[kaishang]

Well, as I posted before, am about to embark on a 6,000 mile driving holiday to the Arctic Circle. Got the car serviced, had the oil and rear brake pads changed, even though they weren't due for another 3,500 miles.

Just applied some leather conditioner to the seats so we can enjoy that supple Dakota leather feeling on the long drive. Thought I would check the service indicator while I was in the car:

4,900 miles to front brake pad change according to on-board computer

Even primary school maths tells me 4,900 miles is less than the 6,000 miles until I'm back in England. What should I do?

- Hope for the best? I'm sure there is a bit of conservativism between when the service indicator says the brake pads need changing and when they really need changing.

- Try and get the front pads changed soon, like tomorrow?

- Get them changed en-route, somewhere in Germany, Norway or Sweden?

[Moh]

Well Germany can't be too bad to get them changed....and if you prepare beforehand mayb speaking to a dealer there you could get it done as less hassle/time as possible

[AlwynMike]

Take a set (and a wear sensor) with you - they are easy enough to change if you have a jack and a couple of tools. Otherwise, if you do hit the sensor, you can drop into almost any garage and get them changed and know that you have some decent pads.

Doing longer trips will extend the life considerably, but if you do have either a spirited drive or a long mountain descent, you may find that the mileage to go to change will drop very rapidly indeed - on my 530, it went from +1000 miles to -50 miles in the space of one 65 mile drive! The pads had a lot of life left in them, but the sensor was worn (just), so don't panic if you do hit the sensor, and get the "bong" and brake wear warning.

Mike

[kaishang]

I know what you mean about a "spirited drive". I was in Cumbria on the weekend and gave it a bit of stick on one of the backroads. There was over a thousand miles extra on it before that.....

[Rob GTI]

Originally Posted by kaishang

I know what you mean about a "spirited drive". I was in Cumbria on the weekend and gave it a bit of stick on one of the backroads. There was over a thousand miles extra on it before that.....

If you change the pads now you are wasting maybe 10% of the total amount of the orginal pad, assumming the pads cost about £80 new thats less £8 worth remaining. For me it would not be worth travelling those miles on unfamiliar roads with the reduced braking that haveing worn pads gives.

[Mart1000]

My drive tells me that I have 9k left on the rear pads, yet yesterday I had a brake pad warning appear! Rear pads almost non existent, so it seems the obc is poo for indication anyway...

[phil200tdi]

Originally Posted by Mart1000

My drive tells me that I have 9k left on the rear pads, yet yesterday I had a brake pad warning appear! Rear pads almost non existent, so it seems the obc is poo for indication anyway...

Obc is just programmed mileage for pads. The wear sensor only triggers a warning - it doesn't measure wear.

I suspect you have been having too much fun triggering DTC.

[kaishang]

Originally Posted by phil200tdi

Obc is just programmed mileage for pads.

There must be more to it that that: I went from 6000 miles remaining to 4,900 miles remaining (ie 1,100 difference) and I only drove 680 miles.

[kaishang]

I think I'm going to get the pads changed. As was pointed out, I'm wasting about 10% of the pad change cost but it is better than rooting around in a remote part of Norway looking for brake pads. And I've just checked Michelin maps... seems a lot of steep descents.

[SteveC]

Because otherwise you'll spend the whole holiday obsessing about the brakes, checking the monitor and worrying about how you're going to get them replaced inside the Arctic Circle.

Also my experience with countdown monitors is that they're rarely linear, making huge lunges for the finishing line just when you thought you still had 2k left.

Peace of mind...think how smug you'll feel, setting off knowing that you've got a lovely new set of brake pads and nothing to worry about

[kaishang]

Plan almost B.

We are planning a 3 day stopover in Berlin on the way.... so I've booked it into a BMW dealer in Berlin

New set of pads installed by BMW Germany costs the same as new set of pads installed by ban independent in the UK