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

Originally Posted by HIRISC

Great info in this thread.

Will now delay my wife's 550xi purchase (or steer it elsewhere)... way, way, way too much money to be dealing with this type of 'issue'.

Thanks all.

Just picked up my 550i. No tip-in at all. The grunt of the V8 is awesome, providing plenty of low end power, without having to fight the accelerator pedal. Move it in to S or to Sport for even better response.

My car is in for the update (mine is an early build 535xi)

Dealer's Tech said - they could replicated the problem (slow initial acceleration) and they were going to address via the service bulletin - by updating the car's software.

I'll keep you posted...

Originally Posted by Alecop77

My car is in for the update (mine is an early build 535xi)

Dealer's Tech said - they could replicated the problem (slow initial acceleration) and they were going to address via the service bulletin - by updating the car's software.

I'll keep you posted...

My car is due for service in 900 miles. I intend to bring this up again when I bring it in. Let's keep my fingers crossed that they don't tell me that they've already given me all my updates in March.

On another note, I'm so glad to finally be getting an oil change at what should be about 17,100 miles. Woo hoo for free maintenance!

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

My car is due for service in 900 miles. I intend to bring this up again when I bring it in. Let's keep my fingers crossed that they don't tell me that they've already given me all my updates in March.

On another note, I'm so glad to finally be getting an oil change at what should be about 17,100 miles. Woo hoo for free maintenance!

17K? are they going to accept your car?
I heard rumors if you bring it in too late you may void the guarantee..
be carefull
If you read the manual it says negligence is not covered...

Originally Posted by bmw_enthusiasm

17K? are they going to accept your car?
I heard rumors if you bring it in too late you may void the guarantee..
be carefull
If you read the manual it says negligence is not covered...

How could it be negligence if I follow the service reminder?

BMW has not issued any recall to fix this problem. I don't see how waiting for a scheduled maintenance to address the issue can void a warranty. That's what they are probably waiting for so they don't get the service dept crowded. Anyway, I got the "fix" done and I'm not extremely happy with it so, I would wait until my service date to address the problem again and to check if there are solutions for the new "bugs" that have appeared after the upgrade ( RPM, bluetooth, call pick-up at the wheel...)

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

How could it be negligence if I follow the service reminder?

it isnt so much the reminder as it the amount of miles, you are 2k over the recommended limit...i am sure you will be fine, but i would double check though to make sure...even my SA said that since they have had to flash my sw several times to fix the issue with my "service due in 35,000" complaint that the car started over each time stating service due in 15,000 miles and started the count down then...i have 5,500 miles on car now and it is saying due in 13,000...BMW specifically told me not to wait for that but to bring it between 13k-15k.....

i am sure you will be fine but it is something to think about

Originally Posted by UNCtarheels

CCGP....i can definitly say that there is a fix for it, many of us in this thread has had their car completly fixed and behaving like a totally different car.

...

While it is encouraging to read about fixes like this, I sympathize with those who have not been so lucky. Hopefully, two things will occur: BMW will make this right with 2011 owners still plagued by the problem; and the problem will remedied and nonexistent in the 2012 models. Anything less is inexcusable.

I was wondering if anyone can help me.

From your descriptions below i seem to have the same problem with my 316i, which is only 6 months old about 5000 miles, 2010 make. It is slow in acceleration when driving in low Kms (30-40 km/hr). This does not happen all the time though. It does it mostly after i leave the office and i am driving in the company parking lot, where i do not have much space to accelerate as their are road humps.
It continues like this since i am mostly driving in a neibroughood type of area, with lots of turns and stops, until i reach the highway where i can accelerate. But the issue it is that this behaviour does not happen every day, there seems to be no pattern, nor does the issue appear at every turn. Some days its is worse than others and some days it runs with no problem at all. I have taken it to the dealer once and it did not do the problem for them. I was told to adjust the seat and step more on the gas petal. But this does not fix the problem all the times.
So I was not able to identify a pattern so that i can tell them how to recreate the scenario.
I was wondering if anyone has identified a pattern on this. This would really help me to have something to show to the dealer when i next take it.
Thank you.

I have had my car updated with the 535 software and it solved 90% of my problem. However my car does perform better on some days than others. I have a theory. My car drives best after I have driven some highway miles. It is worst when I am driving mostly in town. Maybe it has to do with the crazy learning feature of the transmission and the stop and go at lights and stop signs. See if you notice the same.

