Trust the Midas Touch?

[bmwracerchick]

Ok guys, its that time where I think its time for new brakes, its been about a year and a half since I got them replaced. They squeal everytime I brake and I dont want them to wear down to far to the point it hits the rotor. When I last got them replaced it was WAY too expensive for my taste, I took it to a BMW mechanic. All 4 pads were replaced along with 2 new rotors and 2 remechined rotors. I personally think its way to soon for my brakes to be replaced then again I dunno. I am hoping its just the pads. I would do it myself but i have no clue really how to do it, nor do I have the tools and time to do it if I were to learn (which I would prefer to do it myself). Last time I paid $800 for all this, I just cant afford that right now and I need these brakes checked. So here is my questions for you guys:
1. Has anyone here gone to Midas to get their brakes checked or replaced?
*if so how much did you pay?
*was check up free or did they charge you to check your brakes?
*were you happy with the job they have done on your car or a friends/family car and would go to them again?

2. How much is too much to pay a mechanic to replace the brakes? I think $800 is WAY TOO MUCH TO PAY! But I didnt know as much as I do now about cars and im not about to be taken.


I really appreciate the help. I am going to try tomorrow to go to see if they do a free check up, but i wanted to see if anyone here has any good luck with midas or any other brake company.

[weezer]

Nik,
Did you install the mirrors yourself?
Perhaps you'd be willing to try to do the brakes yourself.
Do you have a guy friend who's cool enough to help you do it?
That's the cheapest way.
Some elbow grease, some tools, probably less than $100 for the pads and a few hours of work time and you're done.
But the first question is: are you certain the brake pads are almost gone?
Sometimes the squealing comes from other issues, such as loose clips, need brake quiet goop, etc. So if you have a ruler and check the pad thickness, that's where you should start.
Secondly: when you hit the brake pedal, do you feel a vibration?
If so, then you will probably need new brake pads. But maybe only the front ones, because they're the ones that are doing 60-80% of the work, and typically a year an a half is not enough to run your pads down, unless you do a lot of travelling and hard driving.
Good Luck.

[bmwracerchick]

lol well I do drive relatively hard but not enough to cause problems. The thing is like I said I dont really have the time or tools to do them myself or enough knowledge, I have plenty of friends who work in shops but the times conflict when I can go to their shops to raise the car and take the tires off. Thats why I was at least hoping ot go somewhere that does free checks on brakes then I can decide on what I want to do. If I go to a place to check them I will also demand for me to see the pads before they tell me I need knew ones.

Is there a write up with pics and step by step on how to change brakes on the site?

[Philly]

in regards to your first post...
Midas around here is a bunch of good guys who I trust and have taken my moms and my vechile there on a few occasions...

MY experience wth brakes... in CDN $ from carquest
2 rear vented rotors - $85
2 front solid rotors - around $120
4 brake pads - $88
Labour should take no more than 1/2 hr per wheel

So $800 is outrageous.

[pnosker]

Brake pads are easy to replace, rotors and calipers are a little bit more tricky. Pads are very simple though on a Disc car. Just get a packet/set of brakes of brake lube paste. Use a screwdriver to pry your calipers apart enough for you to be able to slip the pad out. Your calipers should seperate and you remove the brake spring that's holding the pad clip in. After this, push the pad out and it'll slide out immediately. Do the reverse to install.

[jetblackbimmer]

I got quoted 800 for pads and rotors for Century West BMW. A mechanic, really good guy, went down to 500 with the parts coming from Century West. The pads and rotors came out to about 450 for me from Century West. I would do it myself but I have to find a friend with a driveway.


Hope that little info helps. That mechanic also got me a brand new radiator for 300 installed.

[weezer]

Nikki,
Go to http://www.bimmerdiy.com/e36
This site has all the necessary write ups you will need, if you get curious enough, to do pretty much everything yourself......with pictures, too.
Anyway, I just finished flush and fill my differential an hour ago, and it feels so great to actually be able to perform routine maintenance like that.
Good Luck.

[fly2thesun]

Hi, I've had my ti for a few months now.. Can I join in with a question, as I think it's compatible with this thread..

