Warped discs and more calamaties
 

So after an 8-week waitathon to get the all-round AP set on my car, I was a little disappointed to discover a bit of wheel wobble when braking from respectable speeds after no more than 3,000 miles. Elms had the car booked in anyway, so Gareth diagnosed what I thought - warped front discs.

In fairness to AP, when I contacted them to complain, they immediately agreed to have them shipped back so that they can inspect the damage and replace them - hopefully they won't just skim the discs. I was wondering if anyone else on here has had this problem and what the consensus is generally about the best front discs? Car is used on weekends, does about 12 track days and 3 'ring trips a year. I am an inept driver, so probably use the brakes badly.

I also feel compelled to disclose in the forum the other traumas afflicting my beloved, which include an oil starvation and pressure issue (Gareth tells me it's running 2.5 bar at 4,000 revs, when it should be more like 4 bar) which has led to a top-end rebuild, and the dreaded sub-frame crack, which is booked in for the warranty repair next month. Not a good couple of months.

On the upside, I got a particularly chavtastic hifi set up including replacement speakers and deadening in the door panels, a monster amp, a clever digital EQ, an i-pod connect and a sneaky sub that sits in the boot. It is all hidden away, but sounds pure Essex.

I am hoping that all this will be sorted and the engine run-in before the 'ring trip on 8th October (anyone going?).

What pads did you out on the car new with the AP and did you run it in on the road, trck or not at all?

Ran them with the supplied pads initially, bedded them in carefully. Went to the 'ring after about 1,000 miles, all seemed good although the rears were getting very hot (and I wished I'd bought the bigger discs instead of just the caliper kit on the rear). But no problems bedding in.

Upgraded the pads to EBCs on the rear because they had cooked themselves after about 2,500 miles. Been fine since, if a little noisy. But probably need RS29s all round, I guess.

(just noticed the calamitous spelling of calamitous in the header..ggrr)

Pads you get with AP are the cause. Don't use fronts. They cause pad deposits.

Light skim of the discs, bin the lads and use rs29 and all will be well.

It's not the discs, it the pads.

My disk's got hot spots on them, due to the pads supplied by AP, replaced disk's and now run RS29;s brilliant now. :thumbs:

@ elms tomorrow (8th Sept)
 

If anyone about for a brew ?

Doh, meant to be new thread...

Are they loaning you a car for the few weeks you will be without :whistle:

Not at Elms but ill be at home if you fancy a coffee or bacon sarnie, in the sunshine

May swing by in 1 series....txt you

cool, we are here before lunch anyway


will you fit?


is it a vert?

:)

The rear AP discs are the same dimensions with the BMW discs.
In fact the original discs are better as they have the semi-floating design with an aluminium hat.
The AP ones are one-piece-steel.

Hope so, on both counts !

Take some pics,gotta see Yanto squeezed into a 1series vert:-D

We need a "new rides" section or I'm off to the oppo !!!

SpecialKev will love it !!

:hahaha::hahaha::hahaha: it will be very compact :whistle:

I find it incredible AP still supply juddery pads with there £2000-odd brake kits! I'd be so annoyed if that happened after spending all that ££££ especially as it's the main gripe with the OEM setup (when you get a good disc/pad combo the OEM stuff can work pretty well).

Why don't AP just get a deal with EBC and use Yellowstuff or something, not the best track pad in the world but road legal and they don't generally judder and have very good road manners.

AFAIK were/are DS2500 supplied and they are dusty and often judder, could be something else now though?

I've always found there is an element of good luck with brake discs/pad combinations, sometimes they work fine and an exact same setup doesn't, but sometimes too light braking can cause it if the pad is not worked hard enough or if the pad is not brought up to temp properly.

Mind you there are some very good resellers out there that offer an alternative pad and you have to only pay the difference.
When I got mine, I just paid the difference to upgrade the pads to Pagid RS14 and the reseller kept the Ferodos.
That was Questmead :thumbs: top service from this company !

Am interested in your oil pressure problem.....what does Gareth think the cause is, bad pump?, blockage somewhere etc....keep us informed....I think this may be a problem on a lot of m3/CSL's which in turn is leading to high oil and water temps and subsequently top end starvation....

Thanks all - cracking advice as always. RS29s are now on order and will bin the AP front pads.

I will also let everyone know the ultimate diagnosis on the top-end starvation. Elms tell me that it's lunched the camshafts and yet I didn't see very high temps on the various track days.

Sounds like it did the same to mine i got a new engine after the head was removed as the bores were damaged at the top :bigcry:
Pic 1 The cam followers were like 50ps
Pic 2 The the markes on the bores
Pic 3 The new lump waiting to get fitted :notworthy:

Mark,

Thanks for sharing, and yikes!

I am really hoping that the damage on mine isn't as bad, but oil starvation seems to be a common issue from what I've read on here. Seriously hope it doesn't need a new engine, as I'll need to run it in before going to the 'ring and that will require me doing crazy things like allowing the missus to drive it to work, etc. Fingers crossed.

Any outcome on this...or source for the oil pressure issues??:smokin:

Whats up with your motor? Has it blown up?

get back to the caravan ye little fecker :)

I'm home now mate.

Ironically I was in a caravan. Big 36ft x 12ft luxury home. Things have certainly moved on in statics., It had central heating:)

I had a lovely week in Wales, weather was great. Swimming in the sea on Saturday.

We decided on a Uk holiday for 2 reasons.

1. Kids too young to be sat in sun.
2. Cost (wedding next yr is crippling me:119:) and 3 weeks away on honeymoon to look forward to next yr.

But by the time I totalled up the spends, It was false fucking economy:moan:, would have been cheaper all inclusive in tropical paradise somewhere.

The things we sacrifice for our kids eh. :smt055

Update is this:

- car has been sat at Elms for more than a couple of weeks waiting for new cams to arrive; Emma's done a sterling job of chasing them down, and I've been haranguing BMW services to pull their finger out.

- AP replaced the warped discs free of charge, no questions asked. They said that the most likely cause was the car being driven in the wet and then sat for a while (probably true). I'll gladly post their email with the full assessment of the cause of the warping for anyone geeky enough to be interested.

- New pads have been ordered. Couldn't get RS29s in time for when I need the car, so ordered Pagid RS5s (bring on the abuse for my incorrect choice, but I was bored of chasing down RS29s).

Hopefully pick up the car at the weekend, fingers crossed. Anyone doing the DN trip on the 8th/9th?

Haha....no mate all is well with my two....but I have been seeing a continuing theme of oil pressure issues with S54's.....I am just interested to see what people are being told is the cause......

Problems that seem to be occurring are cam wear and overheating issues.....water and oil and vice versa.....

Any ideas......?

Hi,

Quote- ''Problems that seem to be occurring are cam wear........

Maybe best to start a new thread rather
than go off topic here ?

http://www.cslregister.com/forum/sho...781#post123781

Regards,

The Gorilla.

Can't see how Cam wear is off topic when the OP has Cam wear???