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  #1  
Old 03-25-2014, 03:02 PM
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Need Help/Confirmation for Battery and Brake Change

Hi, everyone.
Nice meeting you all.

I'm a beginner in car mechanic and repair, but willing and capable to learn how to do basic DIY, and I would like to ask few questions to you experts.

I have an '08 x5 3.0si. It requires battery change and possibly brake change.

I recently went to a highly recommended indy shop in NNJ, and the quote just surprised me too much that I did my own research in this forum and other forums regarding the battery and brake change.

The indy shop quoted $326 for battery and $200 for labor.
He also quoted $160 for pads, $360 for rotors, $30 for sensors, and $260 for labor.
At that rate, I might as well go to the dealer and be done with it.

Anyways, although I'm a beginner in car mechanic and repair, I do not like to get ripped off. So, I decided to do some research to see if I can either DIY and bring the price down a little.

Now here are some questions.

1) I checked the battery, and it's a S: 61 21 7 551 331, 90 Ah, 900 CCA. I did more research online, and it's an AMG battery. I checked the Duralast-H8AGM, frequently recommended, and it has 92 Ah, 850 CCA. I thought the Ah and CCA should match exactly, or else, I'll need a "coding." Or is the difference negligible enough?

2) Is the registration absolutely necessary? I checked this youtube video, and the BMW mechanic said "If you have an E70 X5 that would be the reason for registering the battery. But I have not had a customer have a problem that did not have this registration performed." Considering it's only $50 to purchase the INPA cable, I'll probably do the registration to be safe than sorry, but I was just curious of your experiences.

3) For the rear brake pads, the system says I have 1700 miles more to go. The indy shop told me rotors measure 18.8mm and the brake pad is low. I do not know what this measurement means. Does it mean I need to replace them immediately? I do not want to prematurely change if it can last few more months since I do not drive much (less than 5000 miles/yr).

Anyways, I'd appreciate any advice or confirmation.
Thank you.
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  #2  
Old 03-25-2014, 04:07 PM
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I cannot comment on the battery.

As for the brakes, is that quote for just the fronts or for all 4 corners? If you want OEM parts. getbmwparts.com has the parts listed as:

Front Pads: $149.63 (both wheels)
Rear Pads: $127.93 (both wheels)
Front Rotors: $129.92 each
Rear Rotors: $141.47 each

Or you can go to BMPdesign.com, Bavauto.com, zeckhausen.com to purchase brakes and brake kits. You will be able to choose between OEM or aftermarket depending on what your budget may be.
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  #3  
Old 03-25-2014, 05:23 PM
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@MRV99, Thanks for the reply.
The quote is for the rear brake pads only.

I'm comparing the prices between various websites recommended here like getbmwparts, autohauz, realoem, and bavauto.com .
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Old 03-25-2014, 06:55 PM
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I would register the battery because if the old one was going, and not accepting a charge as a new one does, the new one can get overcharged and subsequently fail. When I bought my last battery the supplier asked if it was getting registered, to qualify the warranty. You can probably get away without doing it, until the time that you don't. No way to predict.

Your independent is inflating the price of the brake job. My local BMW dealer advertises service prices on line. For your 2008 X5 3.0, rear brakes including rotors and sensor, with labour, is $550. Fronts are $575. Two year parts and labour warranty. Taxes extra. They have an express service with 90 minutes turnaround. Call a local dealer and ask for a quote.

If you want to do it yourself, compare by pricing OE pads and rotors from the dealer. Then, decide if you want to use aftermarket parts and reduce the price further.

The computer estimate of 1700 miles left is not exact, but does suggest they are getting pretty thin. Sure, you can leave it a few weeks. But going past the lining gets expensive fast. Part of deciding if you are going to tackle it yourself could include jacking it up, putting it on jack stands, pulling the rear wheels, and seeing just how thin the pads are. You can see after pulling the wheels. I don't have the minimum rotor thickness handy, but that is what the 18.8 mm measured thickness relates to.

If you are going to do it yourself, realize that brakes are a safety system. Many claim they can slide a set of pads in, and be done in minutes. All that means is that they have replaced pads, not overhauled the brakes. Doing it properly means inspecting the rotors for minimum thickness, and possibly replacing them. It means cleaning everything, using the correct high temperature grease on the caliper ears, not lubing the guide pins, and so on. It also means doing it safely, ie not just on a jack. You may need to purchase some tools. Best is if you have a friend who has done it before that can do it with you.

To familiarize yourself with the procedure, this is the best link on the site for a DIY brake job. It is specific to the 2001-2006 E53, but is very similar to your vehicle (part numbers vary, for example). Read it and decide.

http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/...e-job-diy.html

Good luck

Jeff
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Old 03-25-2014, 07:43 PM
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@JCL, thanks for your sincere reply.

I'll give the local dealers a call tomorrow. Their website only shows special price for 2000-2006 x5. The price is really good though. $220 for sensor and pads. Maybe they might have some special deal for the 08. We'll see.

I was actually not considering DIY the brakes since I probably have to buy all the necessary tools. Instead, i was planning to ask a guy who was willing to do the job for $100 if I provide the parts. Apparently, he has much DIY experience.

By the way, do you know if the difference of 2 Ah and 50 CCA is big enough to require coding? I know duralast-H8AGM is highly recommended, but since it doesn't match my battery's spec exactly, I'm wondering if it requires "coding."
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Old 03-25-2014, 08:48 PM
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I don't believe it is just about the spec. Many of the systems on modern BMWs have a learning mode whereby the computers learn the behaviour of a component or subsystem. That needs to be cleared when the component is replaced. I have read that a risk with not coding the new battery is that the charging system has adapted to the old battery, and can over charge the new battery to the point of failure. We are past the old days of simple voltage regulators.
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Old 03-25-2014, 08:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bendingo View Post
@JCL, thanks for your sincere reply.

I'll give the local dealers a call tomorrow. Their website only shows special price for 2000-2006 x5. The price is really good though. $220 for sensor and pads. Maybe they might have some special deal for the 08. We'll see.
BMW has special parts pricing, often matched with discounted dealer labour rates, for previous generation models. It is how they compete with the aftermarket suppliers. A year ago, a brake job on an E53 was a lot cheaper than the E70. With the release of the F15, the E70 has come down significantly here. Ask your dealer.
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Old 03-25-2014, 09:38 PM
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If you decide to go other than BMW OE, I have had good luck with Zimmermann rotors and ATE rotors and pads have been good as well. I have run Brembos from tirerack with mixed results.

Invest in a good hydraulic jack, same stands and proper tools (the fronts on the e70 are very easy to get to, the rears a bit more fiddly because of the dampers being in the way. JCL is giving you good advice.

Good luck.
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Old 03-25-2014, 11:15 PM
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@JCL, I thought registering alone can let the system know how to charge the battery as long as the battery has the same spec. Obviously, if the battery has completely different spec, it would require coding to inform the system that a different charging pattern is required.
I was just confused because in other posts, people said as long as the battery has the same spec, registration alone should suffice, but then they would recommend Duralast-H8AGM, which has slightly different spec.

@trix5, Thanks for the recommendation. what about the pads? If I'm not getting the OE, I might get the pagid, which I think is recommended around here.
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Old 03-26-2014, 12:37 AM
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IMO the battery ratings are fine for replacement- just get the inpa cable and register it yourself. That way you have the cable for future use.

The stated differences you cite are probably within the actual variation of each battery as delivered to you!

Centric rotors and pads seem fine. Use them on other cars. Dave at Zeckhausen will dropship to me, I also hear RockAuto has low prices
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