Quote:
Originally Posted by shabadoo25
I've turned it off once in bumper to bumper traffic.
Can't imagine why anyone would want to permanently code it off.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquillar
Can anyone help me understand what the big problem is with this being on by default? If your daily drive involves getting stuck in traffic then I somewhat understand, but it seems like most people turn if off all the time because they are just paranoid for some reason.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alterbrett
I agree. It requires you to do nothing. It is trying to save you money. It takes milliseconds to push the button if you want to turn it off. I'm glad they are giving people the option to code it differently but I think I'll leave my soon to be delivered car as is. Plus my car is a 2013. I assume it will have the Gen 2 system in it. Which the press release leads me to believe has been improved in some way?
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We just recently took delivery of a 2013 X2 28i with the new N20 engine; also equipped with ASS (not sure on the generation). The problem I have with ASS is three fold:
1) If you drive around town where there are a lot of stop signs, you end up experiencing a whole lot of stop-start action. At a stop sign, you only stop briefly. If you're obeying the law, you come to a complete stop, which means you must wait for the car to "settle". If you combine this with taking just a moment to check for oncoming traffic in both directions, you end up with a very brief stop-start cycle that is very apparent from the passenger area (the whole car shudders). My father insisted that something was wrong with our brand new car after experiencing it only
one time.
2) Even if the first matter is simply an annoyance, I have now experienced more than one occasion where the engine failed to start in these abrupt engagements. This left the car in D, unable to restart until you follow a specific procedure: apply brake, engage P, press start button. This procedure seems simple, but when you're sitting in traffic trying to figure out why your car isn't moving when you press the gas pedal, it's
incredibly frustrating.
3) The stop-start procedure is disruptive to the passengers in our X3 with the 8-speed auto transmission. When the engine disengages, I can feel the car settle back. When it restarts (often triggered while I'm still stopped because of climate control needs), I can feel the car lunge forward. It's unsettling and elicits strange looks from the people around me at the signal light. Call me self-conscious, but I really don't want people staring at me at signal lights because my car keeps turning on and off.
4 [bonus round]) As the car is currently configured, I have to remember to turn off the ASS each time I start the car. Yes, this only takes a moment, but it needlessly complicates the start-up procedure in a car where you're already managing a number of other things like dismissing the iDrive disclaimer, changing the backup camera mode, or engaging EcoPro (which re-enables ASS, btw).
I really like EcoPro mode. It remaps the throttle to encourage less aggressive acceleration, and shows a nice little gauge that indicates throttle position. I improved my per-tank average fuel economy by 3 MPG using these features
without ASS. Auto-stop-start technology might be the future, but BMW just hasn't found the right balance. Until they do, I'd like the option to simply turn it off and have it stay that way until I turn it back on explicitly. It's the singular thing about our new X3 that I really dislike. Otherwise, I absolutely love the car and engine.