BMW 330i 325i E46 Brake Booster Replacement DIY (No Bleeding Required!)

How to replace the brake booster on an E46, specifically a 2002 BMW 330i, without having to drain the brake fluid and remove the master cylinder or the DSC unit.
If you are interested in the rebuild kit I used to fix my DISA unit, you can find it here:
germanautosolut...

[@dpkumph]

Thank you for your great videos! This video was also an excellent demo for replacing the lower intake boot. The brake booster hose is in the way of the heat shield, I appreciate your explanations of how it all comes apart. Thanks for the DISA valve pin drop warning, too. I didn't realize that was a potential problem. Here's hoping I don't lose any parts in the intake.

[@Lithiumguy]

Thanks for the video 50s! I've changed mine lately on my 25i based on this video. Hell of a job, no doubt on that. I have some more info for you if you don't mind: - DSC is not really just an ABS. It has more hose to go in the cube, and doing other stuffs as well. - at 9:11 that blinded tube on the side of the reservoir tank is for the clutch, it's not under pressure, so there is no clamps or clips on it, fairly easy to disconnect. It will drip brake fluid so be careful! - well, it needed quite an amount of force to bend the brake lines. Initially I was a little scared to break those, but it's rigid as hell there, also note, these hoses are not copper. - I didn't remove the lower windshield cover, but it would be helpful, makes more space when you try to bash out the drum itself. - when you removed the 2 clips at the brake pedal, I simply slided right the pedal to that point, where it can be rotated out from that holding pin. Saved me a solid 30-40 minutes I presume. - of course, it made the reassembly a lot easier. There is a plastic 'salvo' on the upper point holding the pedal straight, it needed a little bit twisted arm to get there and reinsert it back. - pay attention when inserting the master cylinder into the booster, it has a pin in the center, and the master cylinder needs to be aligned with it. - reinserting the lower pin of the DSC back to its place was quite hard, because you need to bend the hoses back, and you have less leverage on it. - if you experience some brake fluid on your master cylinder shaft, you need to change that as well. Brake fluid is a strong oil, removes paint in an instance, leave bare metal to rust, so you can do this procedure again some time lately :D Thanks again for the video!

[@rigobertotorres733]

Your oil filter housing gasket video was great and gave me confidence to doing it myself. Thanks. Just wondering if you were going to do a video on oil pan gasket replace?

[@50sKid]

+Rigoberto Torres Thanks very much. Yes, I've already shot the video. It will be coming up soon.

[@Silverdogz]

Unfortunately, this won't work for manual transmissions, with out an addendum. There is a braided hose on the right side of the reservoir (next to the computer) that goes down into the transmission. It needs to be removed and a bolt put through it. Then you do have to bleed the clutch, which isn't that bad, just annoying. If you could put an annotation in the video about this that'd be great!

[@valpinzon96]

What if the car was manual swapped?

[@1Custom3]

Won't make a difference. The line still goes from the brake master reservoir to the slave cylinder. But, good news, I replaced my booster today and pinched off the clutch line with line pliers before pulling the line off the masters reservoir. After replacement and reassembly, I didn't need to bleed the clutch. Please keep in mind every situation has a different out come. Always check before assuming. Also, please keep in mind I am also a technician and do these sort of things daily.

[@jefftc14]

I'm doing this job now on a manual and can confirm, hose is on the right side near where you fill the reservoir. no way around it as the hose is too short for booster to come out around it so has to be disconnected

[@vegardulven9515]

I did this yesterday om my manual coupe. And i can confirm that it was a pain in the ass to get in there, but eventually i got it.

[@AUTONICHE]

Great video man,, just replaced mines. And didnt have to remove the brake fluid! which was good

[@moisesalec4604]

instablaster...

