[Jon D]

Originally Posted by clarence

AFAIK EU-spec will have M-servotronic which is a hydraulic rack.

As quoted on the BMW UK website: "Electric Power Steering (EPS) with M Servotronic steering"

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by inny

You kinda need the electric assist steering in order to have the Parking Assist? I mean parking assist will only work with electric steering.

Agreed - provided that you want parking assist. Personally speaking it's not for me, but, were it an option, I would love to have hydraulic steering on my F10.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by Breach

You can always turn it off so what's the big deal?...

Yes, you can turn it off, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, you end up with an annoying amber warning light just below the engine start button.

[shiner]

Originally Posted by Rochdale Pioneers

Its fabulous on a manual box. You roll to a halt and the engine cuts out. Heating/cooling keeps running, the ignition stays on so my phone kit keeps working. When the lights change the engine has restarted before my clutch pedal has reached the floor - I can go from stationary with engine stopped to pulling away before other drivers have reacted.

I'd have to drive an auto box with the system to see how it works on that. The engine restarts if you even brush clutch or throttle with your foot, so it is sensitive, but if you put your foot on the power pedal I suspect there would be a momentary pause.

When i have people new to the car, like driving around with customers, they keep thinking I have stalled when teh engine cuts out at lights.

I always just turn this hideous feature off nowadays. Wish I could default it to off.

[kave]

I have tried a 530XD with Start/Stop and auto gearbox. I must say I like it, when pressing the brake pedal very gently at standstill it didn't turn off the engine, when pressing harder it stopped the engine. It didn't bother me at all.

[clarence]

Originally Posted by Jon D

As quoted on the BMW UK website: "Electric Power Steering (EPS) with M Servotronic steering"

The press release I have says "Hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering with M-specific Servotronic function". At the bottom it says "specifications apply to ACEA markets".
Either typo in BMWUK's website or RHD cars get electric rack.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by kave

...when pressing harder it stopped the engine. It didn't bother me at all.

It wasn't the stopping which bothered me so much; more the unnerving delay in the re-starting. Not much of a delay, I'll grant you, but it's there nonetheless and most definitely not for me.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by clarence

The press release I have says "Hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering with M-specific Servotronic function". At the bottom it says "specifications apply to ACEA markets".
Either typo in BMWUK's website or RHD cars get electric rack.

Just had a look at the German specs, copy appended:

Antrieb, Fahrdynamik und Fahrwerk
Auto Start Stop Funktion
Compound-Hochleistungsbremsanlage vorn und hinten, Bremssättel in Blau Metallic
M Doppelkupplungsgetriebe mit Drivelogic, 7-Gang
M Hochleistungsfahrwerk mit Doppelgelenk-Federbein-Vorderachse und Integral-Hinterachse
Dynamische Stabilitäts-Control (DSC) inkl. Anfahrassistent und M Dynamic Mode
Dynamische Dämpfer Control
Aktives M Differenzial
M Servotronic

As you can see, it only states 'M Servotronic', without specifying hydraulic or electric. However, what it does mention is the inclusion of 'Auto Start Stop'; can't see too many M car enthusiasts wanting that.

[BMWMB]

My 530d xDrive automatic already has this option. You can put this system of, but you have to do it every time you start the engine.
I'm driving my car for 1000km's now and i can say that this system does not bother me. When you stop, the engine turns of. When you loose the brake the engine restarts again. Ok, you have a small delay, but in normal trafic this delay doesn't bother at all. If you really want to do a sprint, you can loose the pedal a moment and the engine will restart. You only have to wait untill the light turns green...

[HowserMD]

Originally Posted by BMWMB

My 530d xDrive automatic already has this option. You can put this system of, but you have to do it every time you start the engine.
I'm driving my car for 1000km's now and i can say that this system does not bother me. When you stop, the engine turns of. When you loose the brake the engine restarts again. Ok, you have a small delay, but in normal trafic this delay doesn't bother at all. If you really want to do a sprint, you can loose the pedal a moment and the engine will restart. You only have to wait untill the light turns green...

