34 00... General Information

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 BMW 550i, 2009 BMW 550i, and 2008 BMW 550i. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The brake system is one of the most important safety systems on any motor vehicle. It is therefore essential to act with utmost care when working on the brake system and to follow the instructions below.

General:

Ensure cleanliness and only use rags which do not lose lint.
Wash away or vacuum up brake dust, do not clear it away using compressed air. This dust is a health hazard.
Ensure that no oils or grease enter the brake system: these substances would cause complete failure of the entire brake system.
When cleaning brake components with brake cleaner do not allow brake cleaner to get into the brake system.
Even the most minute traces of brake cleaner must be avoided.

Brake fluid:

Replace brake fluid at least every two years.
Never re-use drained brake fluid.
Always use BMW-approved brake fluid, refer to BRAKES - OPERATING FLUIDS .
Always dispose of brake fluid in approved receptacles.
Do not allow brake fluid to drain into drain pipes, into the outside environment or into unsuitable facilities. This would create the risk of groundwater contamination since brake fluid is classed as a fluid that is hazardous to water.
Do not allow brake fluid to come into contact with paintwork as this will destroy the paint.
Brake fluid must not be allowed to remain on bare skin too long in order to avoid skin problems. Wash skin coated with brake fluid with water and soap.
If brake fluid makes contact with eyes, immediately flush with large quantity of clean water and visit eye doctor.

Wheel brakes:

Brake linings:
Brake linings must be replaced when the warning threshold of the brake lining wear indicator is reached.

Refer to BRAKES - TECHNICAL DATA .

Brake linings must always be replaced on both sides of any axle.

The friction surfaces of the brake linings must not come into contact with oils or greases. The brake linings must be replaced if they are fouled by such substances.

In the case of rotation-dependent brake linings, make sure the arrow marking points in the direction of rotation of the brake disk for when the vehicle is moving forward. Brake linings with left/right markings must be fitted on the relevant side of the vehicle.

One-sided angled areas on the brake linings must be located on the disk contact side of the brake caliper for when the vehicle is moving forward.
Brake discs:
Brake disks must not be scored or cracked. Furthermore, minimum brake disk thickness, disk runout, parallelism and surface roughness of the friction surfaces must not exceed or drop below the permitted values.

Refer to BRAKES - TECHNICAL DATA .

Always strip preservative off new parts before installation. With the rear brake discs, also strip preservative off brake drum on parking brake.
Brake drums:
Brake drums must not be scored or cracked. Furthermore, the maximum drum inside diameter, radial runout and surface roughness of the friction surfaces must not exceed or drop below the permitted values.

Refer to BRAKES - TECHNICAL DATA .

Always strip preservative off new parts before installation.
Brake calipers:
Only approved pastes on the basis of glycine must be used for repairs on brake calipers.

All moving parts on the brake caliper must move freely: note grease specifications.

Use only BMW-approved lubricants to grease caliper guides (refer to BRAKES - OPERATING FLUIDS ).

Brake lines, brake hoses: brake lining wear indicator

Brake lines and brake hoses must be correctly routed and must not abut with body or components in a way which would cause chafing.
To prevent damage, release and tighten brake line couplings with a special brake line wrench only.
The system must be bled each time any brake lines have been detached.
All connection points must be checked for leaks.
Only tighten down brake hoses on the front axle when wheels are in straight-ahead position.
Close open connections on brake lines and individual components to prevent dirt from entering the brake system.
Observe tightening torques when tightening down brake line screw connections.
Tightening torque, 34 32 1AZ. See 34 32 BRAKE LINES .

Wheel-slip control system:

The slip control system is basically maintenance-free.

However, be sure to adhere to the following:

When carrying out welding work with electric welding equipment, be sure to disconnect the plug from the electronic control unit (ignition turned off).
During painting work, the control unit may be subjected for brief periods to loads of max. 95°C and for long periods (approx. 2 hours) to loads of max. 85°C.
Tighten down the battery terminals completely.
The brake lines on the hydraulic unit must not be mixed up; if necessary, mark them before they are removed and after completing repairs perform the mix-up check with the DIS Tester.