although it seems it indeed has some life (they didn't take out the caliper to diagonose this). Other than that, the car brakes normally (no vibration in the steering wheel when pushing the pedal and no turning of the wheel to either side).


Gentlemen, thank you for your comments. I shall look for an experienced shop and not the "need to replace" type of service representatives at the dealer.