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      08-04-2013, 11:00 AM   #1
diesel86
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N20 hesitation under hard acceleration

I'm taking my car in next week for it's first scheduled service and was going to report an issue that has been going on since I bought the car. Was wondering if anyone else has had this issue.

It's basically an interruption in power delivery during hard acceleration. The first time I encountered it was about a week after I took delivery. I was over at a friends house and was showing him the car. We went for a test drive and I had it in Sport mode (can't remember is the trans was in D or DS). We made a U-turn and I started to accelerate aggressively but not full throttle as I was still breaking the car in. During the acceleration, the car lurched/hesitated as we went along down the road. I chalked it up to me being half throttle as it didn't happen again, the next time I accelerated. This was back in Aug. '12.

Fast forward to 2wks ago. The same friend and I were headed downtown to a ballgame and as I was entering the on ramp to the highway, I gassed it; again not full throttle but maybe 60-75% throttle. Same lurchiness as the engine went through 2.5-4k RPM. I was in Sport mode again, but again, couldn't remember if I was in D or DS. The next day I tried to duplicate the issue but couldn't. Friday on the way to lunch, I was in Sport and trans was in D entering the highway on the on ramp, moderate acceleration produced the hesitation. It's different than turbo lag, which I think this car suffers from more than my last VW GLI 6MT. This is on throttle hesitation as power/boost is building. Once it's in the higher gears, there is no hint of hesitation.

Anyone else experience this issue? It either feels like a boost lost issue or a fuel starvation issue. I never experiences the HPFP of the E90 so I'm not sure what that felt like.
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      08-04-2013, 04:22 PM   #2
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Don't know didn't happen to me but there is thread called limp mode where people are talking about something similar and also there is a the called drivetrain malfunction but in this one an error message comes out but might be worth checking as well

Hope this is useful and please feed us back with how things are developing

Good luck
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      08-04-2013, 05:39 PM   #3
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Next time hit it full throttle
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      08-04-2013, 07:21 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KK328 View Post
Don't know didn't happen to me but there is thread called limp mode where people are talking about something similar and also there is a the called drivetrain malfunction but in this one an error message comes out but might be worth checking as well

Hope this is useful and please feed us back with how things are developing

Good luck
This is what I meant but now it's fixed.. diesel86 I had exactly same problem get a carb cleaner or seafoam and put one or two in between half and empty tank if it's not fixed put one in pcv valve if not then you need a injector cleaner spray and clean the injectors.. anyway I do this every 10k miles to clean up my system, it's all build up believe me nothing else.. give me feedback
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      08-04-2013, 08:49 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KK328
Don't know didn't happen to me but there is thread called limp mode where people are talking about something similar and also there is a the called drivetrain malfunction but in this one an error message comes out but might be worth checking as well

Hope this is useful and please feed us back with how things are developing

Good luck
I looked up the drivetrain malfunction issue before I posted but my issue seemed different. The engine continued to run through the rev range and drove fine other than the hesitation. No warning lights ever illuminated. That's why I figured my issue was different.
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      08-04-2013, 08:50 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slmdgee
Next time hit it full throttle
I've done that several times. Other than the turbo lag, the acceleration was great. It's weird that the issue I've experienced has been during aggressive but part throttle application. Oh the days when the throttle was an actual cable.
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      08-04-2013, 08:52 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rustyminded
Quote:
Originally Posted by KK328 View Post
Don't know didn't happen to me but there is thread called limp mode where people are talking about something similar and also there is a the called drivetrain malfunction but in this one an error message comes out but might be worth checking as well

