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      08-27-2012, 09:04 AM   #1
Stokkes
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Engine problem - not accelerating

Hey all,

So my 2012 328i has about 3500km (2200 miles) on it and I took a trip to Michigan last week. Decided to have a little fun with the car so I put it in sport mode at a light and dropped the needle to see how fast this thing can accelerate (I'm coming from a 2009 128i which was a blast to drive).

Something very strange happened when I hit the throttle. I shifted out of 1st into 2nd (MT) and the car stopped taking the gas. I can only describe it as it appeared the engine was "flooded" (used to happen long ago). The engine rev'ed (to 5-6k RPM) but wasn't taking its gas - causing the car to decelerate. I was able to reproduce this on subsequent attempts.

When I stopped the car after this happened, it smelt of burnt clutch. Now, my 2009 128i I had was also a MT, I've been driving MT for over 15 years so it's not my inability to shift.

Anyone else experience something similar or have an idea what it could be? While in Michigan I filled up with 93 octane (usually put 91). Doubt that makes a difference though.

Last edited by Stokkes; 08-27-2012 at 09:11 AM..
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      08-28-2012, 06:52 AM   #2
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Limp mode?
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      08-28-2012, 08:17 AM   #3
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Did you get any warning lights? CEL? Anything?

If you are smelling clutch maybe the clutch is slipping for some reason? CDV?
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      08-28-2012, 09:54 AM   #4
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Absolutely nothing came on the 2-3 times it did it. No lights or anything, just burnt clutch smell.

It may be related to the CDV.. I was trying to shift quite rapidly to see how fast I could get it to 60mph, but I've done the same thing in my 128i on numerous occasions and didn't experience anything like this.
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      08-29-2012, 04:14 AM   #5
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Increase on revs, no significant increase in acceleration, & burning clutch smell - sounds to me like the clutch is slipping. Could be wrong though! Are you able to duplicate the problem consistently?
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      08-29-2012, 06:23 PM   #6
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Quite consistently.

I'm talking rev'ing to 5500-6000k RPM in first then shifting into 2nd and continuing to accelerate. Unless this car can't do this.
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      08-29-2012, 06:30 PM   #7
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what happens if you accelerate slowly up to 6k and shift?
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      08-30-2012, 08:15 AM   #8
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Are you dumping the clutch on the up-shift? Are you slipping it? Are you trying to power shift?

Try an experiment - disable DSC (only if it is safe to do so based on prevailing conditions) and try it again.
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      08-30-2012, 01:40 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mocohead View Post
Are you dumping the clutch on the up-shift? Are you slipping it? Are you trying to power shift?

Try an experiment - disable DSC (only if it is safe to do so based on prevailing conditions) and try it again.
Good call! Could be breaking the rear tires free ever so slightly causing a cut in power due to the traction control. This wouldn't explain the burnt clutch smell, though that could be due to fast shifting in the first place.


If the problem repeats, you could always drop by your dealer. I am sure they would be happy to help!
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      08-30-2012, 07:16 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mocohead
Are you dumping the clutch on the up-shift? Are you slipping it? Are you trying to power shift?

Try an experiment - disable DSC (only if it is safe to do so based on prevailing conditions) and try it again.
^^ Agreed that you should try this. Turn the system off altogether where it is safe to do so and try again! I had a 520d 2006-2009 and it developed what seemed like a clutch slipping issue - however it was inconsistent and wasn't the clutch. I think it was related somehow to DSC but I forget now what it was.
Just try it!
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      09-05-2012, 08:48 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stokkes View Post
Hey all,

So my 2012 328i has about 3500km (2200 miles) on it and I took a trip to Michigan last week. Decided to have a little fun with the car so I put it in sport mode at a light and dropped the needle to see how fast this thing can accelerate (I'm coming from a 2009 128i which was a blast to drive).

Something very strange happened when I hit the throttle. I shifted out of 1st into 2nd (MT) and the car stopped taking the gas. I can only describe it as it appeared the engine was "flooded" (used to happen long ago). The engine rev'ed (to 5-6k RPM) but wasn't taking its gas - causing the car to decelerate. I was able to reproduce this on subsequent attempts.

When I stopped the car after this happened, it smelt of burnt clutch. Now, my 2009 128i I had was also a MT, I've been driving MT for over 15 years so it's not my inability to shift.

