I have had no problems with the car after two months, in fact it's been everything I hoped it would be, and rides so smooth. But, I (mainly my wife) cannot get used to this auto start/stop. Yes, yes push it when you get in the car and it's back to the normal experience. That seems easy but it's just not working out, and for the life of me have no idea who thought this was a good idea. So go ahead and rip away, but this extremely minor detail is too much to look past when it's time to buy/lease again.
What exactly about it bothers you so much? I don't understand the issue.
My main complaint with it is I don't like how the engine kicks back in before I take my foot off the brake. Other than that, I really don't give it much thought.
The noise associated with it, would rather just have the same idle sound as i'm sitting at a red light.
What you said as well.
There isn't the same quickness off the line if you were to go from brake to gas as opposed to starter to gas.
Bottom line, it's just annoying as hell and totally takes away from all the good the car has. I'm not joking when I say, it's enough to make me want to give the car up.
There's gotta be a way for the dealer to disable it.
The problem I had with auto-start-stop was that, virtually every time I came to a stop, the engine would fire up before the light turned green. So you'd have this weird 30 second period where the AC kicked down a bit, and the car was quiet, then it shook and shuddered to life, straining at the torque converter, ... then eventually you got to go.
If it was on an M/T equipped car it wouldn't be so bad, because you wouldn't feel the shudder of the engine starting up as you do on the automatic.
I don't mind it on the manual transmissions, because it only shuts off when you're in neutral with the clutch let out. As soon as you press the clutch in, it starts back up. In the auto it's just weird, definitely seems to lag when you want to take off from a light, you don't have that issue in the manual. DS mode keeps it from shutting off as well.
So find someone in your area who can re-code the computer, they can disable it if it is bothering you so much. BMW can't make this optional or it will affect some of their fuel economy numbers, otherwise they probably would offer the option to disable it in the i-drive.
Shabadoo, I'm not racing it, just don't like it to start up everytime I want to pull off the line at a red light. It's for lack of better words, insane.
To each his own. It might have something to do with living in a "go, go, go" place like Miami or LA. The 1 second delay means nothing to me here in Mouseland.
I am still blown away by the hatred towards this feature. My god, just hit the button when you start the car! In the probably 3 hours combined in test drives and ride alongs I have done in F30s I never found it as obtrusive as many say. My favorite is "when it starts up, it felt like I was rear ended". Come on, if you have ever actually been rear ended, you would never say this! :rofl:
But to each there own. Pressing that damn button is no different than changing the radio, adjusting the temperature, turning on heated seats/wheel, putting the car in drive. Just press the button!!!!!
So find someone to recode it and permanently disable it, and then just have it re-coded again at the end of your lease. Surely your level of aggravation is worth laying out a few hundred bucks to get this done.
There have been posts by tuners in Florida doing work on the F30, you can find some of those threads, PM those guys, and see if they, or someone they know can get this done for you.
I agree with other comments. This will become standard technology in most cars over the remainder of this decade.
That 1-second delay might actually save your life from being T-boned by some fool running the red light. When I'm first at the line, I usually take a second to look left and right before proceeding anyways.
You don't have to be the first person in line, when the person in front of you starts off, you take your foot off the brake and you're waiting for the the thing to be drivable. The manual transmission version of start/stop is so much better, which is why it probably only used to be available on manual vehicles. I can't imagine roundabouts with the start/stop, with a manual I'd just keep the clutch in for them.
1. Learn to live with the feature.
2. Hit the disable button when you start the car.
3. Have it disabled (re-enable when you turn in the lease.)
BMW is doing this because they pretty much have to. The federal CAFE rules stipulate higher and higher fuel economy in cars, which I don't think is a bad thing. Automakers have to use every technology at their disposal to make this happen, including more efficient engines, hybrids, electric steering (and other items that cause less parasitic loss on the engine), and shutdown-when-idle.
Expect fuel savings techniques to get more aggressive in the near future, from all brands, not just BMW. Which means ASS will probably be long forgotten when people start complaining about the next tech to save gas. (Yes, expect ASS on all cars soon.)
If you really want to blame someone, blame the universe/evolution/the creator/etc. for not having more dinosaurs die out to create more oil. Oh, and for not being made of something that burns cleanly without pollution and causing greenhouse gasses.
Regarding BJ's comments about people's cars starting unexpectedly: I haven't read the thread he's talking about, but it sounds to me like people park their car, the ASS kicks in and stops the engine, and they get out without actually shutting off the car! That's user error, not a problem with the ASS.
