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Is the acceleration hesitation still a problem on the 2012 X3

35K views 88 replies 30 participants last post by  ngcreese 
#1 ·
I have read several threads about the BMW X3's acceleration hesitation. :mad: Is this hesitation on the 2012 X3's?

Other than driving in the 'sport' mode, are there any other reasonable suggestions?

Also, is this problem on other manufacturer's cars?
 
#2 ·
i don't perceive the hesitation, and in fact, like most automatics, the car wants to creep forward when stopped, and requires a foot on the brake to keep it stopped. except for rentals, i've only driven manuals since 1970, so perhaps i'm not the most sensitive to automatic transmission nuances. mine is a 2012 x3 35i, picked up late jan pcd. if you want gentle acceleration, it will deliver that. if you want vigorous acceleration, it will deliver that. i find it quite simple to get the response i want with the proper pressure on the accelerator.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Yes - it exists (I have a 2012 X3 28i; Jan production). It takes some getting used to and after the first week I haven't noticed it. My take is that the power-train computer tries its best to keep RPM less than 2,000 and rapidly changes gears as the X3 accelerates from dead stop. In my view it quickly becomes a non-issue. Sport mode helps.

Perhaps it's not an issue on the 35i...? I don't know...

Regards,
 
#4 ·
Also, is this problem on other manufacturer's cars?
My Q5 had a nonlinear throttle and a hesitation. The hesitation was really frustrating, as it felt like the car shifted into second too early. Engine speed dropped too low, making acceleration uneven. This issue was the main reason I bought my X3 3.5i after only 18 months with the Audi.

My X3 has the nonlinear throttle (seems to be becoming quite common), which takes a little getting used to. The only issue now is when I drive my wife's car with its linear throttle - too many aggressive starts for my wife's taste ;)
 
#5 · (Edited)
I drive an older car where the throttle opens in direct relation to how hard I press the accelerator pedal. The x3 provides what feels like 85% of what your foot calls for. I'm hoping the driver experience control will mitigate this programing fault. The only solution I've read is to mash the throttle as you pull away. Alternatively you can drive like you are "driving miss Daisy". :)
 
#6 ·
I have an 07 X3, that felt anemic in terms of acceleration, when I first got it.

Resetting the tranny, so that it could learn my habits made all the difference in the world. Since the learning mode lasts for 1000 miles. My guess is, the first time the tranny was "trained" the SUV was probably being broken in, where people have a tendency to drive very light.

A tranny reset, to tune-in the shift pattern and a refresh of the engine's spark plugs and pre-cat O2-senors, to bring back the engine's max torque, really changed my perspective on the X3... big time.

For you guys I'm guessing your mileage is too low to truly warrant a spark plug/sensor tune up. However, if you haven't reset the tranny, post-breakin period... you'll probably be presently surprised if you do.
 
#7 ·
How do you 'reset' the transmission? How does the transmission learn driving habits? enquiring minds would like to know...

I have an 07 X3, that felt anemic in terms of acceleration, when I first got it.

Resetting the tranny, so that it could learn my habits made all the difference in the world. Since the learning mode lasts for 1000 miles. My guess is, the first time the tranny was "trained" the SUV was probably being broken in, where people have a tendency to drive very light.

A tranny reset, to tune-in the shift pattern and a refresh of the engine's spark plugs and pre-cat O2-senors, to bring back the engine's max torque, really changed my perspective on the X3... big time.

For you guys I'm guessing your mileage is too low to truly warrant a spark plug/sensor tune up. However, if you haven't reset the tranny, post-breakin period... you'll probably be presently surprised if you do.
 
#14 ·
We just picked up our 2012 28i two weeks ago, trading in our 2007 X3. In my opinion, the difference between the two cars is huge. The 2007 had an ongoing jerky/inconsistent acceleration from a stop despite software updates, "relearning" our driver input etc. Thus my number one concern was that this issue is fixed in the 2012 X3. Happy to report, that at least in our vehicle the acceleration is smooth and consistent. Further, the ride quality over bumps and rough roads are light years better in the 2012. Just my 2 cents....
 
#15 ·
In my opinion, yes they still need to do some work on the calibration.

I can only imagine that the poor souls who get Auto Start/Stop in the 2013 X3 will suffer even more... I can see offering this as an option, or even allowing one to activate it, but requring one to deactivate it after every start on a supposedly driver oriented vehicle is crazy. I am SOOOOOO glad we got a 2012. We wouldn't have purchased the X3 with that feature. Even KIA allows you to buy auto start/stop or not buy it in an option package. BMW likes to make money on every other option, why not charge for this1?
 
#16 ·
In my opinion, yes they still need to do some work on the calibration.

I can only imagine that the poor souls who get Auto Start/Stop in the 2013 X3 will suffer even more... I can see offering this as an option, or even allowing one to activate it, but requring one to deactivate it after every start on a supposedly driver oriented vehicle is crazy. I am SOOOOOO glad we got a 2012. We wouldn't have purchased the X3 with that feature. Even KIA allows you to buy auto start/stop or not buy it in an option package. BMW likes to make money on every other option, why not charge for this1?
so they can show better mileage numbers for both regulatory and marketing purposes.
 