[@Brian7290]

I just got done with this job. Removing the third bolt on the brake pedal bracket makes that part super easy. I was only under the dash for about 5 minutes total. I did mark the bolt since it looks like an adjustment, but once you bolt the booster on it really doesn't matter. It ends up in the same spot. The brake light switch comes off with the brake assembly, so no adjustments needed there. - My 2001 330xi had a different DSC/ABS. It's cylindrical and had its own short section of hard line that was really in the way. I also did not have the flexible lines off the master cylinder that yours had. Mine were hard lines. That made maneuvering it out of the brake booster compartment a lot harder. I was able to do so only after loosening the booster and essentially squeezing the brake lines while pushing towards the engine to get it around that metal frame before completely seperating it from the booster. - I read a tip on E46 fanatics (I think) to compress the brake booster with a lightweight tie-down strap before installing. I used that tip to get the old one out as well. It was still extremely tight, but it allowed me to do it without taking off the DISA and lower air boot. I probably should have taken those out anyways as it doesn't take long. If I had to do it again I'd take those off. - There was a point with the hard lines on mine that I thought there was no way it was coming off and figured I'd have to open those up. I kept fighting but it wasn't easy. That said, there is a lot more flex in all the components than it seems. You just have to keep trying and at some point give it a good push and have faith. On the install, definitely cover it with a rag to protect the new one. All in all, I did this in under 3 hours. It's doable in 2, but I'd allow 4 to be safe. Thanks so much for the video! No more high pitch whine!

[@MrDamianDXi]

Jaki miałeś problem? U mnie w 330xi mimo dobrych tarcz, klocków i nowego płynu oraz po regeneracji zacisków hamulcowych hamulce są ciężkie, brak efektywności, trzeba mocno wciskać pedał hamulca, aby był efekt. Uważasz, że to serwo do wymiany?

[@Brian7290]

@@MrDamianDXi My brake booster was making a whistling noise whenever my foot was off the brake. Any pressure on the brake pedal made the noise go away. If your problem is not air in the fluid, it could be the brake booster. The first thing I'd check is the vacuum to the booster. If it's not getting a good vacuum, I imagine it would feel like manual brakes rather than power brakes. Check the hoses, any plastic connections, and the grommet on the brake housing. Good luck.

[@sheikmain3243]

Will this be the same on a manual

[@Jamy4ya]

I really love your patience and dedication for making videos like this. And we also need a mechanic like you who makes mistakes so that we viewers can take a note and avoid such. Now it looks like even the brake-booster is in my DIY list. Thanks for these videos mate as always. Keep it coming.

[@lhendrick1]

Hey 50sKid, thanks for posting this great video. While chasing vacuum leaks, I finally realized that that sucking sound I heard under the hood was actually the brake booster leaking and causing lean codes, keeping me from passing my NYS emissions inspection, for months. I was getting 28% short term adaptation values using INPA and had already replaced all the hoses, CCV, valve cover gasket, DISA O-ring, Idle control valve rubber, etc. All that was after using your ABS/DSC replacement video to replace my failed ABS module (with an Ebay unit for $90!). I thought maybe I had dropped or damaged the master cylinder to brake booster O ring during the ABS replacement...... I was working alone in my driveway.. I was concerned about getting the brake booster can out of my 2002 E46, and really didn't want to have to disconnect the brake lines (again!) or bleed the brakes (again!) so I was glad to see your video procedure. I disassembled all the intake parts to make room, pulled the rubber mount from the brake lines, disconnected the brake booster and then struggled to get it out of the car as it was hitting the ABS module, so I pulled the mount off the bottom of the ABS and really pushed the whole master cylinder/ABS assembly up and to the front, hoping not to damage a brake line. I didn't drain any fluid first. I was finally able to get the booster out, but man what a pain in the butt. The under dashboard work went easy for me, learning from your video to loosen third mounting bolt, and actually removing the entire brake pedal assembly. Struggled to get the new booster (New ATE unit, $140) in place, really had to push on the master cylinder/ABS assembly to make room. 20 minutes more to get the pedal connected again. It worked. No vacuum leak. No damage to brake lines. Really happy to have this fixed. My overall take is that it may be easier for some to just pull the master cylinder and ABS/DSC off to make it all go easier, and plan to do a bleed, as much as I hate that. I own this E46 since new, and with 174,000 miles I would say that with the vacuum leaks, ABS failure, and general wear on parts that you have posted it may just be better to do a huge preventative maintenance session with all of the corrective work and get it done, instead of having something fail every month for years. Now that I have the car ready for state inspection and the motor running so sweet, I am tempted to do the cooling system preventative maintenance, wheel bearings and suspension refresh so I can put another 100,000 miles on it. Thanks! Larry

[@vestimo]

I blame myself for not reading your comments before doing this job. I also blame 50skid for providing this video. LoL

[@chanaiiH]

The valve that is on the brake booster of my 330ci 2003 bmw is sucked, the car has a air leak they wanted to charge me300$ just to see the problem but it never gave me other problem since i changed the intake to a new one, after 3 sec i turn it off you can hear a pshhhh coming out the car, i hope you can help me i Dont have any problems with my brakes they just make noise when im driving on the streets, the valve

[@AnthonySantiago]

Thanks Jason, for the great tutorial. Completed the brake booster replacement in about 4 hours. It was a PITA to wrestle the booster in and out. But got it to work. Next up, tackling vacuum leaks.

