BMW recently posted this video on brake fade compensation that is standard on most 2010 and current BMW vehicles.

What the video fails to mention is how the system determines if a pad is fading or if the fluid is boiling. The system can’t measure the temperature of the pads or fluid. However, it can observe hydraulic pressures, brake apply time and wheel speed sensor information. It plugs the information into a “algorithm” (fancy word for computer program) to determine if the pads could be pushed past their limits.

Fade compensation is not typically used for performance driving. It is typically used in situations where the stability control or traction control is working hard and applying the brakes constantly. This could occur on an icy road or if a young driver is trying to do donuts with their parent’s X5 with the traction control on in a parking lot.