E39 540i Acceleration

[ashok540 0]

A question from a Beemer newbie:

I had a Jag XJ6 before this 540 and I had found that the reponse to pressing the accelerator was instantaneous.

In the Beemer, I have found 2 things different:

1) There seems to be some 'play' on the accelerator before it bites. Is this normal for BMW or is it just a matter of adjustng the play?

2) If I stomp down on the pedal, there is a lull before the storm. I am not sure about this 100% but it looks like the car does not accelerate much until 3,000 rpm or so and then, it goes off like a rocket! Is this behaviour normal for a 540?

Cheers.

[BM WORLD 1283]

A question from a Beemer newbie:

I had a Jag XJ6 before this 540 and I had found that the reponse to pressing the accelerator was instantaneous.

In the Beemer, I have found 2 things different:

1) There seems to be some 'play' on the accelerator before it bites. Is this normal for BMW or is it just a matter of adjustng the play?

2) If I stomp down on the pedal, there is a lull before the storm. I am not sure about this 100% but it looks like the car does not accelerate much until 3,000 rpm or so and then, it goes off like a rocket! Is this behaviour normal for a 540?

Cheers.

yes thats right , 2 things they are drive by wire on the later 4.4L engines so only feeds the power in so not to waste fuel and also traction control might be kicking in to stop wheel spin.

try it in sport or manual tiptronic mode with dsc turned off . I think you will find it different .

also when in std Ecno mode they start off in 2nd gear . only starts in fisrt when in sport mode or select it manually.

[ashok540 0]

yes thats right , 2 things they are drive by wire on the later 4.4L engines so only feeds the power in so not to waste fuel and also traction control might be kicking in to stop wheel spin.

try it in sport or manual tiptronic mode with dsc turned off . I think you will find it different .

also when in std Ecno mode they start off in 2nd gear . only starts in fisrt when in sport mode or select it manually.

Thanks, I never would have guessed this!

Will try your suggestion and post the result here.

Cheers.

[ashok540 0]

Certainly not my experience of a well maintained 540 auto - a 500 RPM increase maybe and the drive by wire does not behave lkike that when correctly set up sounds like you are comparing a dog to a lemon and concluding they are both representative of the breed.

You may be right, anyway my car is going to Glenn for service tomorrow, he can probably sort it out.

I did try the sports mode, first with DSC off. That made the tires squeal like crazy so I hastly switched it back on, didn't want to do that on the road. But even with DSC on, sports mode was COMPLETELY different! It was just fabulous, with car accelerating from the word go.

[bimmerbaz 1]

If you want to improve the response of the engine remapp the ECU and also gain a bit more power and economy at the same time.

[ashok540 0]

If you want to improve the response of the engine remapp the ECU and also gain a bit more power and economy at the same time.

Thanks, have you tried anyone for this?

[Apex 693]

also when in std Ecno mode they start off in 2nd gear . only starts in fisrt when in sport mode or select it manually.

Found this interesting and started off in sport 1st in mine, and bugger me you were write, makes a huge difference. Also found I can take off in third. One thing that would help in these cars would be an LSD.

[BreakMyWindow 1874]

Found this interesting and started off in sport 1st in mine, and bugger me you were write, makes a huge difference. Also found I can take off in third. One thing that would help in these cars would be an LSD.

Definatley should have came with an LSD as standard, but i guess that the majority of these cars were snapped up by exec. buffs... they wouldnt know what to do when both rear wheels loose traction and the rear end steps out.

[hybrid 1043]

Found this interesting and started off in sport 1st in mine, and bugger me you were write, makes a huge difference. Also found I can take off in third. One thing that would help in these cars would be an LSD.

http://www.quaife.co.uk/BMW-530d-E60-Quaif...SD-differential

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=43670

They do a 545i version

[Apex 693]

Thanks have already looked into this. Looking at about $2,300 fitted.

IMHO this is the only mod needed on the V8 five series, the open diff is its Achilles’ heel.

