Trying to let the car roll in Neutral. Gotta first stop!

rosh · 03-13-2008, 01:34 AM

Guys I am not sure why would BMW do this.

Owning a 335i (Step), while sometimes driving through the stop and go city traffic, I have a habit of throwing my steptronic into Neutral when I know that i have to make a stop at the light 50 meters ahead. Now this is what i notice:

When i change it to N the car rolls as it should. I put it back in D and its just fine. BUT when i am in N and the speed gets below roughly 2-3 miles/hr. I CANT shift it to D !!! I have to make a stop ! This is bothersome when I am expecting the red light and then it turns green by the time i almost hit 3mph and then i have to just break and get honked at.. has anyone tried this?

bsamoul · 03-13-2008, 01:52 AM

NEVER put your car into neutral. what if you have to avoid an accident? You aren't saving any gas doing this, and you're just making yourself a hazard on the road.

AdamJ · 03-13-2008, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsamoul

NEVER put your car into neutral. what if you have to avoid an accident? You aren't saving any gas doing this, and you're just making yourself a hazard on the road.

Seriously. Throwing it into the neutral is one of the silliest things I've read all night.

karliejai · 03-13-2008, 04:01 AM

are you trying to roll ur car back like a stick?

Big Windy · 03-13-2008, 04:23 AM

dude, this is the dumbest thing ever. you have an automatic...not a damn manual. just leave it in drive and let the auto do the rest...

SpecC · 03-13-2008, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karliejai

are you trying to roll ur car back like a stick?

it's code for look i have a manual but i have to put on my brake light to go from N to D

to the OP, i think BMW did this because there's no reason to go to neutral in any situation really. i honestly don't think i'll ever use the neutral gear except when i'm stuck somewhere and i'm not moving or it's just downhill and i know i won't go very far anyway

rosh · 03-13-2008, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redmtclimber

dude, this is the dumbest thing ever. you have an automatic...not a damn manual. just leave it in drive and let the auto do the rest...

All the cars I have driven go from N to D irrespective of it being in motion.
Instead of throwing your judgment. Just say "I dont know" !!

Couch · 03-13-2008, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosh

All the cars I have driven go from N to D irrespective of it being in motion.
Instead of throwing your judgment. Just say "I dont know" !!

You're obviously missing the point.

It's absolutely pointless to put your auto in neutral. Simply let off the gas if you want to coast. Not to mention you're putting more wear and tear on your tranny.

dski69 · 03-13-2008, 09:56 AM

FYI, in most states, it's illegal to coast in neutral. Hard to enforce, but illegal none the less. In an emergency, it takes longer to stop the car relying solely on the brakes than if the tranny is in gear.

HyperM3 · 03-13-2008, 10:04 AM

My dads been doing this forever. Every light we get to he puts in neutral. I guess hes just too lazy to put his foot on the brake to keep it from moving.

montreal red · 03-13-2008, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dski69

FYI, in most states, it's illegal to coast in neutral. Hard to enforce, but illegal none the less. In an emergency, it takes longer to stop the car relying solely on the brakes than if the tranny is in gear.

+1
i am always using the engine to brake and never put the car into neutral... engine braking is so much better. because you can get on the power right away if the light turns green before you come to a full stop.

RALFnotralph · 03-13-2008, 11:08 AM

The reason I am assuming that BMW does this is because it prevents people that have steptronic to burn out from revving it up in neutral and throwing it into drive. I dont know if I am write but thats what I think. And you just keep your car in drive all the time. There is no reason for you to throw it into neutral.

nano · 03-13-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montreal jet black

+1
i am always using the engine to brake and never put the car into neutral... engine braking is so much better. because you can get on the power right away if the light turns green before you come to a full stop.

not to mention that when you brake with your engine you are usin 0.0 litres of fuel. When you are neutral you are using something like 1litre fuel/100km

achien · 03-13-2008, 12:48 PM

get a stick if you want to pull this stunt...

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosh

Guys I am not sure why would BMW do this.

Owning a 335i (Step), while sometimes driving through the stop and go city traffic, I have a habit of throwing my steptronic into Neutral when I know that i have to make a stop at the light 50 meters ahead. Now this is what i notice:

When i change it to N the car rolls as it should. I put it back in D and its just fine. BUT when i am in N and the speed gets below roughly 2-3 miles/hr. I CANT shift it to D !!! I have to make a stop ! This is bothersome when I am expecting the red light and then it turns green by the time i almost hit 3mph and then i have to just break and get honked at.. has anyone tried this?

BK · 03-13-2008, 01:16 PM

+1000 the solution is not to take your AT out of gear while driving. I don't think it's good for any AT to shift into D while rolling, but particularly for the BMW AT, which I thought disengaged the tq converter above a certain speed.

garyhgaryh · 03-13-2008, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nano

not to mention that when you brake with your engine you are usin 0.0 litres of fuel. When you are neutral you are using something like 1litre fuel/100km

If you were using 0 fuel (that's no fuel consumption) in gear, your engine wouldn't be running.

I use to throw my automatic 82 Celica GT in neutral when I approached a red light. It was fun at the time.... but that was like 20 years ago when I was younger...

BMdblU · 03-13-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HyperM3

My dads been doing this forever. Every light we get to he puts in neutral. I guess hes just too lazy to put his foot on the brake to keep it from moving.

haha, my Dad drives an auto with two feet

Stinger44 · 03-13-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosh

Guys I am not sure why would BMW do this.

