BMW E90 Front Brake Replacement DIY (328i Pads, Rotors & Sensors) 

I did my rear brakes on an Audi and over time one of the caliper-to-hub bolts loosened up and fell out. So... Torque can be important. Here is what I found on an Internet search... front pad carrier to steering knuckle 81 ft-lb rear pad carrier to wheel bearing carrier 50 ft-lb brake caliper to pad carrier 22 ft-lb brake fluid hose to caliper 18 ft-lb brake fluid hose to steel line 9 ft-lb road wheel to hub 87 ft-lb front bleeder screw 9-13 ft-lb rear bleeder screw 5-8 ft-lb brake rotor mounting screw 12 ft-lb Also, whenever I do brakes, I always put a plastic tube on the bleeder and open the bleeder screw. I then just push the piston in with my thumbs, or very lightly with a C-clamp. Otherwise, some pretty nasty brake fluid can get pushed back up into the lines. He didn't mention this, but if the reservoir was full, pushing the piston in can overflow the reservoir. Then just put fresh fluid in the reservoir and pump the brakes to get the pads snug to the disk. It's a good time to change the brake fluid while it's all exposed.

May sound obvious but also remember to pump the brake a few times before driving off. This will move the piston back in place making the brakes work :)

Can’t beat FCP Euro... affordable and quality parts along with videos like this for those willing to DIY. Owning a BMW doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

I used this video to do my first-ever brake job at home! I drive a 2008 328i and this video is detailed enough that even the layperson could follow along. I watched the video all the way through once, taking note of parts and tools that I'd need. Then I ordered rotors, pads and the pad wear sensor. Gareth, the mechanic, also gives plenty of helpful hints along the way which was great for me, a novice. One addition to his notes: don't be afraid that you're wrenching too hard on the caliper guide pins and the caliper carrier bolts while taking them off; mine were so seized in place that I thought I was risking damaging my car trying to break them free. But, a little PB blaster and a lot of elbow grease got the parts loose. Thank you FCP for posting this, I'll keep the $100's of dollars that the stealership would have charged in my pocket!

thanks for this video...stealership tried to charge me 1500 for this job..took me like 3 hrs...but i did it

how did this video get 9 dislikes ? This video is absolutely great, very informative, great instructional video

I really like your videos.....they are easy to follow and no nonsense instructions!! Thank your doing this and putting it out there for all of us. I also watched your video on replacing spark plugs, BMW wanted over $800.00 to replace my spark plugs and coils....I've reached 100K miles. Bought performance coils $269.00 and NGK spark plugs cost me $55.00, it was easy and fun and saved lots of money!! Thanks again.

Thanks man! I did all four rotors and brakes in less than 2 hours! you guys rock! thanks again!

Really detailed and produced for a DIY audience. Changing the brakes this weekend and feel well prepared because of this video. Thanks!

I changed the brakes myself with these instructions. Thank you very much for this helpfull video.

Great video! E90 320d is exactly the same ;) done my break service without any hassle with a help of your video!

Thank you for the tutorial!Very clear instructions.

Thanks for this - was worried this job would be difficult, but with your video it was simple. Bought all the parts from you as a result!

Excellent video, Thank you for taking the time to do it. I feel comfortable doing it myself now. Heading to your website now.

Thank you for the video! First time ever changing brakes by myself and this video was a great guide for me. Took me about 2.5 hours.

Love FCP for my parts AND their DIYs. Just died my front brakes and rotors today using your Zimmermann/Akebono kit. Nice!

2:26 : me in the background trying to get that last bit of ketchup out the bottle 😁

Great video. I need to put on the anti rattle clip on a 2007 BMW I bought. Shop wanted $70 to do so. I ordered the part from FCP Euro. This is my son's first car so I had I'm do this and it was fast and easy. Thanks

Excellent piece! Great camera angles and lighting as well as audio! Consider me subscribed!

Huge thanks for showing this in details!

Very well made procedure, clearly step by step to anyone solve by it self. Excellent. Very good job FCP!

Great video. Appreciate the step by step. Thanks for posting.

