Why is a smooth stop difficult in an E60?

I've noticed that my 06 550i (also the 05 545 that I test drove) is hard to smoothly bring to a complete stop. I've searched this forum for posts on 'brake jerk' and found various responses, but I understood from my dealer that the '06 models had a 'soft brake' new feature that was supposed to fix this.

Has anybody else experienced this problem? Any solutions or ideas? I don't have this problem with any other vehicle I drive (corvette, tahoe, lexus, Falcon-50 jet, etc.) so it appears to be unique to BMW.

In fact I think the 06 soft brake 'feature' makes the problem worse as the computer is messing with releasing brake pressure at the last second just when I also naturally release pressure. The result is that the car rolls forward instead of smoothly stopping; this dance is repeated a time or two utill I do what it takes to STOP the bloody car! Sheesh, all I wanted was a nice smooth stop.

Ideas? Thanks -steve-

Reply » Why is a smooth stop difficult in an E60?

maybe its ur brake pads, alot of dealers put really shoty pads on,

Reply » Why is a smooth stop difficult in an E60?

I'm new to the BMW world and when I got my first new BMW about two weeks ago, I was also not used to the "comfort stop" feature of the braking system. When I was driving my Toyota Corolla, I would ease up on the brake pressure a bit at the last second to ensure a smooth stop. After getting into my BMW, I did the same thing like in my Corolla and ended up stopping a few feet ahead of my intended stopping point. I was like "what's going on" and then eventually realized what was happening.

Now that I'm used to it, I actually like the comfort stop feature. Just maintain steady brake pressure and decelerate at a normal pace and the car will automatically ease up the brake pressure for you at the very last moment to minimize brake jerk (at the expense of causing the car to roll slightly forward). However, if you brake/decelerate too quickly, comfort stop will not do its magic (which is a good thing, because in emergency braking, you do not want brake pressure to ease up).

Hope this helps!

Reply » Why is a smooth stop difficult in an E60?

I'm pretty sure it's BMW's brakes combined with automatic transmissions. I've driven my friend's E46 330i w/Step and my father's E39 530i w/Step and both have the brake jerk, which I've also noticed when they drive. My guess is you apply a little more brake pressure at the very end to counteract the torque converter, but when you ease up, the brakes are grabby and keep the wheels locked, and the jerk is the car settling back on the suspension? Combine strong BMW brakes with whatever torque your engine puts out... should be more noticeable than in a Corolla.

I don't get the brake jerk with my manual tranny car, nor in the MT cars I test drove at dealerships. When I come to a stop, I ease up on the pedal right at the end, and it feels like the car body and wheels sort of stop together and then settle back together. That's a pretty vague explanation.

Reply » Why is a smooth stop difficult in an E60?

A "brake jerk" is the person driving in front of you who rides his or her breaks for no apparent reason

Reply » Why is a smooth stop difficult in an E60?

I have no problems with smooth stops in my July build '06 530i without the comfort stop feature. That said, my M3s were easier to bring to a smooth stop than my 530i. Maybe you just need to acclimate to the new brake feel of the 550i vs. your previous ride.

Falcon-50 - that's a little faster than the Pipers and Cessnas I used to fly for fun

Page 1 of 2