Quick brake question (E46)

Quick brake question (E46)

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StuTheGrouch

Original Poster:

5,735 posts

163 months

Wednesday 29th June 2016
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My E46 330 failed an MOT today on two related things- "front brake application uneven" and "front brake release uneven".

The car drives fine, so this was a surprise. However I was planning on changing the discs and pads all round this summer, so will be doing the front immediately. Quick sanity check though. The MOT failure seems 99% likely (to me) to be down to one of the calipers sticking. Before I go ahead and order a new pair of calipers, new set of discs and pads, is there anything else which I should investigate?

Smuler

2,286 posts

140 months

Wednesday 29th June 2016
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StuTheGrouch said:
My E46 330 failed an MOT today on two related things- "front brake application uneven" and "front brake release uneven".

The car drives fine, so this was a surprise. However I was planning on changing the discs and pads all round this summer, so will be doing the front immediately. Quick sanity check though. The MOT failure seems 99% likely (to me) to be down to one of the calipers sticking. Before I go ahead and order a new pair of calipers, new set of discs and pads, is there anything else which I should investigate?
Only (possibly) useful thing I can add is that when I had a calliper sticking, on my E46, it was shown to me as obvious by the mechanic, who fixed it, as it was hot when touched.

Also I couldn't say that the car drove fine as there was some vibration/shaking which ceased after repair.










StuTheGrouch

Original Poster:

5,735 posts

163 months

Wednesday 29th June 2016
quotequote all
In a previous E46 I had the caliper properly sticking, the steering wheel would shake like mad and the alloy was red hot. So as you describe (perhaps a more extreme event).

At the moment my current car doesn't do this, but in my logic the caliper only has the stick very briefly as the piston comes out and retreats to cause uneven braking.

road_rager

1,091 posts

200 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
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I had this with mine and found after a good clean up of pistons & sliders it was ok enough to pass the retest

about a year later I had to replace one of the front callipers as it got properly stuck

helix402

7,879 posts

183 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
New caliper/calipers needed. You can rebuild but most of the E46s have rusty caliper pistons and scored bores.

StuTheGrouch

Original Poster:

5,735 posts

163 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Thanks all. It's settled then, I will change the calipers along with the discs and pads (these were due imminently anyway).