The Satisfaction of Cleaning Up Brake Dust - 2015 BMW M235i Convertible Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

The Satisfaction of Cleaning Up Brake Dust - 2015 BMW M235i Convertible Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com takes a look at the brake dust generated by its long-term 2015 BMW M235i.

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vvk

BMW brakes seem to increase their dust output as they approach their wear limit. So in a way it is also a safety feature. I was putting my winter wheels on a week ago and noticed that the inner pads were near the end of their life. I expected it, since the dust output increased significantly in the preceding weeks. The new two piece BMW rotors look amazing on my 550i. Took most of my Sunday to do the front brakes but love the look of those rotors and the feel of new meaty pads.

daryleason

I used to be very fastidious about cleaning the exterior and the interior of a vehicle. But that was back when I lived in the city and didn't drive down county roads 1/3 of the time. When I moved to the country, I got less stringent about cleaning the exterior of my vehicles. Dirt roads means you'd be washing every day. Then I got married and had a kid. Which meant I got less fastidious about the interior. Compound that with my wife, who seems to fill a vehicle to capacity, no matter what I own, and I'm lucky the car doesn't get tagged as an abandoned vehicle when I park it in a parking lot.

hank39

Nice job with the picture/photoshop

Same with daryl - I used to be way more meticulous - back when I was single - about how my cars looked (most notably my WRX and Speed3), but then I realized how much time that was taking away from other things I enjoyed and spending time with my wife (and now our 1-year-old). Priorities shift as life happens. Now I relish in the fact that I got a silver P5 that's close to 13 years old. It hides dirt sooo much better and I just don't care as much about the appearance. Although I still find myself avoiding driving in the rain - or after a rainstorm to avoid getting our cars dirty...especially if they've just been washed.

adamb1

Seems like a little care in wheel design and air flow could direct that dust away from the wheel.

longtimelurker

"Fortunately cleaning the dust off is easy enough and oddly therapeutic."

I don't think doing something that needs doing and feeling good about having done it is odd. Maybe it would feel odd if it doesn't happen often enough to feel normal.

darthbimmer

On my previous M3 I had chromed wheels. A lot of friends dismissed them as too bling-y but I loved them for the reason that they shed BMW's notoriously copious brake dust so easily. They always shined!

banhugh

Brake dust is one of the nastiest stuff around the car. I would put some neoprene gloves under some regular mechanic's gloves if I were you.

dgcamero

It looks like considerably less brake dust than my sis in law's 2007 335i convertible. Even with plenty of brake pad meat left, it will have lightly visible dust after 50 miles. After 300 miles, the front wheels will be black...fortunately, if you wax the rims at least yearly, some Griot's waterless car wash and a few microfiber towels make quick and easy work of getting that dust off.

I think BMW changed their pad and rotor formulations in the early 2010s maybe? The newer ones seem to only make about half as much dust.

s197gt

i like to clean and see the fruit of my labor; but i don't need to do it so often.

i gave up keeping up with the brake dust on our e90 after we had a child. we also bought new wheels so we could use winter tires on the oe wheels. i didn't think about how the narrow spaces in-between the spokes of the aftermarket wheels would be impossible to clean.

and i wouldn't even mind the brake dust if it wasn't so hard on the finish of the wheels. so many wheels start to flake their clear coat very early it seems. eventually paid $425 to get the four oe bmw wheels repainted (and one straightened).

my neighbor bought a lightly used e93 and quickly swapped out the oe pads for an aftermarket ceramic that are well reviewed on various forums. a little less initial bite but also a lot less dust. it is what i'll be doing when it is time.

diigii

Here in Toronto, I noticed a lot of owners of German "statement" cars such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche don't even bother to clean their front rims of the brake dust. It is obvious their cars just got a nice wax job by their owners or from being detailed at a car wash business but the rims are still filthy of brake dust, which now has turn to look like mud because of getting mixed with the water and soap. It is like the owners want that "statement" shouted to other drivers "Hey look I'm driving a German car."