WEll done! Very clear and accurate. Appreciate the greasing tips too! JW

Great video. Excellent production

Thanks for the video and great price and parts! Procedure went smoothly.

Thank you, great job! I appreciate your video a lot!

Great vid, I feel like I could do this myself

Thank you for this video about to do the front brakes, sensors and rotor soon savi g so much money thanks to you guys

Love your video, very clear and informative. from down under

I love Gareth Foley's explanation and simple to understand steps. He is an excellent teacher!!

Great job Gary!

OK, this video gave me confidence to replace my front brakes -- after doing it, I have some hopefully constructive feedback for FCP and other commenters. 1. Lug nuts: I recommend a large breaker bar and a thick 17mm socket (like an impact socket) to get the lug nuts off. Make sure the socket is seated all the way onto the lug nuts so you don't strip them or get yourself sent flying. Push down on the wrench -- if you pull on it, you might hurt your back. 1.5. I used a floor jack with an old baseball mitt between the lifting pad and the car's jack point plastic doohickeys. Not pretty, but it worked great. Also use chocks and parking brake to make sure the car doesn't move. 2. After the lug nuts were off, the wheel would not come off -- pulling and kicking it didn't help. The solution was to put a wooden 2x4 at the outside base of the tire/wheel and hit it with a sledgehammer. That worked great. 3. There is only one brake sensor, it is on the left side. FCP Euro should mention that because there is a lot of confusion out there about it. 4. When you remove the caliper, pull it toward you to compress the caliper, then you can get it off. Also, have some wire ready to hang it from the coil spring. Hang it high so it clears the rotor etc. below. 6. In my car (2009 BMW 328i sedan w/ sport pkg), the two bolts holding the caliper carrier were 19mm, NOT 16mm. 16mm is an odd size that is not in most socket sets. 7. When removing the locating screw, the rotor turns, so stick a screwdriver into the side of the rotor to stop it. 8. Rotor would not come off -- sledgehammer worked well, hitting it straight on, not hard. 9. When compressing the caliper to install the new pad, a lot of people on the Internet carry on about the risk of the reservoir overflowing -- I got news, it's sealed -- it must be sealed or else the brake fluid would absorb water. There is a diaphragm built into the reservoir top that allows for level changes -- so I don't believe there is any danger of overflow and I didn't see any. 10. There is some debate about whether to grease the guide pins. Also, the video should tell you the exact torques that are recommended. I hope these points help.

Great tutorial!!

Hi Gareth, Thanks for the great video (well shot, good lighting, to the point... what more do you want) I just completed the same operation on my '07 335i e93. Your information helped me and I just have three comments: - on mine I needed a 19 mm key for the bolts holding the caliber-bracket, not 16 mm. Maybe because the 335i has bigger breaks? - The rotors practically fell off when the bolt was loosened. So maybe it is not so unusual. The car has 102000 km / 63000 miles on it and I am fairly sure its the first brake-job on the front. - Short of a lift, I jacked the car up from the designated point between the front wheels, then supported it under both jack points just behind the front wheels. Greetings from Switzerland

Very complete and awesome preso Thanks for sharing!

So very well done. Excellent job. I even like the small jokes in between. I'm about to head out and do my brakes with confidence

I know this video is old but two things. 1) BMW tis states to NOT grease the pins, probably because grease can actually cause the rubber to swell and caliper to stick. 2) no need to grease the pads thgat much. By greasing non contact areas you are allowing dirty to stick to those areas. I would simply grease from the caliper side where you know the pad makes contact (Obv not the rotor to pad).

Thanks for the video! Brake jobs are pretty standard on most cars but it is REALLY nice to watch it be done once before you do it for the first time on a car you've never done the job on before, this video is perfect. When I did the brakes on my wife's e70 I was told by everybody that replacing the rotors was required, is this the same on my 330 or is getting the rotors turned an option?

Great video. Informative thanks.

I saved over 5k buying parts and doing things myself from FCP Euros stores and videos. Big shouts.

Very informative video. Thank you for making it

thank you for this. helped more than you know

Excellent video easy to follow up

Wow great vid man!!

