Problems with E90....

[Jmead1]

I just signed up for this forum because I am looking to talk with someone who has a 2006 330i. I've had it for about 6 weeks and noticed a lot of "shimmy" in the wheel at 45mph. Also, sometimes after I come to a complete stop (about 1-2 seconds after completely stopping) I notice a jerking motion which feels like a hard gear shift in the transmission.I had it in once to service and they told me the shimmy was from faulty run flat tires and they replaced them. I was trying to over look the slight jerking motion (almost feels like someone has tapped me from behind when it happens) and proceeded to get the car back. The shimmy was still there at 45mph and then had a slight vibration at 85 . I took it back and complained about the "transmission" jerking thing. They had me back up there to drive it again with a technician and are telling me this "transmission" thing is totally normal (something about the transmission locking down to the drive train). I have owned 4 BMW's prior to this purchase and it is odd to me that this would be normal. I also am getting a "sticking" sensation when I release the brakes if the car is stopped on a decline. They told me that was normal too. I got this line of stuff from a technician about how this car is "so much more advanced than the others" (I had a 2003 330 coupe with dinan before). I wanted to see if you are experiencing any of the things. I am wondering why BMW would make a car that has a less pleasurable driving experience because of "advanced technology". That just makes no sense to me. He also told me that the vibration is because the car is more sensitive to the road now. WHAT? So, I want a $45,000 car that bumps because it is so sensitive.

I really appreciate any feedback you can give me. If my explanations are not clear, I can try to better explain if you are interested in talking with me about this.

 

[Kirby]

Welcome to the board!

Can't help too much, I don't have an E90, but regarding the brakes, I wonder if one of the features below is causing your start/stop sensations:

"BMW loaded the new model with a bunch of new braking technology. Among these are Fade Compensation, Brake Drying, Soft Stop, a hill-start feature called Start-off Assistant, and Brake Standby, which anticipates braking when the throttle is lifted abruptly. All of these features utilize inputs and controls from the latest-generation DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system and are designed to be as “invisible” to the driver as possible."

There's a lot of debate as to the "benefits" of all this extra automation.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

I just signed up for this forum because I am looking to talk with someone who has a 2006 330i. I've had it for about 6 weeks and noticed a lot of "shimmy" in the wheel at 45mph. Also, sometimes after I come to a complete stop (about 1-2 seconds after completely stopping) I notice a jerking motion which feels like a hard gear shift in the transmission.I had it in once to service and they told me the shimmy was from faulty run flat tires and they replaced them. I was trying to over look the slight jerking motion (almost feels like someone has tapped me from behind when it happens) and proceeded to get the car back. The shimmy was still there at 45mph and then had a slight vibration at 85 . I took it back and complained about the "transmission" jerking thing. They had me back up there to drive it again with a technician and are telling me this "transmission" thing is totally normal (something about the transmission locking down to the drive train). I have owned 4 BMW's prior to this purchase and it is odd to me that this would be normal. I also am getting a "sticking" sensation when I release the brakes if the car is stopped on a decline. They told me that was normal too. I got this line of stuff from a technician about how this car is "so much more advanced than the others" (I had a 2003 330 coupe with dinan before). I wanted to see if you are experiencing any of the things. I am wondering why BMW would make a car that has a less pleasurable driving experience because of "advanced technology". That just makes no sense to me. He also told me that the vibration is because the car is more sensitive to the road now. WHAT? So, I want a $45,000 car that bumps because it is so sensitive.

I really appreciate any feedback you can give me. If my explanations are not clear, I can try to better explain if you are interested in talking with me about this.

I think you're being too sensitive and critical to the car and its flaws.

As for the shimmy, I would bring that to their attention again and make them re-replace the tires or even the rotors. As for the brake sticking sensation... it's computer system is doing exactly what it's supposed to do which is prevent the car from rolling down a hill. The transmission bump feeling is a little awkward sounding, my guess is the transmission isnt working as smoothly as it should, although it is within tolerable limits according to BMW. The sensitivity to the bumps is probably the response of the hoards of caterwauling enthusiasts... who claim they cant feel the road in the newer BMWs as they can in the 1980's model year BMWs... It's either that or it's a result of the bad tires/rotors which the dealer just supposedly replaced.

My suggestion is to get used to the new braking system, tolerate the transmission bumps (if not take it to another dealer and see if they'll bother replacing it, although I'd advise against that), make them ameliorate the shimmy, then finally take some sharp corners and floor it a few times to get some driving pleasure out of it... [driving2] Seems like you're driving it too slowly and conscientiously, lastly if all that fails then I guess it was the wrong car.. You can still sell it and maybe take a small hit which may be worth it depending on how much those issues bother you.