As with all technology, it gets better over time. I'd be willing to bet that there will be a software update that improves the ASS within the next 12 months. Maybe even including additional fail-safes for people who forget to shut the car off. It's unfortunate that buyers of first or even second model year of a new car are basically beta testers. Sadly early adopters have to expect problems, and either live with them or wait for fixes.
Blame Bush, he signed stricter Cafe regulations before Obama was ever elected. See how that works? BMW does not have many smaller economy cars to help push up their cafe numbers, so they will continue going to smaller higher tech engines and fuel management techniques like start/stop to eek more fuel economy.
As to the concern about waiting at a light, roundabout, etc, all you have to do is slightly turn the wheel and the engine will re-start, so if you need to go go go super fast that's one way to do it.
The stop/start initially annoyed me on the all day test drive I did with the F30... after driving for hours though I rarely noticed it, I don't think it's that big of a deal.
Also worth noting that by my calculations, the new 328i, driven 15K miles per year should burn about 90 less gallons of fuel per year than the outgoing model. This difference will be larger if more highway miles are driven.
let's say fuel averages around $4 a gallon for premium and you keep the car for 5 years. $1800 or so saved in fuel costs, which is not too shabby. Will pay for an entire new set of tires with money to spare.
Also worth noting that by my calculations, the new 328i, driven 15K miles per year should burn about 90 less gallons of fuel per year than the outgoing model. This difference will be larger if more highway miles are driven.
let's say fuel averages around $4 a gallon for premium and you keep the car for 5 years. $1800 or so saved in fuel costs, which is not too shabby. Will pay for an entire new set of tires with money to spare.
Just for the record, according to EPA over 15K miles the 328i costs as much in fuel as a 2013 Lexus ES350 V6 which is faster if you are just mashing it from a redlight.
BMW N20 ---> second rate technology poorly executed.
When the light is about to turn green, let go of the brakes and let the car inch up a bit. Re-apply the brakes and the engine will stay on. Now you are ready to drag race that old lady in the car next to you once the light turns green
My car developed a problem yesterday, showing a warning n the dash about steering issue. Service said it's ok to drive until Monday when I take it in, but this issue seems to have disabled ASS.
It wasn't very many years ago when I would get into my car after my wife had driven it that I would have to adjust the seat. I'd have to move it back and drop it down. I'd have to adjust the angle of the seat back as well. Next I'd have to readjust the rear view mirror, then the driver's side mirror and then the passenger side mirror. After that I had to push buttons to change the radio station! This was followed by pushing more buttons to drop the air temp, etc., etc. I can't believe that in those days I even had to put my key in the door and physically turn it to get into the car; and I had to insert it into the ignition slot and turn it!!!!! Oh, and not just turn it, but actually hold the key in the far position unit the engine actually fired up!!!! I really don't know how I lived through it all.
Now all those things are taken care of for me. To be whining about pushing a button, one time, that's right next to the START button is beyond me. :tsk:
Damn right! He's not worth his salt if he can't perform such a simple procedure. He could do it just before he sprinkles the rose petals on the carpet.
Not to worry if you feel that strong about the dislike of the A.S.S. complain to your dealer and from what I under stand they will file a PUMA about the A.S.S. and will be able to disable it for you. Good luck
cheers
vern
Cheaper cars have ASS that are not intrusive, the F30 ASS is poorly executed. By the time OP shops for his next BMW, I am sure it will be fine. Although something else might bother him so he swears he will not buy the next next BMW.
It's been my experience that the ASS doesn't kick in immediately when the car is stopped. It takes about three seconds before the engine shuts off and the tach goes into the "Ready" position. I like this feature because it allows you to make a very short but complete stop in a residential area and lets you proceed again without having the engine shut off.
I had a single negative incident with the system and I believe it was my fault. I took my foot off the brake and started to accelerate the instant it was beginning to take effect. When I did, I think it was in a kind of limbo. As a result, the engine shut completely off and I had to restart it with the On/Off button. I can't think of any other reason why that would occur. Has this situation ever happened to any of you?
Ever since then when the car comes to a stop, I try to make it a quick one lasting only a couple of seconds. If I can't do that, I wait a second or two longer for the ASS to completely kick in. I've had no problems since.
You guys that are still whining about A.S.S. read post #40. you will have it what ever way you desire.Good luck
cheers
vern
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