How long do brake pads last?

[AlBinVA]

Assuming daily driving, no track time or auto cross, etc. what mileage life are you high mileage owners experiencing with original brake pads?

I currently have 57k on the clock with the normal brake squealing.

[Spoolin Montego]

Front or rear. and auto or manual. Manual brakes last way longer than autos.

[mleskovar]

Originally Posted by AlBinVA

Assuming daily driving, no track time or auto cross, etc. what mileage life are you high mileage owners experiencing with original brake pads?

I currently have 57k on the clock with the normal brake squealing.

That's a lot of miles on a set of pads, I'm assuming it's mostly freeway/thruway/open road cruising. Mostly around town and very conservative driving gave 25k on my front and 32K on the back pads (auto).

[rori zahr]

40000K here

[08LMB135i]

Did my pads at 51000km but could have got closer to 60000km out of them.

[JimD]

I'm only around 25K miles on my bimmer with a manual. I'd like to have a rough idea for a manual too. My manual transmission SUV (suzuki) is over 80K miles on the pads. My last one went closer to 100K and I only replaced then because I was tired of checking them. I doubt the bimmer will go this far but I wouldn't be surprised if it went half as far.

In my experience, there is a HUGE difference auto versus manual. It is one of the lesser known advantages of driving a manual.

Jim

[ejm3]

I'm usually pretty good on brakes and with a manual I expect to get decent mileage out of mine. I have 17k in mine so far.
My question is can the rotors be cut one time or do they need to be replaced along with th pads?

[Bob Z.]

Why would the brake pads last longer on a manual than an automatic? If the same person drives both I cannot see why one set would last longer than the other.

[awns729]

Originally Posted by Bob Z.

Why would the brake pads last longer on a manual than an automatic? If the same person drives both I cannot see why one set would last longer than the other.

Engine braking is one reason. And I think the second is that when you're stopped you don't have a torque converter like an AT car that always makes the car want to move forward, so brakes on a MT aren't countering that force.

[shah269]

48k
they look good!

[Simsims]

Originally Posted by Bob Z.

Why would the brake pads last longer on a manual than an automatic? If the same person drives both I cannot see why one set would last longer than the other.

because automatic is heavier

[JimD]

With an automatic, when you take your foot off the gas, the engine is still pushing the car forward due to the torque converter (conventional automatic). It is the same force that will cause you to creep forward on level ground if you remove your foot from the brake at a stop light. With a manual, when you take your foot off the gas the engine tries to slow the car down. If you start to slow down early enough, the amount of braking is greatly reduced. If you have to make a quick stop, you still have the engine helping to stop the car versus the engine trying to continue to push the car forward.

Jim

[yakuza70]

Originally Posted by JimD

With an automatic, when you take your foot off the gas, the engine is still pushing the car forward due to the torque converter (conventional automatic). It is the same force that will cause you to creep forward on level ground if you remove your foot from the brake at a stop light. With a manual, when you take your foot off the gas the engine tries to slow the car down. If you start to slow down early enough, the amount of braking is greatly reduced. If you have to make a quick stop, you still have the engine helping to stop the car versus the engine trying to continue to push the car forward.

Jim

Would this still apply to a DCT in manual mode?

[john_w_lewis]

58k and pads still going strong.

[Pyrat 2]

Just replaced mine for the first time at 5k. Of course that was with track time which you said to exclude.

[GerryL]

Originally Posted by yakuza70

Would this still apply to a DCT in manual mode?

Yes, because effectively the clutch never goes in until you are very close to a stop.

[miiipilot]

im at 36000 and amazed they still have life.

I better get a replacement set before my free maintenance is up

[TheSt|G]

18k for the rears, about 24k for the fronts.

You really tear up rears in these cars if you drive hard, but a Quaife should solve that eventually.

[Pkaia524]

Replaced front pads/rotors at 87,500. OEM rear pads/rotors at 98,250, with warning sensor saying I have 8,000 miles left. I drive 150 miles/day M-F, with 130 on the highway. But I bought the car with 35K on the odo.

[Phlonx]

My rear brakes went waaaaay faster than my fronts (Manual). I was scratching my head until my buddy pointed out that I drive it like its stolen and the way the OEM diff uses the rear brakes must have caused it. I put about 20k miles on them and it says "brakes" on my dash in red now. Fronts look like they r still new.

[08LMB135i]

Originally Posted by Phlonx

My rear brakes went waaaaay faster than my fronts (Manual). I was scratching my head until my buddy pointed out that I drive it like its stolen and the way the OEM diff uses the rear brakes must have caused it. I put about 20k miles on them and it says "brakes" on my dash in red now. Fronts look like they r still new.

You must be hammering it everywhere, with traction control full on. I drive aggressively, auto x and love to do heavy braking and I still got close to 60000km out of mine and the rears had more life than the fronts.

[JimD]

My only DCT experience was in a M3 at M school. But I think it had significant engine braking like a manual transmission. What I know of the way it works says it should be like a manual. When conventional automatics are not locked up, the engine and wheels are only connected through the viscous coupler (torque converter). That doesn't support engine braking but does let the egine try to push the car a little.

There are other factors, of course. Last second braking is great on the race track but has many drawbacks includiing low brake life on the street. If you want things to last you have to take it easy. If you want to push the boundrys (or find them) you have to expect things to not last as long.

Jim