Thank you! Awesome video

Thank you l, was skeptical to do this job but after seeing your video I realized there’s nothing hard about it and as soon as my check hits I’m buying a new set of rotors, pads and pad sensors for all four wheels

Great video, very professional

Excellent Video!

thanks!! very good video.

Excellent video, thanks.

Great video thanks !

thanks very informative

Excellent tutorial !! best on youtube. thnx

Just the video I needed. Thank you

Shop the parts used in this video: BMW Brake Kit - Front: www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-brake-kit-zimmermann-akebono-34116855006ktf5?

Excellent marketing campaign. i wanted to change my break pads myself, but after watching this video and all the steps and tools you used, i am seriously considering just taking it to the shop.

Thanks great tutorial

Very well explained, I'm going to have a go at this!!

Great video, man! I'm about to do my front rotors and break pads on a 2011 328i. Your video will save me lots of $$ - I just got the parts delivered by Amazon.

I was at the point today where it was time to replace the brake sensor. The male end of the sensor, the one that inserts into the new portion, crumbled in my fingers. Fortunately I had put in the new sensor only about a year ago, so it wasn't worn at all. These pads were an upgrade, and the sensor popped out of the old pad without damage. Next time I have to figure out how to change out the sensor AND the portion attached to the car's wiring.

Great video thankyou

Great video - very clear and straightforward. THANK YOU! Nice job... Couple observations for DIY'ers out there. First of all, I laughed at how much brake pad material was left on those pads. Of course I know he's doing this for a RU-vid video, but in the real world your pads may be much thinner. Personally, I could have gotten another 20k miles out of those pads! :-) Also, and I know this is a minority opinion, but I do not automatically replace the rotors either. (Thanks for including the removal in this video, though) If your rotors are not scored, spalled, or discolored by overheating, have minimal runout, and if they exceed the minimum recommended thickness, then in my opinion there is no reason to replace them. In fact, that the best rotors you'll ever own are probably the OEM units. Don't just mindlessly toss them in the scrap pile (More on that below...) Of course, rotors often are scored and/or warped because people waited way too long to replace the pads! :-) Nevertheless, I've been putting new pads on clean used rotors that meet spec for 40 years, and I've never experienced a single problem with the practice. TIP: If your rotors are lightly scored, is also possible to have those high-quality OEM rotors resurfaced at a minimal expense. Check your local auto parts professional store (not box houses). They turn rotors all the time. And before you scoff at this whole idea, ask yourself. What do you really want? Your OEM German made rotors or cheap Chinese knock-offs? If you've dealt much with aftermarket components, you know what I mean. The wise purchaser aAlways ask the country of origin of the replacement part. The metallurgy, tolerance and fit and finish of many aftermarket parts is terrible. Meanwhile, you KNOW that BMW did not scrimp on the rotors, if only to avoid lawsuits. Just some thoughts. Please don't bother flaming me. I won't respond. :-) Thanks again for the great video! Excellent!

Great video.

I didnt hear you mention anything about popping the brake fluid resevoir cap and having someone keep an eye on it while you push the caliper pistons back in. Mine had been at max level, we actually needed to siphon some out to avoid overflow. Otherwise, spot on, cheers and thanks.

Thanks for the great tutorial. Will this process be the same for a 2008 BMW 328XI?

Hey, great video, quick question. Does the same procedure apply for the 2011 BMW 328xi? Just want to make sure I have all the necessary tool prior to removing wheels and starting. Thanks in advance.

Great video! I've loved the quality & service from FCP Euro, and am finally getting around to installing the front pair after letting them age a year during lockdown.

Good info....thank you

Great video, nice clear steps. It would be a dream to have a nice car lift in a somewhat climate-controlled garage, instead of my usual, which would be: on the ground with a foot of clearance in either the scorching sun or freezing snow, dealing with lug nuts someone impact driver-ed to the max, wheels & calipers rust-binded onto the hub, a couple broken clips along the way, and maybe a cracked brake hose for good measure!

Hi Gareth your DIY videos on BMWs are awesome and very detailed and easy to understand and follow especially for people like me who cant really afford bringing my old E90 to the dealership every time for even a simple oil change. So I really appreciate it. Now I got a question- I got a 2011 BMW e92 M3 OEM brake system which ncludes front and rear calipers and rotors from a friend. Can I install them in my 2010 E90 328i SULEV 4 door sedan? Do i need to change the knuckle on the front where the rotors are attached? Thank you!