Thank you for your reply.
I have exactly the same but not all days. Town driving is the worst some days and it is when it happens mostly. But i have not found a pattern as to when it does this. Like for example on a hot day.
If you step on the gas and you take it to 4K then it is perfect (kind of hard to do in town). I am guessing stepping the gas is what the dealer did when i took it and of course it did not present the problem.
During the weekend where i can speed up a little bit more rather than on Monday morning traffic it drives much better. It is like i have a car with two personalities which i can also understand why the dealer would have a hard time accepting this description.
I was just really glad to find this thread, at least just to prove that i am not imagining things.
Any more feedback would be much appreciated

i am convinced these issues, now identified in many of bmw models, are all related to their ability to publish a higher mpg average than their competitors. probably thought it a major selling point with steady gas price increases over the years. the problem is intermittent, but any acceleration delay - and then jerkiness - is a major safety concern, and should be reported to NTSB. if/when enough people file formal complaints, bmw will be forced to fix. google NTSB and call or file online. unacceptable given what we pay for these cars. mine's 5mos old, but has had this problem from day 1... interestingly enough, didn't notice it during test drive!

I would be more than happy to do so however i do not live in the states. i was not able to find something similar within the EU.
I do agree it is a safety issue when you are not always sure how your car it will react when stepping on the gas.

Software was updated 2 weeks ago and has solved the problem!!

Originally Posted by eyesight1

Software was updated 2 weeks ago and has solved the problem!!

Got any work order info for us?

Sent from my DROIDX using Bimmer

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Got any work order info for us?

Sent from my DROIDX using Bimmer

The work order states

Reprogramed vehicle as per bulltin

00 00 556 2F-61 00 730 4F-11 37 01 29 00

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by romeofrosty

Is this issue strictly related to the turbo engines, or could this also be applicable to the naturally aspirated engine as well. Mine (528i) also seems to lag a bit on initial acceleration. It seems a tad lazy starting from a stop. In sport mode, however, there is no lag or laziness whatsoever. Just wondering if it's something that needs to be adressed on my particular model.

I have a 2011 528i as well, and since day one (a year ago), I have had the issue of lazy acceleration from the get go. In sport mode, I pretty much start from second gear, because I notice it there too. First gear, to me, in this car is a rather useless gear...maybe because of this issue!?1? I don't know! Anyhow, I just thought it was an issue with this car period...I never thought to question them about it. I have always been a Mercedes driver and this is my first BMW.

Because my car has been at the dealership (and G-d knows where else) for the past seven weeks for a paint issue...which is why I just signed up on this site tonight (but got side tracked here first), they gave me a 535 to be driving. I haven't had the slightest problem with acceleration with it...and fell in LOVE with it, actually!! Anyhow, because I'm not a "technical" car person, I never truly found what the answer was for me to do with the 528 as far as fixing the acceleration from stop. Same as what you are suggesting for the 535? That is if I KEEP my 528.

Also, I will find this to post elsewhere, but would still love your opinions as well. As many people I can get to view this, the better! I have had EROSION in my paint...all the way through the FIRST PLACE FINISH and through all of the paint on my hood...from bird poop (in one spot and larger than a silver dollar). So they say. (I have had a few other weird paint issues too. I don't know what to call them except to say that when a bike rack was put on it, that never left a mark on 3 other Mercedes I have/had, or our Explorer, it left what I call "backwards fading" marks--meaning, the paint faded where the pressure mounts were: Not what would "logically happen", which would be IF paint were to fade, it would be where the sun would hit, not what is covered up. Anyway, the bike rack was only on for three days. They would only repaint my hood and were supposed to "fix" the trunk where the pressure mounting faded 4 spots. I have yet to see it because when I went to pick it up on Thursday, they told me it was dirty. Since then, I found out it was dented and it would be repaired by today. Haven't heard word. *sigh* What do I do if the paint doesn't look right? How do I KNOW if it's a good match? HELP??? It's only my hood, even though I truly demanded my whole car be painted.

I am up in arms over this b/c NOTHING should have eaten through my paint. I'm trying to trade it and they promised me a good deal. I negotiated a great deal for this car, but they are giving me no such thing, in my opinion, because I feel I should be given an amazing deal for HAVING to trade as compensation. Quite obviously, it is bad paint. Either way, I'm stuck with a car that has been devalued by this and they are saying that "they are taking this off my hands" when I purchase the new car (and, lucky me, get to pay more and have a larger car payment. My car is 1 year old and has 6K miles). I say they owe me a HUGE discount because I am being FORCED to trade because BMW USA (whom they represent...like it or not, because they sold me the car) sold me a car with crappy paint. Noone at my dealership can even tell me what to do if I want to go through BMW USA to get them to try warranty this (do they? They are soooo non-specific in the owner's manual and my dealership is of NO help! Anyway, I know this isn't the correct forum, and as I said, I will post this SOMEWHERE else, but I need ANYONE's opinion I can get. I am getting REALLY screwed by them. About to go back to Mercedes...(even though I like this car better). Never had any of these (customer) service issues or lack of knowledge of product issues ever with them. OR paint problems...