I'm not knowledgeable enough to dare to repair myself, so I'd like to figure out who's the best guy to ask for repair.. ( I did seefoam on my ti, though.. I was so scared when CEL light came on after that.. haha.. it's gone now)

It seems that many (especially 'BMW-specializing') mechanics charge a lot when it comes to BMW. From my ti's records, $390 for only front brakes AND labor alone. $120 for a new battery. $130 for oil change (synthetic).. All this with a few independent mechanics 'specializing in European or BMW'. I feel it's just too much..

I'd like to try other good but 'non-BMW-specialist' mechanic that my friend knows. This mechanic did a superb job on my Nissan before, and charged very little. It should be no problem, right?

When I first visited a BMW-specialist mechanic with the pre-purchase inspection sheet from another place, their first question was "do they specialize in BMW?' looking sceptically at the sheet. I guess now it's just their scare tactic.. Or do I really need to see a BMW/European specialist to repair my ti?

[tastade]

The funny thing is BMWs have very simple general maintenance. The parts are designed to be easy to change. The brakes are very easy to change on this car, one of the better designed systems I have seen. In other words you don't really need a BMW specialist to work on a BMW (unless it is more complicated electronics problems), but the dealers like you to think that because it is a "special" car it needs "special" treatment.

I have found that many of the maintenance parts are inexpensive for the BMWs, like the rotors and pads are as cheap as any other car. I would give midas a call and get a quote from them, they will likely do as good of a job as anywhere else.

As for parts I paid about $146 for both sets of pads (but those are Hawk HPS pads), about $200 for all 4 rotors, and $20 some for the sensors. So $400 for parts isn't unreasonable (you always pay more for parts that are installed). However, if you buy cheaper pads you should be able to find them for half as much, and you might not need to replace the rotors either. If you have any work done to the emergency brakes it might cost a little more. A couple hours labor would be reasonable for everything. No more than 4 hours for sure.

Wal-Mart will do a synthetic oil change for around $50. $120 or $130 for an oil change is ludicrous, a $30 surcharge is pretty reasonable (as that is what 5 quarts of synthetic costs).

Look at your pad thickness through your wheels. If it is more than about 1/4" you probably have a lot of life left. Sometimes brakes just squeal when there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. It is just vibrations in the pads. Some brands are worse than others. There are a couple threads in the brake section about squealing brakes that might have some tips for fixing the problem (which all involve removing your brake pads).

[jiggerjosh]

Look at your pad thickness through your wheels. If it is more than about 1/4" you probably have a lot of life left. Sometimes brakes just squeal when there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. It is just vibrations in the pads. Some brands are worse than others. There are a couple threads in the brake section about squealing brakes that might have some tips for fixing the problem (which all involve removing your brake pads).

Well theres something wrong with them if they are squealing, let it be that they are cheap or filled with brake dust or even have rough sharp edges, but either way. I think its very important to get either oem or equivulant brake pads, as aftermarket ones tend to cuase brake fade (bmw engineers there parts for their cars one of the reason your car stops on a dime). One thing you may want to do is spray the rotor down with antisqueal or a similiar product and see if that dosn't help. If you want you can come to Ft. Lauderdale and i will check and replace you breaks for a minimal charge.

[Viper3812]

I swapped out the fronts brakes myself, but when I attempted to change the pads in the rear it was nearly impossible. The bolts are on too tight and I couldnt get them loose, I ended up braking my socket wrench by trying so hard. I ended up taking my car to Tirer Kingdom and they did the job for $90, not bad I guess.

[tastade]

Well theres something wrong with them if they are squealing, let it be that they are cheap or filled with brake dust or even have rough sharp edges, but either way. I think its very important to get either oem or equivulant brake pads, as aftermarket ones tend to cuase brake fade (bmw engineers there parts for their cars one of the reason your car stops on a dime). One thing you may want to do is spray the rotor down with antisqueal or a similiar product and see if that dosn't help. If you want you can come to Ft. Lauderdale and i will check and replace you breaks for a minimal charge.

They can squeal for no good reason, but as you say it is good to know why. Mine only squealed during the last few feet while coming to a stop. If they squeal all the time you definitely have a problem (or maybe just a rock stuck in the caliper). Mine had plenty of pad thickness, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the brakes. I changed them because it was embarrassing to drive, and every time I came to a stop they wailed like banshees. Also, the rotors were becoming worn. My braking distances were fine, there was nothing physically wrong with the car's brakes. During hard brakes there was no squealing, only light every-day braking, like coming to a stop sign.

