[bennye90]

May be alignment or furthermore into suspension components (bushings, ball joints etc.).

The engineers of automakers assure efficient brake proportioning that is tailored to the conditions. At most for regular cars they assure safe brake proportioning for dry and wet conditions. In cases for higher end sports cars, the brake proportioning is adjusted to fit the track or conditions and sometimes actuated to adhere to current conditions.

[zipstic]

Originally Posted by fazman

UPDATE:

So i had the 6 piece kit from FCPEuro installed and that worked like a champ!!! my problem is ALL GONE! i had the shop install the parts and then i drove it to get an alignment done.

No more steering wheel wiggle when i am at a red light and let off the brakes.
No more feeling like the car shifts forward when i tap on the brakes.
No more drifting to the Left and then to the right as i brake in a straight line at freeway speeds
No more having to compensate for steering when brakeing in a turn and for it having to over correct

I would strongly suggest this be a routine repair job every 80k-100k miles. i waited way too long at 150k miles to figure it out.

Also i found out my front brake pads are low and that my headlight level sensor was broken (before they started on this job we saw it broken while on the lift)

Thanks for sharing your update. Glad the kit helped you.
Were you experiencing these issues in rain as well? Was is worse in the rain? It seemed like you were experiencing this on dry pavement.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by zipstic

Thanks for sharing your update. Glad the kit helped you.
Were you experiencing these issues in rain as well? Was is worse in the rain? It seemed like you were experiencing this on dry pavement.

This was in Southern California weather of it almost never raining (No snow at all ever). But this was a physically worn out part with 150k miles on it. Also when they went to do the control arm removal, the ball joint would not come out... that's why the indy just removed the entire thing and tossed in all the parts from the kit.

It was not an easy job since my car is a North Eastern region car for most of it's life (NJ/NY) and was a daily driver in the snow during winter months. Needless to say it has a lot of rusty bolts. Thankfully I did not have any busted bolts because my Indy used a lot of penetrating oil before going at those bolts.

[sparkyblue]

Under braking my 335xi was pulling to the right, and had dipping/knocking feeling.

Turns out the passenger side upper control arm bushing (mounted to the subframe) was completely toast. The rubber had separated entirely from the control arm bushing.

Part B in the attached image below.

I replaced the front left and right upper control arms and ball joints with Lemforder parts at FCPeuro. Super cheap and seems to be OEM.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...rm-31126768983
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...rm-31126768984
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...r-31126768988l

All is well now!

[zipstic]

Originally Posted by sparkyblue

Under braking my 335xi was pulling to the right, and had dipping/knocking feeling.

Turns out the passenger side upper control arm bushing (mounted to the subframe) was completely toast. The rubber had separated entirely from the control arm bushing.

Part B in the attached image below.

I replaced the front left and right upper control arms and ball joints with Lemforder parts at FCPeuro. Super cheap and seems to be OEM.


All is well now!

Was this happening to you all the time or only when it was raining outside?

[sparkyblue]

Originally Posted by zipstic

Was this happening to you all the time or only when it was raining outside?

It was happening to me all the time.

Anytime I was over 30mph, with 50% braking the car would pull to the right. There is a distinct "knocking" feeling of something buckling in the suspension. You can even feel it in your seat.

Everyone should check their front control arm bushings. Its a really simple and cheap fix.

[mfish123]

I just experienced this for the first time on my 2009 335i xDrive. The rain was very heavy and my car swerved to the right upon initial brake application.

Today I drove with drizzling rain and it braked nice and straight like it always does. I have never experienced this in dry conditions.

I read the whole thread and it sounds like anything that fixed the issue was for those that had the problem when wet or dry.

Has anyone, that exclusively has the problem only during heavy rain, been able to figure out a definitive fix?

My suspicion is that maybe the brake drying feature is working better on one side vs the other.

[zipstic]

Update:
I had new thrust arms installed on both sides in the front with an alignment done after. My wet braking issues still persist. My braking issues only happen in the rain.

