I've owned my car 3 1/2 years with only minor issues. I was curious about the brake sensors and whether I really need to buy them or not. After looking around on NAM and hearing that some people just cut them and checked there brakes periodically, I decided to do the same. Well I looked at my brakes on the outside quite often and they looked like new(they supposedly had a lifetime warranty-yeah buddy) but the inside pads wore down to where they were digging into the rotors. I took it to my shop which my uncle owns and was going to have new pads put on. He called me later that day and said that he couldn't do anything for me because he couldn't get the caliper pistons to go back in. Now a week and a half later I can't find a replacement caliper for the back passenger side. I can find the driver side rear but the passenger side is no where to be found. I hate to have to go to the dealer and fork over about 500 when I can get the other side for 80 Bucks(remanufactured). I guess I should have replaced the sensors but I couldn't believe that they would ever wear that unevenly. I bought the tool from Harbour Freight that you need to turn the pistons back in. I told my uncle this and that when it arrives he may try it and I may not need new calipers at all. He laughed and acted like that wasn't a possibility. I didn't mean for this to be this long but it has about driven me crazy. Thanks for any advice.

Also my car is 4/03 and that's the month that they switched to different calipers(lucky me). Are the calipers the same on mine all the way to 2006?

 

Like you stated they need to be turned in. Hope he did not screw them up if he tried to force them to go in. have you ck'ed with a salvage yard for the parts?

 

Yes I ended up buying both sides from used mini cooper parts in california off an 04. They are supposed to be shipped tomorrow(mon,24). God I hope they work. Thanks for the response.