[@gabrielq.906]

having a manual makes this so much harder i swear

[@JorgeTamezPhoto]

I'm experiencing the same issue with my car, but the brakes already feel spongy and less efficient. Does that mean that air has already gotten into the system? If so, I should just disconnect the DSC, master cylinder (when replacing the brake booster) and bleed it anyways, right?

[@50sKid]

You can if you want to. I wouldn't. It's much easier to not drain the system dry of brake fluid in any case.

[@bizzzle1258]

@50skid Thank you so much for this great guide. I've found about 17 of your videos helpful as I begin learning how to work on my own car after owning an e-46 for 15 years and just doing basic maintenance. I'm about to attempt it, would you have done anything differently looking back now?

[@chiralhome]

I REITERATE WHAT Jamy4ya SAID 1 year ago Love your patience and dedication for making videos like this.

[@johnfoley6893]

once again great video. Just did the job in 3 hours. Some things to speed it up are as follows: No need to take off the lower intake boot, no need to drain the brake fluid, very easy when you remove upper nut from above brake pedal, remove both clips and slide brake pedal off it's pivot (make sure to slide plastic collar on when replacing, Keep up the videos

[@Silverdogz]

Did you need to remove the DISA?

[@johnfoley6893]

no need to remove DISA. Funny though, I installed the booster which I picked up at a junk yard and had to do the job again with a new one since the Junk Yard part was leaking too.

[@50sKid]

Yeah it kind of makes sense because they have rubber seals inside them and they just degrade over time. I guess a new part is the way to go on this one.

[@vincelarocque4519]

Excellent video !!....Leaving mistakes is great thing on the video. It helps so much for us that do it yourself ers !!!!..... Hey, Ive seen regular licensed mechanics do it themselves- break things--, so it happens !....anyways, a VERY helpful video as I need to go tackle mine now too !!!......AWESOME !!!!!!

[@robertalexandrescu9975]

Do you know if this procedure is good for n42 valvetronic?

[@50sKid]

should be

[@mattschmerbeck8375]

I dived into doing this job on my 2004 325xi and unfortunately mine is a little different. My brake lines follow a different route and just won’t budge..

[@RadsZerich]

Ugh not looking forward to doing this but luckily I have your video to help me along, had a scare today regarding my brakes, I hit the brake and the engine started Reving and wanted to go so I pressed harder and I about went into traffic as that made the problem much worse! Had the issue before but wasn't ever that bad so time to stop ignoring that problem

[@noodleman551]

Thnx for this video. I need to replace it on my e46 compact but i feel like you removed things that didnt need to be removed but now i got a idea how to replace it

[@mr.bricktop4894]

does the brake booster leak can affect the idle when stopping or on stop while idling on traffic i've change all may vacuum lines maf sensor cam sensor cleaned icv and throttle body but it still fluctuate when am stopping or in gear while holding down the brake now i notice a hissing sound whenever i push on the brake pedal

[@martymeyer4125]

Glad you keep in your "mistakes", it let's us know what is probably going to break for us, so we can order the part, hose, etc.... ahead of time

[@chiralhome]

HOW OLD ARE U?.... WE DON'T RUN OUT OF TAPE ANYMORE... LOL.. WHAT ARE U USING TO FILM?

[@231mac]

Awesome video! You helped me out a lot. I found a few things that will make it even easier to do the repair. When you bend the DSC unit out of the way, remove its mounting plate. It's three 10mm bolts. Makes it much easier to get the booster in and out. Also, Tighten the top nut of the brake pedal assembly before you install the booster. This will allow the bolt holes to stay aligned. After you put the booster studs through the holes, put the inside nuts on about two or three threads. then loosen the top nut and that will give you the adjusting room you need to the rod on the pedal.