[OTO335i]

Originally Posted by zipstic

Update:
I had new thrust arms installed on both sides in the front with an alignment done after. My wet braking issues still persist. My braking issues only happen in the rain.

I have the same issue only when it's raining and on the highway and when I haven't braked in a while. I'll be on cruise control with automatic wipers on and when it comes time to brake it pulls left for me. Even with manual wipers on the car will pull left on the first initial brake. It's annoying and sketchy.

[Pladi]

Has this been firgured out ? Happened to me only when its heavy rain. Pulls left. When i keep pressing it doesnt happen anymore. Def has to do with water drainage. When u lightly press the brake for a bit then press it hard its not as bad. But if ur press hard right away car veers to left and it dangerous as hell. My wife doesnt wanna be in the car anymore with my kid because its so scary. It only happens when its raining alot. Dry weather its good.

[zipstic]

Originally Posted by Pladi

Has this been firgured out ? Happened to me only when its heavy rain. Pulls left. When i keep pressing it doesnt happen anymore. Def has to do with water drainage. When u lightly press the brake for a bit then press it hard its not as bad. But if ur press hard right away car veers to left and it dangerous as hell. My wife doesnt wanna be in the car anymore with my kid because its so scary. It only happens when its raining alot. Dry weather its good.

No, nobody has found a solution to what the OP, others, and I have been experiencing. (There are some solutions in the thread for people who have had similar issues, but not in rain/wet conditions.) Honestly, it's pretty scary to have to drive in rain/wet conditions now. Here are the things I've found in this thread and other threads:

1) Only X-Drive cars seem to be impacted
2) Alignment doesn't solve the problem
3) Different tires doesn't solve the problem
4) Turning on DSC doesn't solve the problem
5) New thrust arms doesn't solve the problem
6) New brake pads and rotors doesn't solve the problem
7) Setting wipers to auto vs on (pushing the stalk upwards) doesn't solve the problem
8) Brake fluid change doesn't solve the problem

I'm not really sure what to look into next. Maybe other suspension parts?

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by zipstic

No, nobody has found a solution to what the OP, others, and I have been experiencing. (There are some solutions in the thread for people who have had similar issues, but not in rain/wet conditions.) Honestly, it's pretty scary to have to drive in rain/wet conditions now. Here are the things I've found in this thread and other threads:

1) Only X-Drive cars seem to be impacted
2) Alignment doesn't solve the problem
3) Different tires doesn't solve the problem
4) Turning on DSC doesn't solve the problem
5) New thrust arms doesn't solve the problem
6) New brake pads and rotors doesn't solve the problem
7) Setting wipers to auto vs on (pushing the stalk upwards) doesn't solve the problem
8) Brake fluid change doesn't solve the problem

I'm not really sure what to look into next. Maybe other suspension parts?

Hey i had the EXACT same problem and i am pretty sure i know the cause and potential solution.

There are two ways to look into this issue. Since i do everything myself none of the two ways involve going to any mechanic or dealership.

This issue is caused by the brake drying feature. (Which i didnt know existed until this issue)

What happens is that when the conditions are right. ( Rain detected wipers are working) The DME applies some pulsating brake action to remove water in between the pad and rotor.

If this system fails to remove the equal amount of water (for whatever reason, could be caliper sticking a bit, or even not equal pad wear or a problem with the system in general) then one tire will brake more than the other for the duration of water in between the pad a caliper.

This time is not very long but its enough to cause the pull and be dangerous.

I will be approaching this issue in two different ways.

1. Replace pads/rotors. Bleed brake lines with pressure but also through ISTA by using the ABS pump. This effort is to get the braking system calibrated.

I will be also cleaning and inspecting caliper guide pins.(My front brakes are original from factory so doing this work is needed anyway). I believe that if one caliper doesn't return as fast as the other than this can happen where one caliper is removing more water than the other.



If this effort does not work then i will go to next option.


