Acceleration Problem?

[direfan]

Hi All,
I am looking for some advice. As my signature states, I am a proud owner of a 2002 330i and I absolutely love it. One of the best decisions I have made. My question is regarding acceleration. What I have noticed is that when I am merging in the highway and I step on the gas, I notice there is a slight hesitation before the car really takes off. Is this normal or should I have it looked into.
The second question I had was I have recently noticed that when I am driving at around 60mph, the car seems to kind of shake and I can feel it in the steering wheel. I don't know if it is psychological, as the last time I filled gas, I filled it with 91 octane and then realized it and quickly switched it to 93. Is this bad for the car? So the car probably has around half a tank of 91 fuel. Could this cause the rougher than normal drive. I would really appreciate any suggestions/advice. Thanks.

 

[membim]

You should probably have the acceleration issue looked at by your tech. The vibration in the steering is probably an imbalanced tire or a bent wheel. You same tech should be able to find that. I wouldn't guess that it's a suspension problem due to how new your car is. The 91 octane gas is fine for your BMW. In fact, the manual says that you can use any octane no lower than 91 so you should be fine. Hope this helps!

 

[direfan]

Thanks for your helpful reply. I guess it is time to take my car in. Does anybody else have any advice?

 

[johncarson46]

Manual or auto? Running gas below 91 will diminish performance when the knock sensors kick-in, but not a noticeable hesitation.

 

[direfan]

It is auto. Alos, the acceleration problem has always been there even when I use 93 fuel.

 

[jonnyz16]

Wasn't there a service bulletin for a delay or a sticky gas pedal? Check into it when you hit the dealer . Some of the other members here said that the dealer will replace your gas pedal assembly only if you come to them with the problem. It wasn't a recall but bmw will replace it if the customer complains of a sticky pedal or a delay in acceleration.

 

[Epi330]

I filled it with 91 octane and then realized it and quickly switched it to 93. Is this bad for the car?

91 is Ok for the car. In fact, we don't have 93 here in California, so all our bimmers run on 91 (but johncarson46 is correct that below 91 is not what doctor recomended ).

 

[Xyrium]

Isn't the car still under warranty? Bring it in, make 'em fix it! As others have said, 91 is fine and you can probably get away with 89 if it's good fuel.

I wonder if this has anything to do with electronic throttle. Also, have you looked at the butterfly on the intake to see if it's sticking for some reason? Also, check your air filter. It could simply be intake related.

 

[RuflessPhilly]

Hi All,
I am looking for some advice. As my signature states, I am a proud owner of a 2002 330i and I absolutely love it. One of the best decisions I have made. My question is regarding acceleration. What I have noticed is that when I am merging in the highway and I step on the gas, I notice there is a slight hesitation before the car really takes off. Is this normal or should I have it looked into.
The second question I had was I have recently noticed that when I am driving at around 60mph, the car seems to kind of shake and I can feel it in the steering wheel. I don't know if it is psychological, as the last time I filled gas, I filled it with 91 octane and then realized it and quickly switched it to 93. Is this bad for the car? So the car probably has around half a tank of 91 fuel. Could this cause the rougher than normal drive. I would really appreciate any suggestions/advice. Thanks.

If the car is an auto, the delay is normal. Once you punch the gas the computer has to figure out the best gear to drop down in. There is a slight delay, shouldnt be more than a sec and a half though.

"I'm Rich Biotch" - Dave Chappelle

"I'm Rich Biotch" - Dave Chappelle

 

[direfan]

Yes, it is an auto. So I should not worry about it and cancel my appt. with the dealer?

 

[RuflessPhilly]

Yes, it is an auto. So I should not worry about it and cancel my appt. with the dealer?

Just for peace of mind maybe you should take it in.

 

[direfan]

Thanks for all your replies. I absolutely appreciate it.

 

[aNoodle]

I agree with RuflessPhilly. A slight delay on the automatic is normal...especially if you punch it and it needs to downshift. It shouldn't be anything crazy long, but imagine doing a downshift yourself with a clutch.

A slight vibration in the steer wheel could be any number of things. 2 years old? Maybe a control arm bushing, alignment, balanced wheels. Just have 'em check it out.