I'm having brake problems with my 2000 BMW X5. Every 2-3 months the brakes start to shake when I brake at high speeds. New pads, and sometimes new rotors, solve the problem, but only temporarily. I drive the car hard, but not that hard. I'm tired of spending so much on brakes. Any thoughts?

 

I see you're in Colorado - are you driving up and down hills along with your speeding ? If so, learn how to drive in the mountains (not trying to be snide..)

try to stay off the brakes - use compression braking more - slow down

 

Are you saying I should use the gears to slow down? I read that can cause more wear and tear on the transmission. On balance, better to wear out the transmission or the brake pads? Maybe you're referring to something else. Your post didn't seem snide. I'd be open to tips on mountain driving. Could be I've been doing it wrong for a long, long time.

 

I say again.....

try to stay off the brakes - use compression braking more - slow down

 

Maybe I'm already too slow. What do you mean by "compression braking"?

 

Same thing as engine braking.

 

use the tranny to help you slow down..

your getting the rotors hot and they are warping.

 

You could also have sticking caliper pistons.

 

Don't brake downhill. That's not how to keep a steady speed. Instead, try to learn to apply as less throttle as possible without increasing the speed. On a manual it equates to little to no throttle downhill in a single gear (of course, on a very steep incline).

 

you need to "bed in" your new rotors. google it

 

Check your bushings as well.

 

Replace all four rotors and all four pads. That will fix 90% of that issue. Control Arms on the front end are the next thing to look at afterwards....they need to be replaced every 80K miles.