[@50sKid]

Great tips! Thanks for contributing.

[@duncanmil1]

Thank you for this video. I just did this job on my 330xi 6 speed manual. The only real trouble I had was that one of the studs that sticks out of the servo and into the car got unseated and I had to work between the servo and the firewall to pull the stud back into its Knerl. Don't try to force the servo studs though the firewall.

[@mrrobertr2]

Thanks to the man for the film. Without him, I will never mention this brake booster. And so it took me only 5 hours. I'm afraid to record and exchange such things at the same time. Regards from Poland.

[@Gangweezy]

Great video 50, it is very informative when you leave in the mistakes and then clear them up with the subtitles that is what makes us DIYS guys better knowing how to deal with mistakes and what you may encounter when dealing in small spaces like this👍🔧. That adjustment plate under the kick panel made things a whole lot easier when you explained what you did.✌

[@50sKid]

GangWar GangWeezy Yep that was me just learning as I went. I just want to give the impression that you can do the same thing because you see exactly how I go about it.

[@eazyraul]

@50sKid my e46 330ci has a brake booster problem ...can i use brake booster from left hand drive 330ci on my UK( right hand drive) 330ci ?

[@franksilval]

Thank you for this post ...I'm having issues with the booster one of my BMW ...I will follow your instructions :)

[@325ti1]

Hello, very good video, congratulations ... just one question, is it really necessary to remove all the oil from the vessel? thank you

[@MarkTilley1963]

Just finished changing my servo after watching this video and perfect, it made the job easy so to speak so well done and thank you for taking the time to do the video in the first place

[@caldwellelectric2559]

thanks for this vid bud! just did this yesterday it was a breeze! I had no choice by to do it this way because I have a communication problem with the car and cannot access the computer to purge the air if the lines are open and air gets in. thanks again!

[@christiancml]

Hello, I replaced my booster pretty easy with your DIY, but now the front brakes are experiencing brake drag, I did disconnect the DSC/ABS module connector. Do you know if the booster pushrod is adjustable? or it may be just an electronic issue with the pump...

[@christiancml]

About 2 hours with the help of a friend. One have to be very careful when inserting the master cylinder to make sure is perfectly aligned with the brake booster, do not force it in. In my first attempt I forced it and the the brake mster plunger and pin where not aligned creating the brake drag, once I aligned them everything went back to normal. If the car is 10+ years and you are planning on keeping it forever, I would go ahead and replace the master cylinder as well, you will be set for another 10 years for sure...

[@semente29]

hello, is it possible to change the e46 325ci brake master cylinder from one of an M3? is it worth it?

[@boyfromgermany]

very good. greetings from germany

[@JorgeTamezPhoto]

Oh man, I finally got around to try to do this. I've been at it for 6 hours and I just cannot get the DSC out of the way enough. I can't get the pin/bolt in the bracket that holds the DSC past that ledge :/ I did it at the junkyard, just can't do it at home.

[@santanita2099]

how do I Know what Power steering pump do I have on my e46 2004 BMW 330i??

[@MrDamianDXi]

Numer części na serwie?

[@nolanmotorsportsmedia]

Love finding old videos that are going to help my with my BMW Race Car. I am working on my Brakes and documenting it, I will make sure to list this video as my inspiration ;) Thanks for your time, now on to working on my build.

[@HumbertoBenavidesphotographer]

Hello 50sKid first of all thanks for all your helpful videos, wonderful job my man. I just got a question, I replaced my brake booster on my son's 2000 323Ci following your directions on this video successfully, but a day after the replacement the DSC light came on, do I need to bleed the brakes? or what's your oppinion for this issue in particular? Do I damaged the DSC unit? or a brake pressure sensor? what do you think?

[@dannykimble7671]

Hi great video, you do need that little bit of play in the master cyl as that is where the internal ports are open to the reservoir & fluid is transferred, it’s VERY important as you could have your brakes locked on when getting hot & fluid can’t return to the reservoir. Hope this helps.

[@anyhootyepo654]

I appreciate you! Thanks!