BTW...the color, which was a new color, is metallic graphite. The reason I'm SO concerned is because when I was in college, I had a 1991 Honda Accord Special Edition with BAD PAINT. I only had it one year, but my nephew inherited it and it ended up peeling off...and it was a new/special color. NOTHING should have eaten through the paint of this BMW. If it did it once...how am I to ever believe it won't do it again?

Thanks for listening....and thanks for any advice anyone has to offer!!! (except maybe not to post this here. I'm new...please give a very worried, beemer babe a break ;-))))

Thanks!
Karen

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Originally Posted by eyesight1

The work order states

Reprogramed vehicle as per bulltin

00 00 556 2F-61 00 730 4F-11 37 01 29 00

Hope this helps.

So just to make sure i get this straight. Are you are not simply referring to a reprogramming (cause i had that done already when my car had trouble starting when it was hot) or if you know was this a particular software upgrade? If not i will just quote your work order.
Thank you so much.

I guess I was just wondering if I needed a work order specifically for the 528? I saw almost all complaints about the 535. So I wasn't sure if I should go to my dealership with the same software info.

Please just let me know what I need to tell my dealership. My car is just very "jerky" when the 535 that I'm driving as my loaner is not at all. ESPECIALLY from the start. Especially when it's a cold start. Possibly connected? When I turn it on (summer or winter), It shakes for about 5 seconds really hard. Just an added detail. The 535 loaner I have does not. My ex-fiance used to always complain about how it had the sluggish start from "a dead stop." That's why I loved this 535 (loaner) so much. I knew I could pull out in front of any traffic sit. and not worry about whether or not I would make it...I knew I wouldn't have a problem ever. I don't think I should be "worrying" about my 528...lol.

Thanks for responding. Anything you can give me to give to my dealership is VERY MUCH appreciated! :-)

Originally Posted by KMLgsoNC

Thanks for responding. Anything you can give me to give to my dealership is VERY MUCH appreciated! :-)

You might inform them of your decision that you are going back to the beloved MB.
Who knows, maybe you make them happy with that?

I have. They weren't happy. So following all of my posts now? Trying to make sure noone helps me with anything? You are a negative person.

Originally Posted by KMLgsoNC

I have. They weren't happy. So following all of my posts now? Trying to make sure noone helps me with anything? You are a negative person.

Thanks, you jump to conclusions easily, so get rid of your lemon BMW and enjoy your life.

Originally Posted by eyesight1

The work order states

Reprogramed vehicle as per bulltin

00 00 556 2F-61 00 730 4F-11 37 01 29 00

Hope this helps.

Thanks.

Ok thank you. I wanted to be sure as my car is a series 3 model.

Originally Posted by KMLgsoNC

I guess I was just wondering if I needed a work order specifically for the 528? I saw almost all complaints about the 535. So I wasn't sure if I should go to my dealership with the same software info.

Please just let me know what I need to tell my dealership. My car is just very "jerky" when the 535 that I'm driving as my loaner is not at all. ESPECIALLY from the start. Especially when it's a cold start. Possibly connected? When I turn it on (summer or winter), It shakes for about 5 seconds really hard. Just an added detail. The 535 loaner I have does not. My ex-fiance used to always complain about how it had the sluggish start from "a dead stop." That's why I loved this 535 (loaner) so much. I knew I could pull out in front of any traffic sit. and not worry about whether or not I would make it...I knew I wouldn't have a problem ever. I don't think I should be "worrying" about my 528...lol.

Thanks for responding. Anything you can give me to give to my dealership is VERY MUCH appreciated! :-)

BMW has a software fix for the 535, not the 528. I did ask the dealer if it would be applicable to the 528 as well, and the answer I got was, "no". Currently, there is no fix from BMW in regards to the hesitation issue for the 528.
Best suggestion is for you to be a pain in the butt about it with your dealer. (i have with mine, but so far to no avail.) I am waiting for an appointment with the BMW area rep. The first one I had was cancelled by the dealer because the rep wasn't going to be in my area as they thought. Lodge a complaint with BMW NA. Lodge a complaint with the National Transportation Safety Board. (NTSB), which you can do online. Tell them this is an unacceptable safety issue and why.
Don't let up on the dealer. Be a pain in their rear end. Let them know this is unacceptable and you are not going to let it go. Don't let them give you "it's a normal running charachteristic of the car" crap either.