Auto Start/Stop Option

I'll have the Last Mode implemented on my car for sure. See no reason for Auto Stop/Start. The fuel savings are too small for me to be concerned about using it.

And yes, I'll have a manual this would only happen I'm stopped at a light and out of gear. Doesn't matter. My mother-in-law has a prius and I dislike the feature after years of driving that tub. Found it pretty awful in BMW's application too.

Its not just fuel savings, it reduce emission as well.

Originally Posted by White05X3

I have a stick and don't think it is a problem. Push the clutch and the car starts. You wouldn't be moving forward until after that anyhow, so ASS does not cause a delay. If you are waiting to turn in heavy traffic, just keep your foot on the clutch (which you would do anyhow) and the car will not turn off. IMHO this feature is less of a concern with MT cars. That is not to say I like it but...

i have to agree with this. My initial test drives with a 2012 335 and 2012 328i and both manual transmissions (actually i drove the manual cars on two separate occasions) i didn't even think about the system. And honestly I can't tell you if the engine ever shut off because sometimes i do tend to drive with the clutch and first gear in at a light that i know is about to change.

I did notice this system with the auto on my USA BMW drive and it was annoying to me. I just drove the luxury 335i they had (they had a sport but the wait was another half hour) and not the 328i. One other guy however coming out of a 328i, I asked him well how do you like it. His response was love it, but man this engine shutdown on a light kind of sucks. Again that was an auto.

Originally Posted by The X Men

As usual, you are blowing everything out of proportion, what a drama queen. If everybody thinks like you, we would still be in the stone age. ASS is inconvenient sometimes, but by no mean it is unsafe. Its not just fuel savings, it reduce emission as well.

ASS is unsafe in specific situations where a) you need to cross traffic very quickly and b) an inexperienced driver suddenly realizes the engine is off. That delay can cause a miss to tight timing and an accident.

I had another ASS incident at low speed that was concerning. Forgot to hit the ASS 'off' button, drove to a local fast food drive-thru. While waiting my turn, the engine shut itself off. I muttered "damn" and hit the ASS off button which caused the engine to start and the transmission to move from D to P making the car lurch sharply.

I have experienced the ASS mess first-hand, so please don't tell me what I should or shouldn't define as "safe". I can't let my wife drive the car until ASS is defaulted to off.

BJ

Originally Posted by Michael Schott

Thanks. So it's about the learning curve. I would hope the dealer CA's are doing a good job educating their customers on how the ASS system works. I think that after a while it becomes second nature.

I understood how it worked from various YouTube 328i video reviews I watched while waiting the weeks to get my car from Germany. I read the threads on multiple BMW forums. I got a good walkthru from my CA.

It's not a matter of how it works. It's a matter of while it's doing its job its causing a potentially unsafe situation for drivers crossing traffic. Hey, if I lived in nowhere Idaho I'd love the feature. Why not? Lots of open road, turns without another car in sight for miles, bring it on. I just see this as a mess in a big city. I bought my BMW, in part, because when I need gobs of power BOOM, I get gobs of power and can bail myself out of a tight situation. ASS defeats this confidence.

BJ

Originally Posted by The X Men

Its not just fuel savings, it reduce emission as well.

There is nothing that an individual in a car in the United States can do to help the carbon footprint issue. It's factories in China and lack of pollution controls in Indonesia and most of Asia that are the primary culprits.

TV commercials and Al Gore DVD's don't tell the real story.

BJ

Originally Posted by boltjaM3s

I had another ASS incident at low speed that was concerning. Forgot to hit the ASS 'off' button, drove to a local fast food drive-thru. While waiting my turn, the engine shut itself off. I muttered "damn" and hit the ASS off button which caused the engine to start and the transmission to move from D to P making the car lurch sharply.
BJ

Sounds like operator error to me

Originally Posted by boltjaM3s

There is nothing that an individual in a car in the United States can do to help the carbon footprint issue. It's factories in China and lack of pollution controls in Indonesia and most of Asia that are the primary culprits.

TV commercials and Al Gore DVD's don't tell the real story.

BJ

ASS can help with the auto emission, but not if every driver thinks like you.

Every penny counts. If a large number of drivers did their bit, that would naturally lead to a high impact on emission levels. Again, BMW doesn't make this mandatory. If you don't like ASS, you can have it disabled - where is the problem in giving people the option of being socially responsible while saving a couple of bucks? I will probably use ASS about 50% of the time which means I'm doing my bit without really even doing anything. Nothing wrong with that.