2. Remove this feature using NCS Expert. (I dont know yet which function to change but will be experimenting a bit) I dont have a problem disabling this feature since most cars dont have it anyways and seems to be more problematic if anything. (Potentially VERY dangerous as you probably know)

[zipstic]

Originally Posted by Pladi

Hey i had the EXACT same problem and i am pretty sure i know the cause and potential solution.

There are two ways to look into this issue. Since i do everything myself none of the two ways involve going to any mechanic or dealership.

This issue is caused by the brake drying feature. (Which i didnt know existed until this issue)

What happens is that when the conditions are right. ( Rain detected wipers are working) The DME applies some pulsating brake action to remove water in between the pad and rotor.

If this system fails to remove the equal amount of water (for whatever reason, could be caliper sticking a bit, or even not equal pad wear or a problem with the system in general) then one tire will brake more than the other for the duration of water in between the pad a caliper.

This time is not very long but its enough to cause the pull and be dangerous.

I will be approaching this issue in two different ways.

1. Replace pads/rotors. Bleed brake lines with pressure but also through ISTA by using the ABS pump. This effort is to get the braking system calibrated.

I will be also cleaning and inspecting caliper guide pins.(My front brakes are original from factory so doing this work is needed anyway). I believe that if one caliper doesn't return as fast as the other than this can happen where one caliper is removing more water than the other.



If this effort does not work then i will go to next option.


2. Remove this feature using NCS Expert. (I dont know yet which function to change but will be experimenting a bit) I dont have a problem disabling this feature since most cars dont have it anyways and seems to be more problematic if anything. (Potentially VERY dangerous as you probably know)

Please keep us updated!

I've thought about inspecting the caliper guide pins as well. When the outside temps raise a bit I'll investigate more.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by zipstic

Please keep us updated!

I've thought about inspecting the caliper guide pins as well. When the outside temps raise a bit I'll investigate more.

Since its not a huge issue. And where i live doesnt rain in the winter ill be re visiting this when the weather warms up. These cars are a money pit i cant justify spending on chasing ghosts. But ill sure write back if i figure a solid solution.

[Nick54]

Originally Posted by Pladi

Since its not a huge issue. And where i live doesnt rain in the winter ill be re visiting this when the weather warms up. These cars are a money pit i cant justify spending on chasing ghosts. But ill sure write back if i figure a solid solution.

bump! has anyone gotten closer to solving this issue with xdrive? the same issue has been happening to me since I got my car back in April... the steering wheel stays straight but the car pulls hard under braking I'm less than ideal conditions.. 80k kms 2010 335xi coupe manual

[Nick54]

Originally Posted by Pladi

Hey i had the EXACT same problem and i am pretty sure i know the cause and potential solution.

There are two ways to look into this issue. Since i do everything myself none of the two ways involve going to any mechanic or dealership.

This issue is caused by the brake drying feature. (Which i didnt know existed until this issue)

What happens is that when the conditions are right. ( Rain detected wipers are working) The DME applies some pulsating brake action to remove water in between the pad and rotor.

If this system fails to remove the equal amount of water (for whatever reason, could be caliper sticking a bit, or even not equal pad wear or a problem with the system in general) then one tire will brake more than the other for the duration of water in between the pad a caliper.

This time is not very long but its enough to cause the pull and be dangerous.

I will be approaching this issue in two different ways.

1. Replace pads/rotors. Bleed brake lines with pressure but also through ISTA by using the ABS pump. This effort is to get the braking system calibrated.

I will be also cleaning and inspecting caliper guide pins.(My front brakes are original from factory so doing this work is needed anyway). I believe that if one caliper doesn't return as fast as the other than this can happen where one caliper is removing more water than the other.



If this effort does not work then i will go to next option.


2. Remove this feature using NCS Expert. (I dont know yet which function to change but will be experimenting a bit) I dont have a problem disabling this feature since most cars dont have it anyways and seems to be more problematic if anything. (Potentially VERY dangerous as you probably know)

hey did you ever find a solution to this problem? or has anyone else for that matter?

thanks!