#24 ·
My 2013 35i that I have had two weeks now totally hesitates sometimes. I am already in the habit of disabling the auto start/stop thing when I turn on the car so that's never a factor. I have found that I have to drive around in Sport mode if I don't want to experience the hesitation upon acceleration. It's super annoying and I'm not very happy about it. It is nothing like my 2011 335i. Not a bit. And I'm getting 6 mpg less so far.
 
#27 ·
I have hesitation if I am still in ASS (auto start stop) when I start to move. However, I am only in ASS mode if I know I am not going to need to accelerate fast. First ASS mode goes off automatically after thirty seconds and you can feel the engine restart. If the engine is stopped, I let off of the brake just a tad and it restarts so I can accelerate fast. No hesitation.

I started this thread worrying about the problem but I can truly say it has not been a problem for me in the 2013 X3 28i. My style of driving combined with the traffic conditions would run me crazy if the hesitation were a problem. I have to squeeze into short gaps in traffic from a standstill and I have to accelerate or get clobbered.

Also, the hesitation I get when coming out of ASS mode is like only a microsecond.
 
#28 ·
Wabbajack, did you ever get that hesitation issue taken care of on your 35i?

When I test drove X3's I didn't feel the hesitation in the 2013 35i in any mode. In fact, quite the opposite, the 35i's smooth strong thrust really impresssed me. Granted, it was a test drive so hardly a full report. My 35i arrives next week on Monday so I'll share my reports late week.

On the flip side, I was originally intent on buying a 28i until my 3rd test drive at which point the hesitation issue just became to annoying for me to have to live with in a $50K ride.
 
#29 ·
This is becoming weird. I have the 28i and do not have a hesitation problem.:dunno:

Like I posted a few minutes ago, if there was a problem, I would have been clobbered by now.

If the car is in ASS mode (auto stop/start), then there is a hesitation for it to restart the engine. But, that is easy to avoid if it really bugs you. Just turn it off.

But, what is not a problem to me or others may be a huge problem for others. ASS mode does take some getting used to but the whole car has been a learning experience for me. I just a few days ago learned how to use the parking brake. There are several strange things to me since I was driving a 2003 525 a few weeks ago. This is a different car, but it is the way all cars are headed.
 
#30 ·
So I was paying closer attention as I was driving around this morning, and what I'm experiencing as an intermittent hesitation when accelerating from a stop, almost feels more like the transmission being slow to engage***8212;almost like a gear slipping feeling that I haven't experienced for over 20 years since driving an old car with the transmission going out. I don't know enough about the technology to determine the difference between if it's that or the throttle. And it definitely doesn't happen in Sport Mode. I have instant trigger response when in Sport Mode like I did on my 335.

And Jen, no I've only had it two weeks and am still trying to get used to. It's very different than my past two 335's and I'm still experiencing a lot of culture shock! LOL
 
#31 ·
I have a 2013 35i X3. Hesitation is definitely there any time I am accelerating from 2000 RPM or less, so not just starts from a standstill but also when, for example, you are accelerating from a coast on the highway or accelerating for a lane change or passing situation. Still have it in sport mode but to a lesser extent. Only solution is to manually drive with shifting using the paddle shifters. I had the same thing with my 2009 335 ix until 3 months before the end of the lease when the dealer did a reprogram that totally fixed the issue. I am scheduled to have this reprogramming done in mid-July for the X3. I only use max octane Shell gasoline--the best.
 
#38 ·
don't let them blame this on gas --------AGAIN!. This is not a gas issue, it is not the way you drive, not all of them do this. Those are the standard excuses given by every dealership when a hesitation problem is brought up. It took them 4 years to correct this in the prior X3. Meanwhile owners were given every bs excuse in the book. Starting with those three. This is because they are trying to trick the mpg numbers and the collateral damage is this.

Read the sticky for the 2007-2010 model and what you are describing is an exact almost word for word problem they had before. It just sounds like it is not as pronounced where you would get almost a 1.3 second hesitation between 2-3 gear from a rolling stop or start.

There should be no excuse for this considering what they put hundreds if not thousands of previous MY owners through.
 
#32 ·
Hmmm interesting what you say as that is actually my experience but until I could go out and recreate it, I didn't want to post it. I drove on the highway through the mountains yesterday and experienced that on several occasions.

Now I am going to be even more observant to try to pinpoint it.

Is there really a software update available that newly built cars aren't getting? I find that hard to believe that they aren't sending cars off the line in Spartanburg with the absolute latest of everything.

Oh, and our gas is our gas. We don't have any other options. 91 is the highest. The next is 89 and the regular is 85.
 
#34 ·
I just had something funky happen***8212;I was turning onto a road from a stop and had the gear shift in Sport Mode (to the left) but not the suspension, and as I accelerated, going from S2 to S3 (without manually shifting), it pulsated like it was missing or getting uneven fuel injection or the tranny slipping or something.
 
