[tjalt]

Anyone know if there is a fix for the soft stop? I found the brakes to be very sensitive.

[E90Fleet]

Soft stop has nothing to do with sensitivity

[ward]

you'll only notice soft stop right before the car comes to a complete stop and only if you don't release the pedal like a normal person.

It'll feel like about one click of the ABS happening

[David328M-Sport]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

Soft stop has nothing to do with sensitivity

Only people's sensitivity toward Soft Stop!!

[onesixeight]

Like you, I'm also really irritated by the soft-stop feature. I've noticed that some cars are smoother than others, I've driven 13 E90s, and the 325 sport that I have is really bad! When coming down a hill, the car will lurch forward a couple of inches becuase the car releases brake pressure AFTER coming to a stop. I thought it would get better with miles, but my car seems to get worse with more miles. Even on flat city roads, the car will lurch about an inch after every stop. Any stop from 10mph and above will cause the car to lurch.

BMW sent a Field Service Engineer to investigate my car after I filed a complaint with the NHSTA about a possible safety issue. If you suddenly hit the brakes in traffic, the car will travel another inch from the inital point where the brake grab and complete stop the car. So my car will come to a full stop, and jerk forward another inch and stop again. He came up with a really (I'm sorry to say), BS excuse about how the problem is caused by the suspension and the lurching feeling is not from the brakes but the new 5-link multilink suspension. This can't be true since the 2 E90 stick cars didn't lurch and a number of the steptronic cars don't lurch. The dealer didn't have a stick car for me to demonstrate. I have it on video that the car moves after a stop, but he refused to watch it saying his technichal opinion should be based on his findings and nothing provided by me.

[onesixeight]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

Soft stop has nothing to do with sensitivity

E90Fleet,

I'm sorry, but I have disagree with you.

It does have to do with sensitivity and brake modulation when coming to a stop. If you release too much brake pressure when coming to a stop, the car will still stop, but move forward because the car is releasing brake pressure to smoothen out the stop. If you don't want the car to lurch forward, you can slam on the brakes and the car won't lurch forward. But if you attempt to make a smooth stop, the car will stop, but lurch forward everytime.

Every BMW I've ever driven, does not have this problem and I find most BMW's easy to modulate and bring to a stop reasonably smooth. With this car, because of the stop stop, I have to slam on the brakes if i want to stop and not stop, lurch, and possibly hit the car in front of me.

[onesixeight]

Originally Posted by ward

you'll only notice soft stop right before the car comes to a complete stop and only if you don't release the pedal like a normal person.

It'll feel like about one click of the ABS happening

Ward,

Yup..."soft-stop" would be a fine feature if it worked like its advertised. But the problem is it doesn't! If you release just a bit of pressure on the pedal to smoothen out the stop, the car will come to a stop and lurch forward an inch and stop again.

Some might say, "why don't you just hold the pedal down with constant pressure, maybe that's your problem..." First off, that's not a solution, I'm not going to be whiplashed into my dash at every stop light...The E90 has strong, good brakes, there is no doubting that...But the soft-stop needs to be more refined to just activate when coming to a stop, and not after the car is already stopped. With an automatic, it's dangerous because the transmission is loaded so the car will move any brake pressure is taken away, causing the car to lurch forward. That's the issue with soft-stop.

[wac77]

Originally Posted by onesixeight

Yup..."soft-stop" would be a fine feature if it worked like its advertised. But the problem is it doesn't! If you release just a bit of pressure on the pedal to smoothen out the stop, the car will come to a stop and lurch forward an inch and stop again.

Some might say, "why don't you just hold the pedal down with constant pressure, maybe that's your problem..." First off, that's not a solution, I'm not going to be whiplashed into my dash at every stop light...The E90 has strong, good brakes, there is no doubting that...But the soft-stop needs to be more refined to just activate when coming to a stop, and not after the car is already stopped. With an automatic, it's dangerous because the transmission is loaded so the car will move any brake pressure is taken away, causing the car to lurch forward. That's the issue with soft-stop.

I really do NOT understand the issue. Based on your earlier posts, I thought that the car would move a bit while you were still applying the brakes fully, which would be a serious defect. But now I read that you are releasing the brakes (even if only slightly so), in which case I wouldn't even call it a defect.

[onesixeight]

Originally Posted by wac77

I really do NOT understand the issue. Based on your earlier posts, I thought that the car would move a bit while you were still applying the brakes fully, which would be a serious defect. But now I read that you are releasing the brakes (even if only slightly so), in which case I wouldn't even call it a defect.

Hi Wac77,

I would happen in either case. The only way the car doesn't lurch is if you slam on the brake, short of activating ABS.

The car moves even with your foot on the brake...remember, all this happens in a matter of seconds after coming to a stop. So the car will stop, lurch, and stop again. A lot of people have experienced this...it's not an isolated incident.

When I was explaining about releasing the brakes, if you do that, the car will stop, roll 4-6 inches, and grab again. It's not as if I'm releasing the brakes after I stop, I still have the same foot pressure that I used to stop the car. I brake the same way as in my 745Li and 530i and I have problems in those cars. That's the part about sensitivity, it's like an on-off switch. The FSR says that it's something I have to get used to, I don't know about you, but no other car I've driven has moved after coming to a stop. Tell me one car that moves after it stops and I'll give you my car! Seriously...tell me.

"nemo" on this board knows the feeling. I drove his car and his moves after a stop too.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by onesixeight

E90Fleet,

I'm sorry, but I have disagree with you.