 

[Jmead1]

Thank you so much for your response. In reply, I must say that having driven 4 BMWs before this one, I am pretty accustomed to driving a performance car. I bought my 2003 330i brand new and had stage 3 Dinan upgrades added. I am a serious driver and know how to handle a car. Why drive a BMW if you can't appreciate the experience of it. This is the most I have paid for a car and my disappointment is that my other BMW's have, in my opinion, driven better than this new one. Which somewhat defeats the purpose of buying a newer, more expensive car. I am really enjoying the added features on the inside, but I have never wanted to drive a BMW for the luxury of the interior. It is 100% about the satisfaction of the drive. I don't think I am being overcritical if there is a shimmy and the transmition is acting funny. I'll give on the braking.I t is something I will have to get used to, but feeling like you've been bumped from behind after stopping shouldn't be something to have to tolerate. It just doesn't make sense and I cannot imagine that being normal. I wanted to see if anyone else has noticed this that actually drives the E90 since they are telling me it is normal.

Thanks again.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

I agree with looking for feedback from other sufferers... One thing to keep in mind is that the dealer always seems to have a very high tolerance for quirks and problems, nine times out of ten "it's normal" is the likely response.

 

[mc909321]

As much as I love my new M3, I know that new models always have kinks. I was lucky since its one of the last years for the model, its near perfect IMO. But it does have a lot of automation that sometime I wish wasn't there.

The issues you are having sound like the kinks of new models. It sounds like you are like many of the people that DONT appreciate a computer telling you how to brake, accelerate, or drive.

You should't have to settle for anything paying 45K for an automobile. It should be everything you expect. My opinion is throttle the hell out of it, go into a parking lot and do some hard drifts, and work the car out a bit, maybe it loosens up .

 

[txhothead]

I just test drove a new 325i and did not notice any transmission bump after coming to a stop. However, I did notice a lag when accelerating from a complete stop which I thought was odd.

 

[nadroj]

When you test drove the car did you not feel these problems or did you not test drive it and just take it off the lot after ordering?

 

[BMW NA Customer Relations]

I'm with BMW of North America, LLC. I've passed this message on to a BMW NA Customer Relations Representative who will be in touch with you soon.

 

[Average Jae]

i think if you drop anywhere north of 30k, you have a right to be picky and mad when things don't go right.

my suggestion is to get the auto tranny reprogrammed if you haven't done so already. esp if you are done breaking your car in. that might help, and also tare the car up a bit, maybe it needs to be driven hard to put things into place.

good luck and enjoy the board Jennifer. we have all kinds here, and gets entertaining once in a while.

 

[patpeke]

i think if you drop anywhere north of 30k, you have a right to be picky and mad when things don't go right.

my suggestion is to get the auto tranny reprogrammed if you haven't done so already. esp if you are done breaking your car in. that might help, and also tare the car up a bit, maybe it needs to be driven hard to put things into place.

good luck and enjoy the board Jennifer. we have all kinds here, and gets entertaining once in a while.

I have a new 325i and noted not a "shimmy" per se, but the tires are extremely sensitive to grooved highways! I didn't have that problem with my 2002 325i, and sometimes feel I'm fighting the car just going 68 mph down the highway each day! Unbelievable - the tires seem a poor fit to the car. Also have noticed a tendency for the tranny to downshift "automatically" (seems like an oxymoron since it has an auto) when releasing the accelerator and coasting to a stop - weird sensation as it seems as though there's a "drag" when trying to coast. Sigh. I miss the good old days w/o the electronic doo-dads.

 

[Zeratul]

the only problem i currently have (which i just noticed a few days ago) is the digital compass is broken. It says C and thats it. dosent change at all. i dont know if i should go into the service just simply for this problem... they might give me a hard time. i might as well wait for another problem to arise and give them the whole package...

 

[Jmead1]

Things are better with my car after much time spent at the dealership. Also, there is TOTALLY something to be said about the break in period. I do think the new model is more sensitive to the road, which I am not sure is a good thing for my style of driving. (I loved the cushy ride of my 2003 330..it was like butter). Anyway, after 2.5 months of owning the car with 2300 miles, it definitely drives different than it even did the first day. They did some work to the suspension and "deglazed" the brakes. It's better now, but I do still feel the road a lot more than in any previous BMW I have owned. Now that I understand the engineering differences in the E90, I seem to have put all of this aside and really appreciat the car for the machine that it is. I am a very happy customer at this point! Woo Hoo!

 

[Jmead1]

Take it in! You deserve perfection. I have just realized that my seat memory is not working, and I understand the hesitation to take it in over something fairly minor, but I think we have to just take it in. (too bad it's not easier)

 

[sly]

... I don't think I am being overcritical if there is a shimmy and the transmition is acting funny. I'll give on the braking.I t is something I will have to get used to, but feeling like you've been bumped from behind after stopping shouldn't be something to have to tolerate. It just doesn't make sense and I cannot imagine that being normal. I wanted to see if anyone else has noticed this that actually drives the E90 since they are telling me it is normal.

Thanks again.

Go to a BMW Dealer and drive a 330 with an automatic and see how the transmission feels and check out the brakes. Then you'll have a ccmparison to determine if it is something you'll have to live with. If the demo has none of the quirks of your car, see your SA and complain and if necessary escalate your problems up the line.