Does the car re-start before your foot hits the gas pedal (if you move your foot from brakes to gas pedal) or do you have to wait a few seconds while your foot is on the gas pedal before the car starts?

[clarence]

Originally Posted by Jon D

As you can see, it only states 'M Servotronic', without specifying hydraulic or electric. However, what it does mention is the inclusion of 'Auto Start Stop'; can't see too many M car enthusiasts wanting that.

Yes, it said that on the website, but in the press pack it said hydraulic. We'll see once the part #s are out in ETK.
I don't see any problem with start stop, & from the BMW I test drove it worked very well.

[clarence]

Originally Posted by HowserMD

Does the car re-start before your foot hits the gas pedal (if you move your foot from brakes to gas pedal) or do you have to wait a few seconds while your foot is on the gas pedal before the car starts?

When u lift off the brake pedal it re-starts straight away.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by clarence

When u lift off the brake pedal it re-starts straight away.

Not on the 640i auto I recently drove; there was a definite lag between pressing the accelerator and the engine re-starting.

[clarence]

Originally Posted by Jon D

Not on the 640i auto I recently drove; there was a definite lag between pressing the accelerator and the engine re-starting.

I drove the X3 35i recently & it does exactly wht it said on the tin. When u stop & keep ur foot on the brake, the engine stops. When u lift off the brake pedal, the engine starts straighaway. The engine restarted way before I made contact with the accelerator.

[Robin_NL]

I'm not quite sure if I have it on my car, though I know it's there, somewhere

How can I find out easily? The BC/screen won't help me out atm.

Cheers
Robin

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by Robin Hood

I'm not quite sure if I have it on my car, though I know it's there, somewhere

How can I find out easily? The BC/screen won't help me out atm.

Cheers
Robin

It defaults to active and you have to push a clearly marked separate button to disable it; if you don't have this and the engine hasn't been stopping of its own accord, you don't have this function.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by clarence

I drove the X3 35i recently & it does exactly wht it said on the tin. When u stop & keep ur foot on the brake, the engine stops. When u lift off the brake pedal, the engine starts straighaway. The engine restarted way before I made contact with the accelerator.

Guess that's ok if you're happy to dazzle those behind you by keeping your brake lights on all the time you have your foot on the pedal. Knowing just how annoying that can be, especially at night, I select park or neutral whenever I'm at a set of lights or in a situation where I'm going to stationary for more than a few seconds.

[Robin_NL]

Originally Posted by Jon D

It defaults to active and you have to push a clearly marked separate button to disable it; if you don't have this and the engine hasn't been stopping of its own accord, you don't have this function.

Ah, thanks man. Then I don't have it. Only the START/STOP ignition button like all the modern BMWs.
I 'm better off, I guess. Al Gore my a$$.

[clarence]

Originally Posted by Jon D

Guess that's ok if you're happy to dazzle those behind you by keeping your brake lights on all the time you have your foot on the pedal. Knowing just how annoying that can be, especially at night, I select park or neutral whenever I'm at a set of lights or in a situation where I'm going to stationary for more than a few seconds.

It's not safe to just put the car in park or neutral & put the handbrake on when stationary at the lights. As the handbrake only works on the rear wheels, if someone hits u from behind hard, u'll get pushed a long way as there's a big chance ur rear will get lifted up by the impact. If u have ur footbrake on then at least u won't be pushed much further along as the front wheels still have contact. It's particularly bad if u're at the head of a major junction.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by clarence

It's not safe to just put the car in park or neutral & put the handbrake on when stationary at the lights. As the handbrake only works on the rear wheels, if someone hits u from behind hard, u'll get pushed a long way as there's a big chance ur rear will get lifted up by the impact. If u have ur footbrake on then at least u won't be pushed much further along as the front wheels still have contact. It's particularly bad if u're at the head of a major junction.

Guess it's different where you are; herewith a quote from the UK highway code:
"In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again."