It does have to do with sensitivity and brake modulation when coming to a stop. If you release too much brake pressure when coming to a stop, the car will still stop, but move forward because the car is releasing brake pressure to smoothen out the stop. If you don't want the car to lurch forward, you can slam on the brakes and the car won't lurch forward. But if you attempt to make a smooth stop, the car will stop, but lurch forward everytime.

Every BMW I've ever driven, does not have this problem and I find most BMW's easy to modulate and bring to a stop reasonably smooth. With this car, because of the stop stop, I have to slam on the brakes if i want to stop and not stop, lurch, and possibly hit the car in front of me.

The original poster is comming from a X5 which has a similar braking system to the E39. On those cars you have to press the brake pedal much more than in the E90 or E46, making people say the E90 or E46 have more sensitive brakes

This is what I say has nothing to do with soft stop

[onesixeight]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

The original poster is comming from a X5 which has a similar braking system to the E39. On those cars you have to press the brake pedal much more than in the E90 or E46, making people say the E90 or E46 have more sensitive brakes

This is what I say has nothing to do with soft stop

Ahh...ok!

I had both cars and I agree with you. But I must also add that my X5 4.4 and E39 540i had a really nice pedal feel that doens't grab up high...it allows room for modulation to stop smoothly and in the manuals, give good modulation feel for heel-toe downshifts.

-Chris

[nimo]

Just an update, its been 5 days since I got my car back from the dealer for a software update. The software update has almost completely fixed my soft stop lurching. I say "almost" since its only been 5 days and 80 miles. When I have older people in the car before the software update, coming to a stop then let off the brakes to go again would jolt my car several inches. This jolt was quite uncomfortable for the passengers and I. It also made me look bad as if my driving skills was terrible since a new BMW can't possibly have brake issues already.

[wac77]

Originally Posted by onesixeight

Hi Wac77,

It would happen in either case. The only way the car doesn't lurch is if you slam on the brake, short of activating ABS.

The car moves even with your foot on the brake...remember, all this happens in a matter of seconds after coming to a stop. So the car will stop, lurch, and stop again. A lot of people have experienced this...it's not an isolated incident.

When I was explaining about releasing the brakes, if you do that, the car will stop, roll 4-6 inches, and grab again. It's not as if I'm releasing the brakes after I stop, I still have the same foot pressure that I used to stop the car.

Thanks for the clarification. Still...

If there is any pressure "profile" you can apply to the brakes (other than full panic stop) that prevents the lurching, you could probably adapt to braking that way. If there is none, you have a case and your brakes need to be fixed.

BTW, I have tested a couple of automatic E90s, and encountered no problem whatsoever coming to a stop softly enough.

[Robin_NL]

Is it possible that I don't have 'soft stop' on my European 330i 6sp manual?

Mine just stops like my former 4 BMWs.

[onesixeight]

Originally Posted by Robin Hood

Is it possible that I don't have 'soft stop' on my European 330i 6sp manual?

Mine just stops like my former 4 BMWs.

The lurching problem is limited to only the automatic E90s. Manuals won't lurch because you either clutch-in or in neutral when coming to a stop.

[Robin_NL]

Ok, thanx onesixeight.

[David328M-Sport]

the soft stop may further be limited to US & possibly Canadian (although not sure) Versions as my Australian spec 325 auto does not have soft stop. in fact my owners manual does not mention soft stop at all.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by David325Australia

the soft stop may further be limited to US & possibly Canadian (although not sure) Versions as my Australian spec 325 auto does not have soft stop. in fact my owners manual does not mention soft stop at all.

All E90 have it.

And all E60 will have it from September production.


It seems it may be a USA software issue though, since Ive not really heard any complaints from outside the USA

[onesixeight]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

All E90 have it.

And all E60 will have it from September production.


It seems it may be a USA software issue though, since Ive not really heard any complaints from outside the USA

Yup...All E90s have soft-stop even in the world literature I've read.

The E60 DSC supplier is Bosch and will continue to use Bosch for the new brake features except in the M5 which uses DSC from Continental Teves. I have a MB E220 in Hong Kong with Bosch's soft-stop and in that car it really works. The car stops smoothly and most importantly, no lurch after a stop. I can't see why BMW can't work with Continental Teves to make a soft-stop feature that works if they want to keep it. On the other hand, Continental makes some of the worse tires in the business and I wouldn't be suprised that they have issue with the DSC.

[z1ppo325i]

how come i never notice soft-stop???

[onesixeight]

Originally Posted by z1ppo325i

how come i never notice soft-stop???

Do you have an automatic or manual 325? I've driven a few 325i, where the soft-stop problem isn't as bad or barely noticable. My dealer has a 325i demo that did not jerk at all after coming to a stop. A friend of mine just got an 325i sport and his doesn't jerk at all either.

That's part of my confusion about the FSR's response when he looked at my car. First he said, oh all, E90s are like that. Then we tried the dealer demo 325i, and that car didn't jerk at all after coming to a stop. He then changes his explaination saying it's the new 5-link multilink suspension settling after coming to a stop which frankly is BS...unless someone would like to explain otherwise. Then we try 3 other E90s 325 & 330s and they all did it. What I'm trying to understand is why my car can't drive like the demo car and stop smoothly without lurching after a stop. It seems that out of all the E90s I've driven, mine is the worse.

[ward]

Originally Posted by z1ppo325i

how come i never notice soft-stop???

Exactly,

that's how you know it's integrated well is when you don't notice it


168- get that thing lemon lawed already, you gripe about soft stop more than I gripe about those terrible pirelli tires!