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"Tip-In" and "Initial Acceleration" problems fixed

111K views 444 replies 107 participants last post by  chims 
#1 ·
I have several updates to provide everyone after picking up my 2011 535i Dec 2010 build back yesterday from local NC BMW dealer. the first is the well publicized "tip in" or "initial acceleration" issue. i was expeceriing the same as many others where if you are a c complete stop and you go to accelerate the car doesnt respond right away and you naturally apply more gas and then the car jumps ahead of you. but if you were to move to the D/S position, the car was perfect and you didnt experience any lag in acceleration...it was almost like the car was set to start off in 2nd gear vs 1st

well i am happy to report the sw patch applied has completely corrected the issue...now this is a tricky one as your local BMW will not have this sw at their site. My SA luckily had heard of this issue and had to escalate to BMW-NA to obtain the fix. according to SA, BMW-NA are the only ones that can remote into car and apply the fix....

notes from my paperwork show the following: "DME Software Calibration SIB 12 09 11, attempted to program but CID failed to program. Completed battery reset and switched ICOM's, CID failed' Submitted PUMA CASE #xxxx Completed I-RAP programming session"

Software fix took almost two days to apply but happy to report that it has completely fixed the issue and the acceleration has returned!!!!
 
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#165 ·
Hopefully if/when a fix is available they notify owners. If this gets sorted I'll be in heaven with my 528.
 
#170 ·
I tried it as well... and it indeed does not have the take-off lag, but the shifting is late for what I like. It hits high RPM's before shifting, causing the engine to be loud before shifting. It defeats the quietness of the vehicle. If I were a race car driver with that urge to go fast all the time, it might be more to my liking.
 
#172 ·
any luck?
 
#173 ·
i just posted this on a new thread about my rough idle that i had, but thought i would post it here as well due to my tip-in issue has been completely resolved. not sure if this could be related but thought i would at least throw it out there:


"So I have been having the issue of a "rough idle" at times when i first started my 535i. I also noticed it at times when sitting a complete stop even after the car has been "warmed" up for a while. a few posts mentioned a bad fuel sensor as a possible issue and a few members had their's replaced i believe...

so i thought mine could be the same, so after taking it in last week, they actually found that i had a bad "coolant temperature sensor" on the engine...this was the first that my dealer had seen of this issue and actually the first that BMWNA had seen...my SA said that they actually had to argue with BMWNA as BMWNA kept telling my SA that the new F10 didnt have an "engine temperature sensor", after the technican took a picture of the bad part that he was holding in his hand did BMWNA believe him and send him the new part??? (yea i know how that sounds, but hey, that is what the SA said)....my dealer isnt 100% certain if this is going to fix the rough idle and told me to watch it for a few days.

at least after 4 days, it seems to be working and it hasnt had a rough idle at startup nor rough idle at a stop...
.
here is the following notes on my ticket

"faulty coolant temperature sensor. FC: 10AA20 DC: D1150 0000000 07 001 Interogated Faults. Found fault stored in DME for engine temp sensor too high at cold start. entered into test plan checked wiring from DME to engine coolant temp sensor ok. removed and replaced coolant temp sensor. road tested OK

Part Number 13-62-1-433-076 Description: Temperature Sensor"

i will say one thing and i will post this under my "tip in and acceleration issue fixed thread" as weird as this sounds, i have actually noticed that this has drastically changed the response of the car. not sure how or why, but the car is extremely responsive. I had the software patch applied a couple of months ago to fix the "tip in" issue which corrected about 90% of that initial issue, for some reason, this new sensor has completely addressed the "tip in" problem too. my gas mileage has increased on avg 1.5 mpg and i am actually driving the car harder than before...like i said, i know how crazy this sounds but i am telling you, it is a HUGE difference in this car. it drives soooo much better for some reason...

could this sensor play any role with the "tip-in" issue or did the shop apply new software to my car?? my SA did say that BMWNA had new software out that my car automatically received by being in the shop?? he didnt say what the software applied to...

thanks guys
 
#174 ·
There was another software update that came out 2 weeks ago... they probably applied that to your car when it was in the shop as it pertained to acceleration delay.
 
#175 ·
Well, here is the saga. Dropped the car off on Thursday, July 28. Got a loaner. I finally had to drive 27 miles to the dealership on Thursday August 4 to get an answer as to what was going on with my car. My service advisor wanted nothing to do with me when I walked in and handed me off to service manager who knew nothing of my car. He got the tech the tech who led the team, me and him in his office and he scanned my file. The guys either really didn't know anything about the tip in issue or were lying through their teeth. They said they had never heard of this issue or had a car with it. The said they had all driven it and were waiting for the regional service tech who was going to be in today to drive it. I proceeded to describe in great detail what I knew about the issue, the TSB and how other users were having the same issue. I also said I knew there was a new flash out which I thought that was what they were doing based on my original conversation with the service advisor more than 10 days ago. Well, they said we cannot just blindly reflash cars, there needs to be a reason. I said really, every other manufacturer keeps their cars full up to date. I have to tell the dealership not to reflash my Dodge Cummins Diesel because I have a tuner on it. So we go on and on and finally he pulls up a TSB with tip in issues. It seems there is a TSB for tip in issues on current 5 series in hot climates because of issue with running the US spec air conditioner and high throttle loads. Said another way, the car don't go with the AC on high when you jam the throttle. I read the TSB and looked at the two guys and I said, you realize this is Dallas and its, literally 110 degrees outside right now. They said were on it. That was Thursday afternoon. Call mid morning Friday car is done and reflashed. Seems to be running nicely and as the earlier poster noted, my MPG is up. I was getting nearly 32 MPGs on the drive home last night on I30. The next few days will tell. I told the guys, listen I just wanted the car fixed. It seems like this may have worked. Fingers crossed.
 