[AD18]

Glad I found this thread, had two squirming moments under braking on the motorway in heavy rain today, not pleasant at all!
Read through all the points on this thread and pretty much all the parts mentioned have been replaced on my car very recently, from tie rods to brake dics, alignment done etc.

I'm pretty sure its the brake drying feature not working correctly, I found the car squirmed but then the brakes suddenly became effective after about a second, must be the discs coated with a layer of water as it happened again a few miles down the road.

Question is whether anything can be done to correct or re-calibrate this brake drying feature...?

Just to add, mine is non x-drive so its not only for that drivetrain!

[zipstic]

I am still having this issue. I do not believe it is related to the brake drying feature, at least with my car. When I exit a car wash my brakes are very squishy and I have to really push hard on the brake pedal to get any sort of bite, even at 5 MPH.

I'm thinking of replacing or greasing my slide pins in the calipers and getting new dust caps when the weather warms up. BMW specifically says not to grease the slide pins in their manual, but I might order some new ones and give it a shot. I'm wondering if somehow water is getting into the slide pin area and when you push on the brakes there is a little bit of water in there that needs to get squeezed out before you get "normal" braking.

[Alloutofdonuts]

What years have the brake drying ‘feature’? I have an ‘07 335xi.

I bought the car last summer, but didn’t drive it often and not in bad weather(it was a 2nd car/future project). I First experienced the hard pull to the left in rain on i95 in a NJ traffic brake check. I was moving from NH to VA (in May) and it was quite unsettling to say the least! but I’ve experienced it again in rain at highway speed. I haven’t noticed it a lower speeds.

I’ve read all posts in this thread, given the specific circumstances it occurs and similar conditions of people’s cars(from brand new to every brake and suspension component replaced, with new tires and alignment) it seems like it has to do with the brake drying or something else we’re all missing.

I’ve only experienced similar in one other car and it didn’t have a splash shield on the side it would pull. All other components found being good on the car, but the mechanic forgot to put the shield back on after a brake job. Although it was fairly small, only covering about 1/2 the disc(unlike some that cover nearly all of it). After the shield was replaced it stopped pulling to the one side. Again it only did it during rain and higher speeds(it’s been a few years but I think under 40mph it didn’t do it).

If it is the drying feature it seems like it has had the opposite effect intended, making driving conditions that are manageable into a much worse situation! I understand innovation sometimes take many revisions to get it right but this seems like something that should’ve been fixed in a recall. It’s VERY dangerous and I’m surprised there haven’t been more accidents reported due to this. If there is a way to disable it I’d love to hear about it!!

[dpaul]

Originally Posted by Alloutofdonuts

What years have the brake drying ‘feature’? I have an ‘07 335xi.

I bought the car last summer, but didn’t drive it often and not in bad weather(it was a 2nd car/future project). I First experienced the hard pull to the left in rain on i95 in a NJ traffic brake check. I was moving from NH to VA (in May) and it was quite unsettling to say the least! but I’ve experienced it again in rain at highway speed. I haven’t noticed it a lower speeds.


If it is the drying feature it seems like it has had the opposite effect intended, making driving conditions that are manageable into a much worse situation! I understand innovation sometimes take many revisions to get it right but this seems like something that should’ve been fixed in a recall. It’s VERY dangerous and I’m surprised there haven’t been more accidents reported due to this. If there is a way to disable it I’d love to hear about it!!

To disable, use NCSExpert. Load DSC module. Set "BSW" to nicht_active.
There are quite a number of additional functions related to the brakes that you can play with.

[zipstic]

Originally Posted by dpaul

To disable, use NCSExpert. Load DSC module. Set "BSW" to nicht_active.
There are quite a number of additional functions related to the brakes that you can play with.

Has anyone tried disabling the auto brake drying feature that has had wet braking issues? Any positive results?

[Alloutofdonuts]

Dpaul thanks for the response. Unfortunately I don’t have the NCSExpert nor do I know how to use it. I’d like to look into it, but I feel it would end in disappointment lol. I’m not that good with stuff like that.