I tried almost every method to remove the squealing and it only worked for a short time. The only thing I didn't try is filing the leading and trailing edges of the pads to put a slight chamfer on the pad, which I notice my Hawk HPS pads come with. Some brakes just plain squeal and there is not much to be done.

I think some of the OE replacement brakes have more problems with squealing than the after-market. I would only trust the BMW engineers to put the cheapest possible brake pads on to stop the car safely and effectively (as they wouldn't be doing their job otherwise). But, whatever you do I wouldn't buy the cheapest pads you can find. They will probably be garbage.

However, be aware that your brakes might be just fine, and the mechanic will likely try to sell you new brakes just to make you happy (stop the squealing for a while) and make his pocket book fatter.

Here are some links to brake squealing:
http://www.trustmymechanic.com/htmlmessage9.html
http://www.autonet.ca/Maintenance/Components/story.cfm?story=/Maintenance/Components/2004/08/17/587859.html

[aceyx]

That's what penetrating oil is for.

Brake bolts see a LOT of heat (well, that's their function) so they'll often drive themselves tighter because of the expansion/contraction or just get seized. Take some time--and care when spraying--with some PB Blaster, Kroil, etc and a hammer and they'll come out fine.

When you reinstall, use a touch of anti-seize on the bolt.


To answer Nikki's question, $800 is far too much for a full brake job. It really is just a matter of loosening bolts, swapping parts then putting it back together again. However, you'll need some special tools (torque wrench, 7mm allen socket, deadblow hammer) and a bit of grunt to do the job.

Midas should check the brakes for free, but if you can change a tire, you can do it yourself. Just keep the window open, remove the wheel, then turn the wheel to the opposite side (if left wheel, turn to right) and you can see the pads through the calipers. A standard hexagonal #2 pencil is about 1/4" thick, if the pad is about that thickness you are good for a while.


Which were the remachined rotors? BMW rotors are actually inexpensive enough that remachining them isn't necessary given how long they'll last afterwards. Parts total for front or rear should be about $200-250, both for $400-500.

[praveen.thomas]

i found an inexpensive site for brake parts. www.autohausaz.com totally for brake pads and rotors - $109. i have no complaints with their service. check them out

[Panzer_M]

I'll do your brakes if you get the kit together, Will can help out to. I'll prob be on the road again next week.

Should take 1hr on all four corners, pads/rotors/sensors
and then some extra time if you want to do new fluid, like Ate Super Blue.
Already got all the tools needed, plus some extra guide pins just in case for the calipers and the pressure bleeder.

Tampa is only an hour from me, and it would be nice to get away from the eastern side for a while.

[IndianaTravis]

Also, you can get rotors fairly inexpensively from a place like pelicanparts.com, so shop around.

I did front pads and rotors on my car for under $200, but I have the old solid rotors. Next time around I'm upgrading to 325 calipers and the vented rotors.

[sublimeti]

I recently bought the vented and slotted rotors and some nice brake pads from ebay for about $300 including shipping. I went to a local Auto Zone here in town and they charged me $60 per rotor which equaled $240 .... so my total cost was ~ $575 with taxes and all.
I didnt want to do the work myself cause, hey, they are my brakes...pretty important they are done properly. so i payed a pro.

[pnosker]

you bought 8 sets of rotors?

[sublimeti]

you bought 8 sets of rotors?
uuuuuh.......nope. wadaya mean?

[pnosker]

You said you bought vented and slotteds from ebay, then bought 4 rotors at autozone. Not sure what you meant exactly.

[sublimeti]

oh, my bad....I paid 60 a piece to install at Auto Zone.

[bmwracerchick]

Thanks for the advice it helped ALOT guys I really appreciate it. I am going over to Midas tomorrow and talking to them about their "The Midas Touch Courtesy Check" It says courtesy so that usually means a free check but it doesnt necessarily say that and its under a package link. So I am curious to if this is only a courtesy if you already are having service from that at that time. http://www.midas.com/products/maint_package.aspx
its in the middle of the page and thats a lot to check which would actually be very good for the car to get this check up. I hope to update on this service and if it really a courtesy service they provide. Once again thanks for the advice guys, I am going to use this knowledge you all provided me with so I can better protect myself from the typical "lets trick the girl so we get more money from her" scam.