[lovemybmw]

Good evening forum...

Ok, i recently bought my lovely new bmw, spent a lot of time on this forum researching before taking the plunge.

Would firstly like to say thankyou to you all for creating an excellent forum that has helped both myself and my best friend by a bmw in recent years.

I do have a question for you though.

Over the past 2 weeks i have noticed that whe i press the brakes there is a slight lag/delay before the car slows, it is very subtle but the problem is there and noticeable.

When i got home i backed up to a window to check the brake lights coming on, i am able to depress the brake pedal by around half an inch before the lights come and the brakes kick in.

Is this normal, has anyone else experienced this and should i get bmw to check this for me?

The car is still under warranty although i don't want them to tinker around with it and cause further problems.

Thanks in advance for all your help and keep up the great knowledge bank on this forum...

[F31-340i]

have you checked the brake fluid level? when was it last changed?

[lovemybmw]

i havent no, although it went through an m.o.t in jan this year, would it need changing so soon?

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by lovemybmw

i havent no, although it went through an m.o.t in jan this year, would it need changing so soon?

Just because it's had an MOT doesn't mean that it has had new brake fluid. It's worth checking to see when the last time the brake fluid was changed, as it sounds like you might be a bit low on fluid. Normally the BMW brakes are very responsive and there certainly shouldn't be half an inch of dead travel at the top..

Oh, and welcome to the forum


ps... this thread has been moved to the UK Technical section

[doughboy]

Brake fluid should be changed every 2 years maximum.

So if yours has had an mot in jan it must be coming up for 4 years old, so it would be due its second brake fluid change at 4 yrs.

It must be under a extended / after market warranty now, but for brake problems I'd suggest you get it looked at.

Even if itmeans paying 1/2 hour labour at a dealers...

[F31-340i]

mot wouldn't check condition of fluid.

should be changed every 2 years from delivery, irrespective of mileage (fluid degrades over time due to absorbing water).

EDIT - looks like I'm a bit late....

[lovemybmw]

hey all, thanks for your replies, ok i see what you mean, can you tell i dont have a clue?? lol....

if i take this to the dealers to get the fluid looked at and changed do any of you know the cost?

thanks

[fastloop]

Originally Posted by lovemybmw

hey all, thanks for your replies, ok i see what you mean, can you tell i dont have a clue?? lol....

if i take this to the dealers to get the fluid looked at and changed do any of you know the cost?

thanks

Mine was £60 for the labour + £8 for the fluid (+VAT), but I'm sure the Dealer will find other fees like "Service - stand scope" to add on (£10).

There been a few threads on this in the past.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=302887

[doughboy]

OP -

Is your extended warranty a BMW one or not? Does it say you must use a BMW dealer?

Your initial question was about brake pedal dead travel, and we have 'assumed' it may be brake fluid related.

First check your brake fluid level yourself and top up if necessary (see your manual).

Then if it still isn't right you need to pay someone to:

a) diagnose the brake problem
b) fix it as necessary

If you haven't got a receipt for new fluid in the last 2 years then you should get it changed anyway. But don't pay £100 for new fluid to then find it is a master cylinder seal or something thus wasting your £100 (I paid £105 2 years ago for fluid)

The dealer will charge say 1/4 hour to look at the problem (£35+vat), then give you a price to sort it. Make sure you tell them NOT to proceed with repairs until they have got your permission.

Good Luck!

[lovemybmw]

hey thanks for all your replies, sorry for my late reply been away..

im in leeds, can anyone recommend where to go to get this diagnosed???shoud i go to a dealer or does anyone know an approved independent place i can go to?

also i have another problem, some kids have scratched the drive and rear passenger door, took it to halford and they have quoted 155 for each scrath as they base pricing on lenght of scrath not how much work it will take. they use another firm for this. Can anyone share their opinions on this?

also my 1st oil change is due (i rang scotall leeds, told them my mileage and thats what they said needed doing) however they have quoted me 360 for this, is this correct??? am i thinking there must be more that needs doing for this price? anyone know where in west yorks i can take my car where it will be looked after and i wont feel too much weight off my wallet??

thanks for all your help and once ive had these problems resolved and fixed i'll post some replies of how it all went..

cheers

[doughboy]

Have you checked the brake fluid yet??

1st off don't ever go to halfords for anything except, ermm, nothing.

Find your local 'chips away' franchise on line and get a quote for a repair which I reckon will be about £100 all in, they can do good repairs, but it will never be as good as a proper respray. I would think BMW will want £500 ish for a 2 doors respray.

RE the oil, you need to know yourself if its due, don't take someone elses word for it. Look in your service book and work it out from the last oil change.

£360 is ridiculous. If you search on here there's loads of oil change threads, but its around £100 fo the oil, £10 for the filter and about 1/2 hour labour, £70ish from the dealer.

You say its under BMW warranty, but it had an MOT in jan 2006? Is it the BMW extended warranty or 3rd party one? Check the terms and get it booked straight away for the brakes to be repaired.