Very poor braking in snow

[dietz]

My 2001 330xi has proven that it operates very well in all conditions except when it snows. Now that the car is being driven in its third winter, the car continues to demonstrate its unsafe braking system. My wife refuses to drive the car in the snow and will drive our Ford Expedition with no fear of not being able to know when the car will stop. A normal vehicle. I have read about some issues with ABS and it appears that the 300xi should have a winter mode toggle to change its operating behavior in snow conditions just like the DSC enable/disable switch. A little slower ABS operating speed would allow some snow to wedge in front of the tires to aid in braking.

I have driven two 2003 325xi sedans with standard oem tires and these cars stop like most normal cars. The ABS does not work that hard. I have tested a 2002 Volvo awd as well as comparing stopping distances on new snow covered roads and the 300xi comes to a complete stop at least twice the distance as all the other vehicles. I am extremely fustrated.

The car has 43000 miles and is on its second set of low profile oem tires that BMW says is all season usage. These tires have 10k miles on them. BMW dealer tells me that no snow tires are recommended. The anti lock brakes refuse to stop their insane chattering whether or not I just lightly press the brake pad, panic stop or pump the brakes (with or without the car in neutral). Just lightly pressing the brake pedal going down my driveway (downward pitch of about 5 feet over a 30 foot length) the car has the sensation of slideing until its about 2 feet from the "Open" garage door.

I have informed BMW of USA about this issue and I am bringing the car in for its second service within a week. Have any of you fellow BMW owners experience this problem? Again, it only occurs while braking in snow covered roads. I can accelerate and drive with no problems. Looking for answers so I can work this issue.

Thanks,
Would appreciate any comments.

 

[Average Jae]

what kind of tires do you have? like make and model of the all seasons.

not all all season tires are good in snow, (altho i would've imagined that the xi models would get better winter tractions boots over better summer perf ones..)

in your case, the anti-lock brakes are going crazy to get traction, while your tires may not be upto the challenge in the snow. slipping and skidding to activate the anti-locks.

my theory on all wheel drive still stands: it's good for starting off in snow, but it doesn't do squat when it comes to stopping. you'll need a good set of winter boots (tires) for that, or competent all seasons w/ m&s (Mud & Snow) rating.

 

[dietz]

OEM Tires recommended by BMW 330xi

The tires are Continental
ContiTouringContact CV95

BMW has recommended these tires for all season use. Upon my questioning the dealer about snow tires, they stated that it was not necessary. I had to replace all the existing tires with the OEM tires as they were totally worn at 30k miles. Not too good. But since the car was under warrenty I really had no choice. It is really up to BMW to confront any tire issues as it is their responsiblity for any safety issues. From an engineering point of view, they are supposed to match tire and braking performance as it is an integrated subsystem of the vehicle. Thats what they are supposed to do.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Akakubi]

Sorry to hear about your problem. But All-Season tires are NOT snow tires. They will suffice to a certain point, but will not grip well. You have AWD, so it's a bit easier for the car to drive and handle in the snow. But under braking your car is just using pure grip from the rubber. OEM all-seasons will fill up the grooves with snow and turn into skis - hence you slide. ABS is trying to protect you (that's why rally cars never use ABS).

The dealer may have been mistaken you or the snow conditions are severe in your area or the tires are worn, either way if you want a safe drive in the snow, buy a set of winter tires.

Good luck!

 

[MrElussive]

I have to agree with Akakubi. I don't think it is a problem with the ABS, it is a problem with the tires. ABS feature of the brakes does not kick in until it detects that the wheels are sliding. Going down hills in the snow is very scary. I know this because my driveway is very long and at an angle (downhill going down it, uphill coming back in). We have five vehicles, two SUV's, two cars w/AWD, and one car with RWD. All of our vehicles respond the same way going down our driveway when it is snowing...if you go any faster than like 5mph going down the driveway, the tires lose grip and the ABS starts to kick in. If you don't have traction going down a hill, 4WD/AWD just can't help you. Perhaps you should invest in a set of snow tires, as that will significantly help with your "traction" issues.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

My 2001 330xi has proven that it operates very well in all conditions except when it snows. Now that the car is being driven in its third winter, the car continues to demonstrate its unsafe braking system. My wife refuses to drive the car in the snow and will drive our Ford Expedition with no fear of not being able to know when the car will stop. A normal vehicle. I have read about some issues with ABS and it appears that the 300xi should have a winter mode toggle to change its operating behavior in snow conditions just like the DSC enable/disable switch. A little slower ABS operating speed would allow some snow to wedge in front of the tires to aid in braking.

...... The anti lock brakes refuse to stop their insane chattering whether or not I just lightly press the brake pad, panic stop or pump the brakes (with or without the car in neutral)......

I asume the 300xi is an E46 without an engine

Oh and I love the insane chattering brakes

and on the side note about your wife not wanting to drive in the snow... Is that supposed to be a bad thing?

 

[Average Jae]

this could be an issue.. sorry to be the one to break the news to ya.. but according to cv95 users, they dun think this set of contis are good in snow..

and ygpm, incase you don't check back here too often..

i thought warranty replacments gave you the percentage of the tread left against the milage.. so if there were 60k tires that wore bald at 30k, you'd get half your money back.. or does it only apply if you get the same ole crappy tires?

 

[Dinan55]

Personally I don't think any car brakes good in the snow, that's why it's snow. Unless you're driving a tank, I don't see how you can have good braking performance in the snow. The best way to stop in the snow is to downshift.

 

[MrElussive]

It's not the brakes, it's the traction of the tires. If you have great snow tires, your braking will be just fine. If you have summer tires and you drive on the snow, it's like being the puck on an air hockey table.

 

[Dinan55]

Maybe you can get those spiked tires they use in rally... disregard the $320984720314972304987 price tag.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

Personally I don't think any car brakes good in the snow, that's why it's snow. Unless you're driving a tank, I don't see how you can have good braking performance in the snow. The best way to stop in the snow is to downshift.

Thats absolutley true. I use the stiptronic and downshift into 1st before lightly tapping the brakes to get that final stop in....

 

[MrElussive]

Maybe you can get those spiked tires they use in rally... disregard the $320984720314972304987 price tag.

Haha, good suggestion. The only problem is that they are AWFUL on the pavement. Very poor traction and insane road noise.