[ska///235i]

so i got a rear brake pad service due today...I know pads should be a visual inspection but just wondering why I got this on the computers so early (car is @ 38000 miles and the front pads still have 18000 miles till service).

shouldn't the pads wear evenly front & back for the XIs? I heard the 4wd distribution is @ 40-60 but @ 38000 miles with 18000 for the fronts just dont make any sense

could it be the computer is program for RWD?

[bmw0perat0r]

Interesting question. I happened to notice about the same numbers earlier today and thought to myself... how's that

I'd like to know - hopefully someone has a reasonable answer.

[forza1976]

i burned through my rear pads already and BMW replaced them. Car has 25100 miles and the fronts still have 26000 left, so the computer says. However that is with a few full track days on the clock. For some reason the rears just wear more.

[ska///235i]

I budget myself to change brakes at around 50k miles....38k is way too early and i dont push my car that hard

[reprod]

AWD and rear-wheel drive brake the same. There is a 200lb difference in weight but the braking systems are the same. I had to have my rear pads changed before 15k due to wear sensors rubbing against the rotor.

[Force[FED]]

35k miles on my '08 335xi coupe, and BMW also just replaced my rear pads and sensors due to them squeaking when hot. I think the computer said I had about 12k miles left on rears, fronts show 22k. (/shrug) Now with it reset, the rears show 46k miles remaining. I had just inspected all the pads, and the rears had plenty of material left before they swapped them out.

The guy at BMW said (without prompting) that there is a newer pad and/or sensor that should not squeak when they get some wear on them. I guess time will tell.

Kev

[ajsalida]

On these cars BMW does not have a true limited slip diff, they use the rear brakes individually on each wheel with an open diff. as an "electronic" LSD. It sense which wheel is spinning too fast and brakes it, sending torque to the other side. So the rear pads wear real fast esp if you get on it a lot or drive in snow/ice.

[Pseudo Nim]

Originally Posted by ajsalida

On these cars BMW does not have a true limited slip diff, they use the rear brakes individually on each wheel with an open diff. as an "electronic" LSD. It sense which wheel is spinning too fast and brakes it, sending torque to the other side. So the rear pads wear real fast esp if you get on it a lot or drive in snow/ice.

+1 to above.

And yes - my rear pads wore out SUPER fast. On second set now, will have to try to get a third set in before my service inclusive runs out. Rears just wear more on these cars, it would seem.

[ska///235i]

Makes perfect sense