That was an excellent tutorial...thanks. Isn't it also very important to pump your brakes afterwards before you drive the car for the first time with the new brakes?

Very good video

Was quoted $900 for front and back pads and rotors. Did it for $300 myself and also had a stripped caliper support screw hole which required me to get a new caliper support bracket. I Imagine that would’ve costed an extra grand in house. Gotta love RU-vid!

This video is perfect made the job 1000xs easier for me

thank you :)

Aferim jarane. Thanks for the video!

Excellent video, thank you. Do you still need to bleed the brakes afterwards?

I'm about to do this tomorrow, I just wanted to ask if I had to flush my brake fluid when I commence with the rotors, pads and sensor

Nice video

can u replace the sensor after everything is together..i already did my brakes in rear but didnt put sensor in..do i have to take everything aprt again for sensor?

what kind of grease r u using and can u hook up the brake wear sensor a few days later afterr installing brakes..mine r on order but I already did the brakes..just wondering'

Great video. I purchased my parts from FCP Euro.

Why do you grease the slid pins? I've seen other videos that say that BMW doesn't recommend grease on the slide pins.

There’s two different mm sizes, which one did you use in the video? Or will they both fit?? Pretty important

So looking at 2011 328i and one guy who has one and bought said BMWs are a complete nightmare and a fortune-sensors, oil leaks, etc. He mentioned not being able to change battery and brakes yourself, then I see videos like this and that seems to not be true. I saw you need to reset the battery life info or re mate the battery or whatever with software (I used to fool around tuning a Subaru Sinai understand the basic concept of software to access the ECU). Thoughts on this “nightmare” of maintenance?

great video..off topic but put new starter in 2008 328i and wont start..i HAVE 3 CAS CODES : AOBE term 15 output1, CAS CODE AOBF term15, output 2, and CAS AOCO term 15 output 3..will this STOp the starter from starting car? thank u great videos..

What's wrong with keeping the old sensors if they haven't been worn or tripped the dash light? I seen this recommended in a lot of videos.

Thanks for the really helpful video FCP and Gareth. I have a 2007 328xi. Is the procedure same for it too. Will it be having 2 sensors or just one?

Thanks for sharing this - it's really well done. Question: I just picked up a low mileage used e90. The selling dealer (non BMW) replaced the front rotors and pads - but the breaks are lightly squealing when I come to a full stop. I'm thinking I should pull the pads and grease the contact surfaces as you have shown in this video when you installed the new pads. Any other thoughts on possible cause or repair? Would you just use grease vs. the over-the-counter "anti squeal" goo? Thanks!

Thank you.

Hey guys quick question. Do you know the proper size front and rear rotors for a 2008 328i RWD manufacture date 05/08. Apparently there are 2 different sizes. thanks

Good work! Hopefully should be similar on an E90 320D M sport... Thanks :-)

Jesus man I love fcp euro. made this diy so easy.

I did a complete rotor and brake pads change on a Bmw 328i 2007 and now my emergency brake doesn't work but my brake works, I took it for a drive and it stops no problem but i have a brake light on the dash, can you tell me what I did wrong ?

I have a soft pedal after doing one side. Should I bleed the brakes?

Most problems are repairs I run into on both my e90 and e82 FCP also comes in clutch never fails

idk bout yall but it would appear the bolts on the back of my 2011 e93 are 18mm. I tried a 16mm and 17mm but those were too small. I gotta go buy an 18mm tomorrow since shops are closed rn. Kinda annoyed lol. Wonder if they're different size for the e93 or if the vid is just straight up wrong for the size

Whats the difference between brake lube and brake grease? I seen many videos all saying lube or grease. Sorry if this is a dumb question for others.

I just replaced my brakes no problem but I didn't see any need to separate the caliper from carrier. Although, it wasn't until I saw this video that I noticed my car is missing the brake wear sensor.

Does a 2011 bmw 328i have brake pad wear sensors on the passenger side or just the driver and tbe rear?