Originally Posted by 328i2013

Every penny counts. If a large number of drivers did their bit, that would naturally lead to a high impact on emission levels. Again, BMW doesn't make this mandatory. If you don't like ASS, you can have it disabled - where is the problem in giving people the option of being socially responsible while saving a couple of bucks? I will probably use ASS about 50% of the time which means I'm doing my bit without really even doing anything. Nothing wrong with that.

Lets get this straight. I love ASS is this start/stop system....oh Sorry I thought you meant something else.

Originally Posted by The X Men

Sounds like operator error to me

It is, no question. The point is an operator shoudn't be put in a position like that for a feature that means nothing to the environment and appeals to a very small percentage of the population.

Hey, BMW wants to put something 'green' in my car, that's great, no problem. But don't make it a feature that actually causes performance and safety to drop. That's a tradeoff I'm not willing to make.

BJ

Originally Posted by The X Men

ASS can help with the auto emission, but not if every driver thinks like you.

Guess what, I do plenty for the environment. I donate money when poor kids come to my door asking help to refurbish the park, I separate my recyclables on pickup day, I send my kids to the country club on cleanup day. I don't have a dirty, disgusting pet like a dog that requires feeding, water-based cleaning with soap products, creates waste, and needed automobile trips to Petsmart.

Where you are misinformed is how big a population it takes to make a difference to the global environment. We 2%'ers with our $300,000 salaries in our $50,000 luxury cars are already living an eco-friendly lifestyle. The people who can really make the difference are poor people in poor neighborhoods in poor countries. Go take your crusade to India, convince a factory worker making $20 a week to trade in his $500 polluting scooter for a $35,000 Prius because "every driver needs to think like X Men does". Good luck with that.

BJ

Originally Posted by windsor027

Lets get this straight. I love ASS is this start/stop system....oh Sorry I thought you meant something else.

BJ

Originally Posted by boltjaM3s

I understood how it worked from various YouTube 328i video reviews I watched while waiting the weeks to get my car from Germany. I read the threads on multiple BMW forums. I got a good walkthru from my CA.

It's not a matter of how it works. It's a matter of while it's doing its job its causing a potentially unsafe situation for drivers crossing traffic. Hey, if I lived in nowhere Idaho I'd love the feature. Why not? Lots of open road, turns without another car in sight for miles, bring it on. I just see this as a mess in a big city. I bought my BMW, in part, because when I need gobs of power BOOM, I get gobs of power and can bail myself out of a tight situation. ASS defeats this confidence.

BJ

We are not going to agree but my feeling is there is a lack of confidence from you in the system which is fine. BMW has built every safeguard into the system and from what I know when you lift your foot from the brake the engine starts. I can't imagine a scenario where that wouldn't be fine but if it makes you uncomfortable than that is what's important.

Originally Posted by boltjaM3s

I don't have a dirty, disgusting pet like a dog that requires feeding, water-based cleaning with soap products, creates waste, and needed automobile trips to Petsmart.

BJ

WOWZA! And you had kids? Do you know what the carbon footprint of having kids is?

Originally Posted by boltjaM3s

Guess what, I do plenty for the environment. I donate money when poor kids come to my door asking help to refurbish the park, I separate my recyclables on pickup day, I send my kids to the country club on cleanup day. I don't have a dirty, disgusting pet like a dog that requires feeding, water-based cleaning with soap products, creates waste, and needed automobile trips to Petsmart.

Where you are misinformed is how big a population it takes to make a difference to the global environment. We 2%'ers with our $300,000 salaries in our $50,000 luxury cars are already living an eco-friendly lifestyle. The people who can really make the difference are poor people in poor neighborhoods in poor countries. Go take your crusade to India, convince a factory worker making $20 a week to trade in his $500 polluting scooter for a $35,000 Prius because "every driver needs to think like X Men does". Good luck with that.

BJ

them is fighting words BJ...

Originally Posted by 328i2013

WOWZA! And you had kids? Do you know what the carbon footprint of having kids is?

Originally Posted by windsor027

them is fighting words BJ..

LOL. I did that to prove a point, that being that we all make decisions in our lives that can be perceived to be 'bad' for the environment. Just because a car looks like a heavy-polluter doesn't mean it's any worse than having a Schnauzer for 15 years. I shouldn't go after your dog, you shouldn't protect your ASS.

