How does yours feel?

[Crispy0001]

Hey peeps,

So I recently changed the brake fluid in my car and it feels very different and I don't like it at all. I took it back today and got the mechanic to drive it and he said it was normal but to me it feels like the system wasn't bled properly.

So before changing the fluid my brake pedal felt stiff and was very sensitive to any input.

Now it feels soft and you need to apply more pressure than before. It feels a lot less responsive than it was and also at the very top its like its not applying any pressure at all.

Is this normal or shall I take it back and demand they bleed the system again?

[jmg]

That usually goes away after several pumps of the brakes after pressure builds in the system. Take it back. Or better yet, take it to another place.

[thakid22]

Originally Posted by Crispy0001

Hey peeps,

So I recently changed the brake fluid in my car and it feels very different and I don't like it at all. I took it back today and got the mechanic to drive it and he said it was normal but to me it feels like the system wasn't bled properly.

So before changing the fluid my brake pedal felt stiff and was very sensitive to any input.

Now it feels soft and you need to apply more pressure than before. It feels a lot less responsive than it was and also at the very top its like its not applying any pressure at all.

Is this normal or shall I take it back and demand they bleed the system again?

It sounds like you have a non BMW mechanic. If he works on various cars, he may very well think your pedal response is "normal" in its current state. Other cars often do not have the sharp, firm feel you find in recent BMW's.

Don't ask him if the pedal is normal.
Tell him that the car has always had a sharp response at the pedal until he performed the last service. Request that this response be restored. M-brakes feeling like regular brakes or ok brakes isn't normal. M-brakes are closer to excellent.

You didn't mention if you had the pads/rotors changed too.
If you did, it can take a while for the new parts to start biting correctly.
You can research "brake pad bedding" to speed the process.

If you changed to a non BMW brake pad, you can also expect to lose a little bit of initial bite and pedal sensitivity, as The OEM a BMW pads really excel in these areas while aftermarket pads lack here to reduce dust and/or fading.

But sounds like you just got the fluid changed. In that case, it needs to be bled again. And since you have driven the car, they should look into bleeding the dsc unit too, if they still have a hard time restoring your pedal to normal (because driving the car with air in the lines can also let it into the dsc pump).

[Crispy0001]

Originally Posted by thakid22

It sounds like you have a non BMW mechanic. If he works on various cars, he may very well think your pedal response is "normal" in its current state. Other cars often do not have the sharp, firm feel you find in recent BMW's.

Don't ask him if the pedal is normal.
Tell him that the car has always had a sharp response at the pedal until he performed the last service. Request that this response be restored. M-brakes feeling like regular brakes or ok brakes isn't normal. M-brakes are closer to excellent.

You didn't mention if you had the pads/rotors changed too.
If you did, it can take a while for the new parts to start biting correctly.
You can research "brake pad bedding" to speed the process.

If you changed to a non BMW brake pad, you can also expect to lose a little bit of initial bite and pedal sensitivity, as The OEM a BMW pads really excel in these areas while aftermarket pads lack here to reduce dust and/or fading.

But sounds like you just got the fluid changed. In that case, it needs to be bled again. And since you have driven the car, they should look into bleeding the dsc unit too, if they still have a hard time restoring your pedal to normal (because driving the car with air in the lines can also let it into the dsc pump).

Yes you're right he is not a BMW shop, however he is very well known and recommended as he works on many M cars. That's why I was so surprised when he said the feel is normal.

I did not change the rotors and pads, just the fluid. I guess I will go elsewhere to get the system bled properly.

Btw, we used CASTROL SRF brake fluid. It's meant to be good.

[ONEof500]

I had same issue. Give it a week my feel came all the way back. On the drive home I turned around and went back to follow up because I was worried. He is a BMW specialist / indie shop. He said give it a few days. He was right. All good.

[Aycey]

This is a phenomenon that affects many cars, including mass marketed cars. I had this same issue when I took a Honda I owned to a Ford dealership for an oil change and I could literally tell the difference for some days. Eventually that feeling goes away either because we reach a new baseline or the car does indeed need a few days to remove any air trapped or increase the pressure in the brake lines.