#35 ·
I just had something funky happen-I was turning onto a road from a stop and had the gear shift in Sport Mode (to the left) but not the suspension, and as I accelerated, going from S2 to S3 (without manually shifting), it pulsated like it was missing or getting uneven fuel injection or the tranny slipping or something.
IMO, with all of the new stuff on the 2013, there has to be some kinks. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
 
#39 ·
After driving my new 2013 28d for a month now, I think I still have the same hesitation that everyone is talking about. Here's what I'm sensing.

From a standstill when I press the accelerator it feels unresponsive. Almost feels like they deadened the first few inches of the accelerator pedal. If I hold it there the power comes on stronger after it shifts to 2nd gear. I like the ability to get a little more of an aggressive start from a standstill sometimes and I feel like it's intentionally holding me back to keep from doing that. I don't like it. My 2003 325xi was nothing like this.

Interesting enough I'm traveling on the east coast and driving a Scion xB. The first day I had to be so careful with the throttle because it was so aggressive in that first inch of depression of the accelerator pedal. My brain and toes have been compensating for my X3 and now it really shows.

So, is this the same problem that everyone else is reporting on this thread? I was lead to believe this was resolved with the new release, but I'm guessing it's not?
 
#44 ·
I just had it happen again on my morning route through my neighborhood coming back from the hiking trail. I was in Sport Mode and at the 3rd stop sign as I accelerated from a stop, it herky-jerked mildly. It feels more like a fuel injector-type issue. I dunno. I'll be driving through the mountains again down to the city on Friday and we'll see what happens.
 
#47 ·
I have a 2013 28i and I can confirm that even in Sport, OR M/S modes there is sometimes an acceleration delay. It doesn't bother me too often but a situation today could have been dangerous. I was trying to cross a busy 4 way intersection that was only a 2 way stop. I saw a brief clearing in the constant flow of cars and I floored the throttle. The car sat there and thought for a second and then burned rubber.
 
#48 ·
That's the kind of hesitation I'm talking about. It's like pushing your foot down and the computer is only applying about 50% of that and then finally 100% of what I'm asking for in about 2 seconds. It's as if BMW desensitizes or dampens the impact of the accelerator pedal for 1-2 seconds.
 
#51 ·
Well, I stopped in to chat with my Service Advisor after dropping my car on the Sales side to have them rectify the clear bra. Anyway, he knows me and my car(s) and driving style and how I am oriented to troubleshooting and observing things and such. And when I explained the symptoms, of course he said he wants to put it on the computer and update the software, and needs it two days to do that. I knew that would be the response. He doesn't know or expect that there would be any faults logging, but he did say that he has seen cars that have had the software updated/reinstalled 3 and 4 times before and suddenly all the issues were resolved. He did offer and agree that it seems like it's a computer/software issue with regards to the computer talking to the transmission. And he also said that he hopes (as I do) that a software reinstall would actually resolve things. And he has an X3 in right now that is being reprogrammed for a loose mirror and said he'll go drive it this afternoon with my comments in mind and see if he experiences anything similar.

So the good news is that sure, it "might" be a software issue. The bad news is that of course I have to bring it in and leave it for two days, which for me is not an easy thing to do as it means a hotel stay. So I'll schedule and do it in a few weeks and we'll see what happens.
 
#52 ·
Well, I stopped in to chat with my Service Advisor after dropping my car on the Sales side to have them rectify the clear bra. Anyway, he knows me and my car(s) and driving style and how I am oriented to troubleshooting and observing things and such. And when I explained the symptoms, of course he said he wants to put it on the computer and update the software, and needs it two days to do that. I knew that would be the response. He doesn't know or expect that there would be any faults logging, but he did say that he has seen cars that have had the software updated/reinstalled 3 and 4 times before and suddenly all the issues were resolved. He did offer and agree that it seems like it's a computer/software issue with regards to the computer talking to the transmission. And he also said that he hopes (as I do) that a software reinstall would actually resolve things. And he has an X3 in right now that is being reprogrammed for a loose mirror and said he'll go drive it this afternoon with my comments in mind and see if he experiences anything similar.

So the good news is that sure, it "might" be a software issue. The bad news is that of course I have to bring it in and leave it for two days, which for me is not an easy thing to do as it means a hotel stay. So I'll schedule and do it in a few weeks and we'll see what happens.
Wowwwwwwwww. I am glad it does not take me two days to load down a new operating system and all of the software that might be needed.

How do you reprogram a loose mirror?:eek:
 
#54 ·
I will definitely be watching this thread here for your outcome.

In the meantime, I think I'm going to contact my CA for some assistance and let him at least be aware of a potential issue.
 
#56 ·
Yep, took two days to do a software upgrade on our 528 as well. They have to download the software for the whole vehicle and reinstall it, not just one module. The whole thing comes as one big ole package. It crapped out the first time thus the run over into the second day.
 
#57 ·
This is kinda scary. If there is a bug that affects the mirror, and that should be simple software, think about the possibilities with other bugs in the software. Driving down the highway at night and suddenly the lights start shining straight up to the sky. Reverse becomes forward. Air conditioning becomes heat. Gas gauge registers full but you are really about empty. Speedometer says 50 but you are going seventy, or vice versa and you wonder why it takes so long to get somewhere.
 
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