[@archieblevins833]

Recall on brake boosters. Vacuum line replace in 2013because of recall, line could leak into brake booster. Now 2021 oil is now behind n the brake booster and BM refusing to pay for it because they say the line was replace in 2013 cleared no the recall. Paying out of pocket to get it for x d but will have to call NHTSA and maybe a lawyer. Some how I will get my money back.

[@unusualaquariumecosystems5805]

How do you remove the vacuum hose at 4:10 from the servo so easily? I was told it was a single use clip? Thanks in advance.

[@chanaiiH]

The valve that is on the brake booster is sucked, my car is misfiring and it has a air leak they wanted to charge me300$ just to see the problem but it never gave me other problem since i changed the intake to a new one, after 3 sec i turn it off you can hear a pshhhh coming out the car

[@gregorytoles8380]

Everything went smooth when I replaced the brake booster. I hooked everything back now the car won't start has a new battery

[@NistorElvis]

Very good video 👏💪👍

[@Kylethemestupfile]

i followed your video exactly to a T. I don't know what went wrong, but now my brake pedal is hard as a rock and i have no brakes. any ideas what the problem is??

[@NavySEAL11]

+Kylethemestupfile I just had the same problem today....something broke in the process and now I have brake fluid spilling all over the ground....taking it to a specialist tomorrow now. :/

[@TitaniumBMWGarage]

Jacob S. Hi, what was your problem ? Brake booster too?

[@JustinVerlander35]

No vacuum assist. That’s why.

[@user-kr1gi6ch9d]

I get a hissing/whooshing noise when shutting off the car and when shifting from first to second, does replacing the brake booster fix this? I need help 50sKid

[@martinivanov7054]

Hi Jason, I accidentally pulled the Sucking Jet Pump you mention at 4:20 so how can I fix it? It goes back to its original place but it comes out pretty easily.

[@robertconstantino2277]

Hi, I am from Long Beach Ca, which junkyard do you normally go to for your parts? Can you please share it with us. Thank you so much!!

[@litmois7672]

Great video, did it on a 4 cylinder without bleeding the system (2 hours) 👍🏻 thank you sir

[@Belyaztacadel]

Great video. Hi, new subscriber here with an unsolved problem: I have replaced all vacuum lines on my 2002 BMW E46 325i; however, am still getting a hissing sound under steering wheel. When break pedal is pressed the noise reduces and when depressed the noise came back. Is this a sign of brake booster failure? Brake pedal is not hard neither travels down the floor. Any suggestions and/or help resolving this issue is much appreciated. Thank you.

[@JAS_2001]

5:17 Anyone knows the part number for this piece? I dropped the one that’s fitted closets to the back of the car, into the engine bay and now I can’t find it. Any ideas where to look for the dropped one? Is super hard to fish up with my magnetic telescope tool since I only can use the claw thing.

[@bigplayermaster11]

Hello how are you? I have a problem with my BMW 325i e46. I hope you can help me. Every time I brake smoothly there is no problem, but when I brake sharply, the speed decreases, but the car slips and I feel like scraping an iron. PD: and in return the front pads (Traductor Google) ¿Hola como estas? Tengo un problema con mi BMW 325i e46. Espero que puedas ayudarme. Cada vez que freno suave no hay problema, pero cuando freno bruscamente, la velocidad disminuye pero el automóvil se resbala y siento que raspa un fierro. Pdta. Ya cambié las pastillas delanteras

[@naturalnature9191]

Sometimes when I turn on my 2003 E46 325xi there is a air noise from the driver side air vent and it stops when I press the breaks. Do you or any one knows what it could be?

[@arnolduk123]

I want one of those "Pursuader" Bars at 23:15 My "Fecking Move" Hammer is causing too much damage.

[@donox1836]

Broke the SJP doing CCV today.. will it effect my braking?

[@billyleedee]

I did this job as described here and I found I did have to take the same items off the engine you did. I tried leaving them on at first, but needed the last inch to move the brake units far enough out of the way. You need a lot more room than you think at first. I appreciate your video as I knew upfront it was possible to do before I tried. That alone was worth the entire project !

[@callmejameschen]

If you loosen all 3 nuts and the lowest retaining clip, then depress the brake pedal just enough to lift the brake pedal from it's seat. You can take the whole pedal very easily without any force to disengage it from the pin.

[@kdogdaddy007]

As much as you take off your f connector, I recommend getting one of thse ECS metal f connectors so they don't brake as easy. I broke mine the exact way you did while taking it off.