Owning a 335i (Step), while sometimes driving through the stop and go city traffic, I have a habit of throwing my steptronic into Neutral when I know that i have to make a stop at the light 50 meters ahead. Now this is what i notice:

When i change it to N the car rolls as it should. I put it back in D and its just fine. BUT when i am in N and the speed gets below roughly 2-3 miles/hr. I CANT shift it to D !!! I have to make a stop ! This is bothersome when I am expecting the red light and then it turns green by the time i almost hit 3mph and then i have to just break and get honked at.. has anyone tried this?

Interesting habit you have there, how did you manage to develop that?

Stinger44 · 03-13-2008, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redmtclimber

dude, this is the dumbest thing ever. you have an automatic...not a damn manual. just leave it in drive and let the auto do the rest...

LOL

PiperD · 03-13-2008, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyhgaryh

If you were using 0 fuel (that's no fuel consumption) in gear, your engine wouldn't be running.

Fuel cutoff on overrun is nothing new.

Stinger44 · 03-13-2008, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dski69

FYI, in most states, it's illegal to coast in neutral. Hard to enforce, but illegal none the less. In an emergency, it takes longer to stop the car relying solely on the brakes than if the tranny is in gear.

I see your point but in retrospect, I think the transmission is irrelevant to deceleration at low speeds like that when in "drive."

laperacfo · 03-13-2008, 03:37 PM

"I don't know" why you would want to do that.

03-13-2008, 01:34 AM	#1
rosh Second Lieutenant 31 Rep 234 Posts Drives: 335i Stock ! Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Trying to let the car roll in Neutral. Gotta first stop! Guys I am not sure why would BMW do this. Owning a 335i (Step), while sometimes driving through the stop and go city traffic, I have a habit of throwing my steptronic into Neutral when I know that i have to make a stop at the light 50 meters ahead. Now this is what i notice: When i change it to N the car rolls as it should. I put it back in D and its just fine. BUT when i am in N and the speed gets below roughly 2-3 miles/hr. I CANT shift it to D !!! I have to make a stop ! This is bothersome when I am expecting the red light and then it turns green by the time i almost hit 3mph and then i have to just break and get honked at.. has anyone tried this?
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03-13-2008, 01:52 AM	#2
bsamoul Major General 165 Rep 7,433 Posts Drives: E90 325i Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Walnut Creek, California iTrader: (2)	NEVER put your car into neutral. what if you have to avoid an accident? You aren't saving any gas doing this, and you're just making yourself a hazard on the road. __________________ -Brian 2X 2006 BMW 325i [Electric Red & Mystic Blue] \| ZPP \| V1 \| Rear Fogs \| M3 Lip Spoiler \| EAS RemoteKey \| BMS Powerbox \| Projector90 Headlights w/ LED AE \| LED plate lights \| OEM Blacklines http://www.tech-shine.com
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03-13-2008, 04:01 AM	#4
karliejai Da Kid 121 Rep 4,576 Posts Drives: JetBlack e90 335i Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: USA iTrader: (4)	are you trying to roll ur car back like a stick? __________________ MODS: OEM Front Splitter \| ACS Roof Spoiler \| OEM Trunk Spoiler \| Matt Black Front Grill \| Black Shadowline Window Trim \| Painted Front Lower Rod \| Blacklines \| JDM Yellow Fogs \| Custom Silver CF Headlights with LUX 4.0 \| Eisenhaus Sports Exhaust
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03-13-2008, 04:23 AM	#5
Big Windy Major General 152 Rep 5,124 Posts Drives: None Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (0)	dude, this is the dumbest thing ever. you have an automatic...not a damn manual. just leave it in drive and let the auto do the rest...
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03-13-2008, 09:56 AM	#9
dski69 Enlisted Member 0 Rep 33 Posts Drives: 2006 330i, SG, Premium Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Las Vegas, NV iTrader: (0)	FYI, in most states, it's illegal to coast in neutral. Hard to enforce, but illegal none the less. In an emergency, it takes longer to stop the car relying solely on the brakes than if the tranny is in gear.
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03-13-2008, 10:04 AM	#10
HyperM3 Too many Alex's, from now on, call me Beaufort 342 Rep 6,188 Posts Drives: See Sig Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lawrenceville, NJ iTrader: (8)	My dads been doing this forever. Every light we get to he puts in neutral. I guess hes just too lazy to put his foot on the brake to keep it from moving. __________________ 13 HD FatBob 17 A4 Glacier/Black 1st Edition/Pre+/Sport/EurocodeTMD/Racechip 16 S6 (gone),14 S6 (gone),14 S6 (gone),13 S6 (gone),10 S4 (gone) 07 335i(gone)
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03-13-2008, 11:08 AM	#12
RALFnotralph Private First Class 13 Rep 162 Posts Drives: 08' 335xi, 97' 328is Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA iTrader: (1)	The reason I am assuming that BMW does this is because it prevents people that have steptronic to burn out from revving it up in neutral and throwing it into drive. I dont know if I am write but thats what I think. And you just keep your car in drive all the time. There is no reason for you to throw it into neutral.
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03-13-2008, 01:16 PM	#15
BK Smiling politely 165 Rep 7,931 Posts Drives: 330i Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Washington DC iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 330i [9.00]	+1000 the solution is not to take your AT out of gear while driving. I don't think it's good for any AT to shift into D while rolling, but particularly for the BMW AT, which I thought disengaged the tq converter above a certain speed. __________________ E90 330i Black Sapphire 6MT \| 991.1 C4 Platinum Silver 7MT
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03-13-2008, 03:37 PM	#22
laperacfo First Lieutenant 48 Rep 372 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NY iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 X5 [0.00]	"I don't know" why you would want to do that.
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