Have just bought a countryman and have been having difficulty in getting used to the brakes. At slow speeds, my passengers are being subjected to whiplash and I am afraid that any vehicle following me may not be able to stop as quickly as me. The system works fine at speed, but when in slow moving traffic, the car stops dead with the lightest touch on the brakes. Does anyone else have this problem?
Nope. I have perfect brake modulation on my Countryman. When I get out of a Suburban or a vehicle that requires a lot of brake travel to get the thing to stop, then I have the same problem you're describing, but then I get used to the R60 brakes again. Kyle
I have the opposite problem... well, sort of. I love the brakes in my MINI. Excellent stopping power... but, the 2012 Turbo Beetle? I hate those brakes! I have mash down on them and they still sloooooowly stop the car.
:cornut: 1st Post. Welcome to MA. Sounds to me that you have normal MINI brakes but perhaps just aren't used to them yet. GOOD LUCK and MINI on! Jason
That's bad news. Does that mean even the 2 door minis are the same? Can't understand the huge difference with my RAV4 which also has brake assist, but that only comes on when travelling at normal speeds, not when crawling.
Brake assist is working all the time, not dependent on speed. This is something you will get used to, it aint Toyo brakes.
:cornut: My Margi(08 R56 BRG MCS/JCWm) has excellent IMEDIATE braking with very little pedal pressure at all speeds. It took a very brief amount of time to get used to them. Prior to that I could almost snap my own seat belt shoulder strap! When in a braking emergency, you'll really learn to love them. Jason
Thanks to all for your feedback 'c'est la vie'. Might have to get surgical collars for myself and my passengers.
It's the brake pads. Swap out the factory pads for some ceramics and it'll be easier to modulate the brakes. BMW prefers pads with an on/off feel because most drivers don't push hard enough on the pedal. My gf's X3 is the same way.
:cornutBThayer23 thanks) Which reminds me of our unofficial survey some time ago where most of us who changed from factory pads went with EBC Redstuff(ceramic) pads. The 2nd place pad wasn't even close. Redstuff on my Margi(08 R56 BRG MCS/JCWm) for several years now and they are way better and last longer than MINI factory pads. Jason
i doubt you are triggering brake assist, page 70 of my 2012 cms all4 OM: 'Brake Assist Rapidly depressing the brake causes this system to automatically develop maximum braking force. Thus, the system helps keep braking distance to a minimum. At the same time, all the benefits provided by ABS are exploited. Do not reduce the pressure on the brake for the duration of the full braking application." the computer is watching the brake pedal ... if it sees rapid movement, ie "panic stop", brake assist takes over compared to my 1997 gmc sonoma p/u truck, the cms brakes are very light, needing little pressure on the pedal to get significant brake action i think you have a learning curve to get over, try this: go drive slowly in a parking lot, wearing a pair of softsole shoes or barefoot be very aware of how far/hard you are pressing the brake pedal it won't take long to learn the light touch needed in the cms as to blaming the pads, i am quite happy with the TSW branded OEM pads that came on my cms all4, they stop quickly when cold, don't fade and best of all, make little to no brake dust (i have white wheels) scott
Hi doubletrouble, When we got our CM, I did pretty well with the brakes since my Mazdaspeed6 has serious brakes too ---- so a modulated foot is needed. BUT, when I drive the 95 Toyota Previa for a couple days then I do a little whiplash thing in my CM (or Mazda) on the first trip. The hardest adjustment for me in my Countryman is the automatic's downshift - which makes for some herky jerky with the brakes. Hell, I am able to not touch the brakes and the downshifting does plenty slowing on its own. That's SO not like my Toyota's downshifting. This issue takes me longer to adjust to than my manual shift Mazda. Hope you adjust and enjoy the MINI.
Yes papa-j, that's exactly my problem. The automatic downshift to 1st gear when combined with braking, even lightly, causes the whiplash effect. I'll have to keep working on it. I thought it was the brake assist but I think now it is more like a keen servo, combined with the modern trend to automate to cater for inexperienced drivers.
Toyota uses ceramic brake pads. They don't grab as hard as the semi-metallic pads that BMW uses. I drove my dad's Tundra for a couple days and was surprised at how smooth the brakes were - easier to modulate than my mom's 2011 Cooper.
my dad has a 2012 cms all4 with automatic ... it does not shift down to first while braking to a stop maybe you should have a dealer look at your mini scott
That's really interesting, thanks. It is going to the dealer next week so I will raise the issue and see what is said.