[@johnpavon799]

Great Video, not sure time wise if it was not easier to remove both master cylinder with booster though. those tube you bent may not always bend back without breaking?

[@lucaschiavone8552]

Proprio il tutorial che cercavo fantastico!! Domani ci provo . Grazie mille per il tuo tempo

[@mitchrodriguez6855]

I changed my booster the other day and now I have traction control light and a orange brake light on now. Any thoughts about why? Thank you.

[@elahmadgaming7323]

Won’t work on e39 either because there is no space to clear the strut tower so sadly you can’t do the booster on the e39 without removing the master cylinder and the resivour

[@TitaniumBMWGarage]

Oh, my next diy in my car :(, thanks for the video.

[@TheJanis1993]

Started at 9:00 and now is 17:49 halfway done. Thank you so much 👍👍👍👍👍

[@wilfredovelez2216]

Thanks a lot!! Just did the job my self and saved some cash. Good strategy!

[@75clarkejones]

Will this work for an E46 Coupe 2002 ?

[@ogkrisp3862]

Does anyone know where I can find those 2 twist clips on the plastic shroud that holds the booster hose?

[@ZelvinRivera]

Amigo excelente video, y lo mejor de todo es que no tuviste que purgar todo el sistema de frenos 💯

[@achikoodishelashvili9441]

With the pedal, the vacuum voice is heard like shshshshs what we gonna do? please help

[@mauriciocoura4167]

Great video! omg... it's a lot of work...

[@andre_azali]

does it similar with e46 318i m43tu right driver? thank you

[@arti1295]

Pretty hard to do it with 316ti but it worked for me, thanks for the video.

[@mikeslater1865]

Hey 50sKid. Thank you so much for making this video and explaining how to change a brake booster (or servo as we call it here in UK). I didn't want to disconnect any brake pipes and lose any fluid and face the headache of bleeding the system (which I didn't!) My car is a 2005 E46 Touring (Estate or station wagon I think you would call it in the US) with the N46B20A 4 cylinder gasoline engine. The job was tricky and called for a fair amount of patience and skill but thanks to you I have done it (Replaced the booster) and my brakes are working fine again, and you saved me quite a few £££££'s on a garage bill too! Thank you. I am a BMW enthusiast and my current car is the 4th BMW I have owned, I love them. They are quality cars and need to be treated as such with proper spec oils and fluids, etc, and my cars have been very reliable over the years. Your rebuild series on the M54 engine was superb, thanks for taking the time to do these projects for us viewers, we learn so much, and also what mistakes to look for and avoid. Regards Mike Aberdeenshire Scotland. UK.

[@50sKid]

Glad that helped you out, thanks for watching!

[@mrpsd590]

That braided line, is your precharge pump line, bud.

[@yessiryousir]

Great video! Has to be one of the most informative and easy to follow DIY I have seen, Props my man!!

[@andrew96m]

I'm experiencing the same exact symptoms (sound) from the brake booster when I push the pedal but I also have very poor brake performance. I feel it takes way too long to stop the vehicle or to bring it to a halt when I press the brakes hard. Is this also a symptom of a failing booster? or is this most likely my master cylinder as well? the car sat for 2+ years and brakes have been like this ever since I got it running again. already did pads and rotors.

[@50sKid]

A failing booster will feel like a brake pedal that is very hard to press. Stiff pedal. Aftermarket pads or pads that are the wrong compound (ie not ceramic) can affect braking performance. For instance, when I first got the car I put on the wrong pads that were for a 325i (different size) and felt the difference for sure.

[@kristofer12]

Many Kudos for your videos. Was wondering if any of these videos can be crossed over to the 318Ci model? Love the way you put these together, very informative and makes me want to get to work! Good job.

[@50sKid]

+Kris Tofer I suppose the ones not involving the engine can be, such as this one.

[@zfloz9895]

Hi ! Can you please help me by telling me , what is that small vacuum line for, the one that snapped from that plastic pipe? Thanks !

[@Lithiumguy]

That vacuum line controls your fuel pump.

[@773steve]

is the car yours how many cars do u have do u fix other ppls cars

[@AlphaOmega503]

easier than I thought, just very tedious.