Anyone else experience something similar or have an idea what it could be? While in Michigan I filled up with 93 octane (usually put 91). Doubt that makes a difference though.
What do you mean "wasn't taking it's gas"?
Do you mean, that once you shifted to 2nd the engine revs climbed, but your speed started decreasing?
If so, that indicates a slipping clutch.

On take off in 1st, did you slip the clutch too much perhaps?
This would result in the burning clutch smell, if you help the pedal too long at take off.

The low rpm torque in your 328i is considerably higher than the torque in your 128i. You don't need to rev the N20 as high as you would the 128i.
Your 328i produces 255lb ft of torque, most of available by 2200rpm, if I remember the dyno curves correctly.
You've got more torque by 2500rpm than your 128i could produce at it's higher rpm peak.
I launched my 135i at around 3500rpm, quick clutch engagement and then throttle modulation to avoid too much tire spin.
That's with either DTC or DSC completely off. With DSC fully on it would bog as soon as it detected wheel slip, and then quick throttle cut.
For fun launches DTC is a great setting that still gives some assitance.

Is everything ok now?

Sounds like you're a MT veteran, so please take the following offering as a reminder.
If you glazed the clutch, which is sounds like you did, then don't do any more higher rpm, clutch dump take offs for a while. Drive normally, and let the clutch pedal out fully, don't hold it at all. Use low rpm, like 1200 and shift to 2nd, then 3rd. Try a few cycles of low rpm downshifts. Example, in 4th gear about 2500rpm, shift to 3rd, and let the clutch out quickly, let the engine come down to around 2200 rpm and shift to 2nd letting the clutch out quickly. This will help remove any glazing you have build up.
Over some miles of "normal" driving/shifting the glaze should clean itself off.
The idea is to get quick, strong friction on the clutch plate, but not at high rpm, and too often. You don't want to heat the clutch, you just want quick and direct contact with the flywheel to clean it off.

Yes, the CDV is designed to soften the shifts, as it reduces the clutch fluid flow, which results in slowing down the clutch engagement. But, that isn't the cause of this. If you're too slow on releasing the clutch pedal the CDV just makes it that much slower, which together leads to "riding the clutch", and combine that with high rpm/high torque, and you get too much slip and that nasty smell, with no forward progression.

My last 3 MT's all had CDV, E46 325i sport, A4 quattro MT, 135i MT, and I never removed the CDV with no problems.
Get yourself a clutch stop. BMW clutch pedal travel is notoriously too long, and doesn't help with smooth direct clutch engagement. A clutch stop will shorten the deal space, and it'll make the friction point become more intuitive and closer to off the floor/stop.

Barring that, I hope you don't have a defective clutch. It's a possibility though.
Give it some time and miles to smooth out.
Good luck.

Last edited by RPM90; 09-05-2012 at 09:04 PM..
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      09-05-2012, 09:09 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stokkes View Post
Absolutely nothing came on the 2-3 times it did it. No lights or anything, just burnt clutch smell.

It may be related to the CDV.. I was trying to shift quite rapidly to see how fast I could get it to 60mph, but I've done the same thing in my 128i on numerous occasions and didn't experience anything like this.
You likely glazed the clutch the first time you tried it, and doing it again 2-3 times after didn't help.
Once you smell the clutch, STOP with any more hard launches.

BTW 0-60 is only going to take 1 shift to 2nd, unless you're short shifting, meaning you're shifting well before red line, then it'll need 2 shifts to 3rd.

How do you like the MT in your 328i vs the 128i, this issue aside.
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      09-20-2012, 10:00 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RPM90
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stokkes View Post
Absolutely nothing came on the 2-3 times it did it. No lights or anything, just burnt clutch smell.

It may be related to the CDV.. I was trying to shift quite rapidly to see how fast I could get it to 60mph, but I've done the same thing in my 128i on numerous occasions and didn't experience anything like this.
You likely glazed the clutch the first time you tried it, and doing it again 2-3 times after didn't help.
Once you smell the clutch, STOP with any more hard launches.

BTW 0-60 is only going to take 1 shift to 2nd, unless you're short shifting, meaning you're shifting well before red line, then it'll need 2 shifts to 3rd.

How do you like the MT in your 328i vs the 128i, this issue aside.
Peak torque on the 328i comes in at 1250rpm (350NM) and stays flat 'till 4800rpm.
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      09-21-2012, 12:19 PM   #14
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Did you take it in for service OP?
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