BJ

Hey is there a way to block posts from specific members, like boltjaM3s?

boltjaM3s, you should "talk" to someone rather than let your anger out on this forum where people have come to learn about cars.

Originally Posted by Michael Schott

We are not going to agree but my feeling is there is a lack of confidence from you in the system which is fine. BMW has built every safeguard into the system and from what I know when you lift your foot from the brake the engine starts. I can't imagine a scenario where that wouldn't be fine but if it makes you uncomfortable than that is what's important.

Thanks Michael, that's exactly it. I'm glad that BMW is allowing the off button to default to the last state and that's really all I need for me personally. I do, however, still worry that as more non-Hybrid's get this technology we'll have some fender benders (or worse) because an engine cuts off at an inopportune time and confuses the driver.

Going waaaaay off topic here, but the terrible AF447 crash and the controversy over fly-by-wire cockpits comes to mind a bit. Certain things are taken for granted by the driver of an automobile, the biggest one being "I step on the gas and I accelerate in a predictable manner". We have enough distracted drivers on the road, don't need them having another complication to deal with.

BJ

I am planning to have my dealer code for the last user mode for auto start/stop before pickup. I have in the past quite frequently railed against people complaining about this feature. However after some thought, I would appreciate the peace of mind which comes from being able to turn it off before letting my 65 year old father borrow the car. I don't need that phone call from the side of the road where he thinks something is wrong with the car.

I do however plan to use it personally. My one lane, no turns commute to work, with at least 10 stop lights is perfect for this feature.

Originally Posted by 328i2013

Hey is there a way to block posts from specific members, like boltjaM3s?

boltjaM3s, you should "talk" to someone rather than let your anger out on this forum where people have come to learn about cars.

Respectfully, you are the one preaching about eco-friendliness in an enthusiasts forum dedicated to performance. Stop trying to make us feel bad because we aren't consumed with saving money or reducing pollution. It's great that those causes mean a lot to you, don't be surprised if you get feedback from those who wholeheartedly disagree.

Go to one of my posts, next to my avatar image click on my username. The last option on the list is "ignore this user".

BJ

Ignored boltjaM3s. This forum seems so much more cleaner and civil now.

Originally Posted by 328i2013

Hey is there a way to block posts from specific members, like boltjaM3s?

boltjaM3s, you should "talk" to someone rather than let your anger out on this forum where people have come to learn about cars.

Yes ignore feature.

While we're fixing Auto Stop/Start...can they also fix the car's throttle mapping to keep that on last mode? I had a 2007 Cooper S and always had to start the car and then go to sport mode. It's be nice if didn't have to fiddle with sport/sport+ every time I fired up the car. My seat and mirrors go to the right place, radio presets work, so why can't I get sport to default?

Originally Posted by brkf

Yes ignore feature.

While we're fixing Auto Stop/Start...can they also fix the car's throttle mapping to keep that on last mode? I had a 2007 Cooper S and always had to start the car and then go to sport mode. It's be nice if didn't have to fiddle with sport/sport+ every time I fired up the car. My seat and mirrors go to the right place, radio presets work, so why can't I get sport to default?

Agreed.

On my 328i the Sport mode is like night-and-day from the Comfort mode, just accelerates quicker, makes my car much faster. I'll never use Comfort, in fact, just want it to stick on Sport.

Good thing the car comes with Comfort Access because the ability to just get in the car and drive off is becoming impossible. In a typical run to get my son at a baseball practice I have to....

1. Push Start button.

2. Push Auto Stop Start Off button.

3. Push Sport Mode button.

4. Push "Accept" on iDrive screen.

5. When arrive at destination, hit Door Unlock button.

I'm going to need a blanket and a pillow, get a short nap in before leaving my driveway. I take 6-7 short trips a day round-trip, so that's 56 button presses or 49 more than I need to. I'll take a vacation and rent a car and will automatically start looking around for buttons to push. My trunk opens by moving my foot but my car won't go unless I unlock Fort Knox.

BJ

Originally Posted by 328i2013

Ignored boltjaM3s. This forum seems so much more cleaner and civil now.

Good for you but I think you are way off base regarding BJ's posts. I don't recall any that are less than civil. You may not agree with his point of view or his not so serious posting style at times but I've never thought of him as mean or uncivil.