Hope this is useful and please feed us back with how things are developing

Good luck
This is what I meant but now it's fixed.. diesel86 I had exactly same problem get a carb cleaner or seafoam and put one or two in between half and empty tank if it's not fixed put one in pcv valve if not then you need a injector cleaner spray and clean the injectors.. anyway I do this every 10k miles to clean up my system, it's all build up believe me nothing else.. give me feedback
I've used Seafoam on other cars but they were much older. This happened within the first 1000mi so it shouldn't be buildup from crap fuel. Also, since day 1, my car has always had 91 octane fuel. If they sold 93 I'm my area I'd put that in, but no dice.
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      08-05-2013, 06:36 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by diesel86 View Post
I've used Seafoam on other cars but they were much older. This happened within the first 1000mi so it shouldn't be buildup from crap fuel. Also, since day 1, my car has always had 91 octane fuel. If they sold 93 I'm my area I'd put that in, but no dice.
build up can happen at any miles, I use RON92 where I live and had bms tune since 3000 kilometers, it's not the tune that caused it but boosting the turbo with bad fuel helped with that I faced same as your problem at about 10 k miles( 15 k kilometers) it always happens between 2.5-4 rpm with traction off is the worst.. it used to drive me crazy I contacted BMS I thought the problem coming from the tune but no it's a very bad build up somewhere in fuel system I cleaned up the tank, pcv valve and injectors and now I don't have any hesitation at all , I'm sure it's no other problem. try it if it keeps persisting tell me
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      08-10-2013, 03:17 PM   #9
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For the record. Same problem here. 4k miles. Probably had it since nib. BMS tune just makes it more noticable.

I'll try whats been suggested, but it seems like a design flaw to me if cleaner fixes it.
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      08-16-2013, 05:28 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ronin951 View Post
For the record. Same problem here. 4k miles. Probably had it since nib. BMS tune just makes it more noticable.

I'll try whats been suggested, but it seems like a design flaw to me if cleaner fixes it.
Probably because of the stage 1 MAF sensor plug, once I made the upgrade didn't need MAF (pink wire) the car is much smoother and barely any hesitation even with build-up.
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      08-16-2013, 08:08 AM   #11
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Silly thought here but could it have been DSC intervening due to wheel spin? I would wager, based on your description of the events, that was the culprit.
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      08-16-2013, 08:18 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by mocohead View Post
Silly thought here but could it have been DSC intervening due to wheel spin? I would wager, based on your description of the events, that was the culprit.
No, that's what I thought till I closed the DSC and same problem as listed above.
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      08-16-2013, 01:07 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rustyminded View Post
No, that's what I thought till I closed the DSC and same problem as listed above.
DSC all the way off (by holding the button), or just sport+?
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      08-16-2013, 01:45 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mocohead View Post
DSC all the way off (by holding the button), or just sport+?
yes holding button for about 5 sec. I experienced same problem in my other car F10 with same engine but no tune, then I tried a system clean up as mentioned above and again no more hesitation.. guess it's a design flaw ?!
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      08-16-2013, 01:50 PM   #15
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i had somewhat a similar issue. it always happened when i am on an incline in a rolling start and the car accelerates from 2krpm to 5krpm holding the same gear. try this, i was able to teach the shop foreman to duplicate it. it is when the car gives out torque on the same gear like passing in traffic, accelerating hard on on-ramps.

it was not a fuel issue(fuel filter) or the hpfp as they replaced mine and still had the same issue. after almost a month, they figured that it was if i remember correctly the diverter valve that would not stay shut. it's been a year and i did not experience the issue anymore.
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      08-16-2013, 02:37 PM   #16
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It's so intermittent, it's hard for me to say if it's still going on. I'll try it in Sport+, but I'm pretty sure that's not the issue because the dash light never came on during the episode. I told my SA about the issue during my scheduled service, but naturally, the techs just go off what the computer tells them when they run a scan. Naturally, there was no fault found. I guess the SA didn't fully understand what I was talking about as far as the hesitation because they cleared out the transmission adaptations...which I think was useless. I'm due for new front pads in 2600mi so I'll run through all the scenarios so I can make it a repeatable event. That way, I can take the SA with me during a test drive.
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      08-17-2013, 03:46 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lukster View Post
i had somewhat a similar issue. it always happened when i am on an incline in a rolling start and the car accelerates from 2krpm to 5krpm holding the same gear. try this, i was able to teach the shop foreman to duplicate it. it is when the car gives out torque on the same gear like passing in traffic, accelerating hard on on-ramps.