#177 ·
I am following the tip-in thread with much interest. Had the problem with my '08 550 and it DID have a manual transmission. Only happened in extremely hot weather or when the car was extremely hot — typically at the end of a 300+ mile trip when I would get off the highway. Had a software fix installed at the dealer and it pretty much solved the problem. A buddy still has the same car but with an automatic transmission and still has the problem. He says he will not get another BMW for this reason. My new ride (2011 535 with sport) has a very slight hesitation from a stop in normal and I have experienced that lag when I had to get out of a situation quickly while on the road. In sport mode, there is not hesitation from a stop or while moving. Instant acceleration. Can anyone tell me how to determine when my car was built? Picked it up on March 1, 2011. Thanks.
 
#178 ·
Can anyone tell me how to determine when my car was built? Picked it up on March 1, 2011. Thanks.
The build month and year are on the door placard.
 
#183 ·
I love the color. I just wish I had the premium stereo and cooling seats. Thought I hear the cooling seats don't work that well. No regrets on the color. I get a lot of compliments. The only two other colors I considered were the blue and very light silver.
 
#186 ·
My dad has a Tasman Green E60, and looks gorgeous when clean. I imagine that Tasman looks even better on an F10. Congrats on your choice of color, it is rather unique.
 
#187 ·
I have cooling seats on my 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 and I have to turn them off they get so cold. They are a great feature. I am glad to hear they work. When I get my 550 in a few years, and have more patience, I am sure I'll order them. I have been quite negative in my prior posts and I want to apologize to the forum for that. I do love the car, especially now. It is just that I work for a bunch of Germans and a Munich based bank and I had higher expectations for the car. I suspect the culprit can be traced to the US spec AC units. I bet the draw more pull/chain/crank power than the Euro spec models and the ECU was just not accommodating.
 
#189 ·
I indicated earlier that I'm experiencing the exact same "tip-in" issue, and can also say every time I start the car it shakes as if it might stall out. It's a brand new (purch May 2011) 528i, and my dealer is telling me these issues are not related to this model, rather the 530 models only. Without reading through the entire thread, are there only folks on this thread who can attest to these issues in the new 528i models? Clearly I'm going to need to "prove" it to get them to do what's necessary. They've already requested I drive the car with them in it, as if to suggest I don't know how to drive the car properly. Just want resolution, and my brand new car to run as it should! Oddly, I never noticed this issue when I test drove it. Thanks!
 
#192 ·
so while i agree you need to file a formal complaint IN WRITING to BMWNA, you really need to make sure you file a complaint with the NTSB...they will document and follow everything that is reported and have to by law report to the mftr any complaints that are filed...

if the NTSB receives enough DOCUMENTED complaints, they will force BMW to do something about it..

the link to file a complaint is here: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

my advice is to be as specific as possible and provide as many details as you can....
 
#193 ·
Will do UNC, excellent suggestion, however I just viewed the nhtsa site, and could only find one (1) complaint. That link should be posted in a way that encourages everyone on this thread to file a complaint, just not sure how best to do that. Thanks again for your earlier help. Very much appreciated!!!
 
#195 ·
Thanks for that link, UNCtarheels. I filed my complaint online today. Hope others having a problem with this issue, especially with the 528i, all do the same. :thumbup:
 
#198 ·
That's a pretty good safety concern explanation.

When I file, I might add that the same problem "acceleration delay" has been recognized by BMW on the 535i models, which has led them to issue a service bulletin with a new software update that has been applied to several 535i vehicles and fixed this same problem. However, there has been no service bulletin issued for the 528i.
 
#199 ·
That's a pretty good safety concern explanation.

When I file, I might add that the same problem "acceleration delay" has been recognized by BMW on the 535i models, which has led them to issue a service bulletin with a new software update that has been applied to several 535i vehicles and fixed this same problem. However, there has been no service bulletin issued for the 528i.
I also contacted BMW NA and made a complaint with them as well. I did mention exactly that fact in that complaint that you pointed out. I also contacted my dealer's service department and told them I would not accept their explination of "vehicle is operating as designed". Unless you mean a POOR design, then it is spot-on. They are setting up an appointment for me the next time the regional BMW representative is in the area.
I also made sure I told the dealer and BMW NA about my vibration issue, which the dealer told me was a "normal running characteristic of the car". I also told them how my vibration issue miraculously disappeared after I took my car to a reputable tire shop that corrected the problem (in about 1/2 an hour) that they failed to rectify after having my car for a week. I think the service advisor was not very happy when I ended that phone call. :tsk:
 
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