[@yournothated478]

26:43 that sigh of relief was FELT

[@alandaher7702]

Great video dude. Will probably be doing this soon, looks like a long fix.

[@50sKid]

Thanks. Plan for about 3 hours.

[@andrewpropst5940]

50sKid, I just did this diy last night and your video was extremely helpful. After about 3 miles the ABS, DSC and BRAKE light came on and my cruise control doesn't work. Brakes work fine though. Any ideas?! Thanks for the help!

[@50sKid]

Use a BMW scan tool to read the errors in the computer.

[@andrewpropst5940]

Actually found out I had taken out the brake light switch and put it back in the wrong place. Fixed it and the lights went off. Thank you again for the help!

[@johndrummond88]

Great Video! Do you have any recommendation regarding a hissing noise coming from under the dash and stops when brake pedal is pushed? I have a 1998 328i (Euro spec as I am stationed in Germany).

[@50sKid]

+John Drummond Certainly sounds like a leaky seal on the brake booster, but I'm just guessing.

[@johndrummond88]

Thank you. Want to be able to talk smart to the mechanics here in GER. thank you.

[@hann-marierowe3929]

I have a right hand drive 318ci would the process be easier since the booster will be on the other side? Thanks

[@50sKid]

Definitely.

[@75clarkejones]

How did it go ? Doing my E46 coupe 2002.

[@dannysoberano2042]

Grasias muy viem

[@azerzeynalov2872]

Good

[@StephenLee529]

I have an e39 that took in water due to the crappy window weather strips so, I would imagine the process is the same ?

[@50sKid]

What do water and window weather seals have to do with the brake booster, though?

[@StephenLee529]

50sKid well I read on some of e39 boards of quite a few owners getting water in the booster. And the theory is that the front windshield rubber just didn't hold up well. I can actually hear what sounds like water.

[@50sKid]

Ahh, I get it now. So yeah I would imagine the procedure is very similar.

[@StephenLee529]

I'm about to start..! Thanks for the videos

[@spcharged]

the hissing sound when you press the pedal is that normal?

[@50sKid]

+spcharged Well no, as I think you could clear, the brake booster that I got from the junkyard still had a little bit of hiss in it. I only hear it when I come to a complete stop or when I first touch the pedal. It's the sign of a booster whose seals are just beginning to go bad. The Honda I work on also has the same problem. It just happens with old cars. The booster I changed out, though, was horrible and definitely needed to be changed. I'm alright with the slight hiss--it's not something I wanted to pay $200 to get rid of!

[@spcharged]

+50sKid my car also has that hissing sound it means that booster is sucking air from cabin or from the side of master cylinder? is there a way to find out if used booster has hissing before installing it in a car? :D

[@50sKid]

+spcharged Actually, yes, now that I think about it. If we're talking about pulling one from a salvage yard, you can take a handheld vacuum pump in with you like a Mityvac, hook it up to the hose going into the booster and pump it up, then try the brake pedal. But, now that I think more about that, I don't think that would work because salvage yards usually drain all the fluids out of the cars before they let you see them and without brake fluid, there would be no resistance and hence no air squishing out. So, I guess the answer is no.

[@abmilzo]

is there nothing for eu bmw it different setup

[@50sKid]

abmilzo Do you mean for right-hand drive cars? I thought only the British had those and the euro ones were mostly right-hand drive? Anyhow, it actually should be a lot easier for you to remove the brake booster on a right-hand drive because you don't have the intake manifold in the way!

[@abmilzo]

Ye you are right eu was easier to say just the uk and Ireland. Well on my car the dsc is next to not below breaks with pipes going over so i can't use a few of the easy techniques

[@50sKid]

clabcon clabcon Actually you don't need GT1 or DIS, you can do it with just INPA which you get when you buy this cable off eBay: goo.gl/6i0MZk -- INPA is by far simpler to install and use.

[@50sKid]

clabcon clabcon Choose F3 for E46, goto Chassis => DSC (there are 3 choices, only the one your car has will work), then F6 for Activate then F2/F3 or F4/F5--which ever ones work. You just inspired me to shoot a video on this, LOL. That was the short version.

[@chiralhome]

the best... love your detailed step by step

[@vestimo]

Doing it right now and this is hell of work. I actually already regret that i didnt do it with brake fluid flush, since it kind of too dark to be good anyway.