it was not a fuel issue(fuel filter) or the hpfp as they replaced mine and still had the same issue. after almost a month, they figured that it was if i remember correctly the diverter valve that would not stay shut. it's been a year and i did not experience the issue anymore.
I agree with that but why does it disappear when I do system clean ? I didn't face any hesitation like that again only slight but my guess is with bad fuel only.
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      08-17-2013, 11:47 AM   #18
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I have noticed that sometimes the throttle adapts to "economical" driving - ie not WOT all the time. Why not give an "Italian Tune-up" a shot? On your next drive, someplace safe and while complying with all applicable laws, once at proper operating temperature, keep the car in manual mode and drive around for about 10 minutes well over 5,500 RPM. Starting at about 5,000, do frequent full throttle runs to redline, then let the compression braking slow the car back to 5,000. Repeat again...and again...

Next time you start your car, see how it feels. Let us know. This may not fix anything but:

1. It won't hurt anything but fuel consumption
2. It sure is fun!
3. It might POSSIBLY help and save a trip to the dealer
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      08-17-2013, 02:48 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mocohead View Post
I have noticed that sometimes the throttle adapts to "economical" driving - ie not WOT all the time. Why not give an "Italian Tune-up" a shot? On your next drive, someplace safe and while complying with all applicable laws, once at proper operating temperature, keep the car in manual mode and drive around for about 10 minutes well over 5,500 RPM. Starting at about 5,000, do frequent full throttle runs to redline, then let the compression braking slow the car back to 5,000. Repeat again...and again...

Next time you start your car, see how it feels. Let us know. This may not fix anything but:

1. It won't hurt anything but fuel consumption
2. It sure is fun!
3. It might POSSIBLY help and save a trip to the dealer
Or you might try a pedal reset.. but I got to try this when I get my car from the dealer
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      10-31-2014, 10:26 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by diesel86 View Post
I'm taking my car in next week for it's first scheduled service and was going to report an issue that has been going on since I bought the car. Was wondering if anyone else has had this issue.

It's basically an interruption in power delivery during hard acceleration. The first time I encountered it was about a week after I took delivery. I was over at a friends house and was showing him the car. We went for a test drive and I had it in Sport mode (can't remember is the trans was in D or DS). We made a U-turn and I started to accelerate aggressively but not full throttle as I was still breaking the car in. During the acceleration, the car lurched/hesitated as we went along down the road. I chalked it up to me being half throttle as it didn't happen again, the next time I accelerated. This was back in Aug. '12.

Fast forward to 2wks ago. The same friend and I were headed downtown to a ballgame and as I was entering the on ramp to the highway, I gassed it; again not full throttle but maybe 60-75% throttle. Same lurchiness as the engine went through 2.5-4k RPM. I was in Sport mode again, but again, couldn't remember if I was in D or DS. The next day I tried to duplicate the issue but couldn't. Friday on the way to lunch, I was in Sport and trans was in D entering the highway on the on ramp, moderate acceleration produced the hesitation. It's different than turbo lag, which I think this car suffers from more than my last VW GLI 6MT. This is on throttle hesitation as power/boost is building. Once it's in the higher gears, there is no hint of hesitation.

Anyone else experience this issue? It either feels like a boost lost issue or a fuel starvation issue. I never experiences the HPFP of the E90 so I'm not sure what that felt like.
hi diesel i m having definetely the same problem about my f20 116i.

have you figure it out?

now i ll try injector cleaners for a chance because there are not any service light or error code discovered by bmw technicians.

best regards.
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      11-02-2014, 08:03 AM   #21
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Pressure converter malfunction
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      11-04-2014, 07:40 AM   #22
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Sounds like boost line or charge piping could have failed somewhere. Had it happen before on other cars and you'll get some intermittent lag when loading the car on throttle.
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