I thought it had one, it’s not something you can generally test out on a test drive, majorly disappointed as it to me seems very dumb not fitting one, my old 1994 Holden SS had one FFS!

Well pissed off with BMW!

Sorry about the tread jack, its semi relevant.

[kiwi535 538]

for reasons known to BMW they seemed to stop fitting LSD with the advent of traction control..my 1990 535 has a lsd,and no traction control

[Creaver 55]

for reasons known to BMW they seemed to stop fitting LSD with the advent of traction control..my 1990 535 has a lsd,and no traction control

As with my 93 540i, no traction control but has LSD. I've read somewhere that later e34 540i's (i suppose this would go for e39 as well) dropped the lsd for traction control. Correct me if i'm wrong.

[hybrid 1043]

yeah, I was pissed with this too with the 330 ... However .. its actually pretty good, traction control keeps me in check and my rear tire costs down.

Reasons would be to make the m series cars look better on paper

[Guest Simon*]

I have both, but the TC can be turned off

Diff was retrofitted by previous owner

[mr E34 11]

Can you fit LSD with traction control? Would they fight each other???

[kiwi535 538]

Can you fit LSD with traction control? Would they fight each other???

I have heard this too,but they seem to manage with the M cars

[Guest Simon*]

I have heard this too,but they seem to manage with the M cars

It seems to work

Was professionally done. The TC works as advertised when on (by default) and when off you can feel the LSD working it's magic

I believe Cain's is fitted from factory with a similar arrangement, although he has a different diff ratio

[Apex 693]

I understand the economics of it all. But traction control is not a substitute, I have driven lots of Holden’s with 250+kw and found them to be great, no loss of traction and no annoying traction control kicking in to make the driver head but the steering wheel on take off due to too much power overwhelming one wheel.

Went for an awesome drive through Hunua on the weekend and ended up very frustrated with the TC killing the fun every time I powered out of a corner so I turned it off and the car just kept spinning one wheel slowing progress and wasting tire.

If Holden and most of the Japanese companies can afford to fit LSD on cars costing half as much why can’t BMW? I can only imagine how gay a 335i would be to drive.

At least throw them on the Motorsport cars.

Edited June 24, 2008 by Apex

[mr E34 11]

I understand the economics of it all. But traction control is not a substitute, I have driven lots of Holden’s with 250+kw and found them to be great, no loss of traction and no annoying traction control kicking in to make the driver head but the steering wheel on take off due to too much power overwhelming one wheel.

Went for an awesome drive through Hunua on the weekend and ended up very frustrated with the TC killing the fun every time I powered out of a corner so I turned it off and the car just kept spinning one wheel slowing progress and wasting tire.

If Holden and most of the Japanese companies can afford to fit LSD on cars costing half as much why can’t BMW? I can only imagine how gay a 335i would be to drive.

At least throw them on the Motorsport cars.

A lot of the overseas mags complain during testing the very thing you speak of Graham, TC killing the fun, switch it off & you have the one wheel spinning etc etc. You would think on high a power (& price) M545i they would include LSD.

[kiwi535 538]

It seems to work

Was professionally done. The TC works as advertised when on (by default) and when off you can feel the LSD working it's magic

I believe Cain's is fitted from factory with a similar arrangement, although he has a different diff ratio

dont think it is..tc and no lsd

[Guest Simon*]

dont think it is..tc and no lsd

No?

OK I could well be wrong

[BM WORLD 1283]

yes you can fit lsd , get a lsd clutch pack from any large case e34 /e32 /e28 /e24 /e23 and fit your e39 .

turn of the TC and have fun .

looking at putting together fun a e34 530i V8 that i have sitting around with no engine in it ,i have e34 540i engine trans etc .

the 530i has no TC and i have a lsd to go into it .

should be fun .done on the cheap.

[BreakMyWindow 1874]

yes you can fit lsd , get a lsd clutch pack from any large case e34 /e32 /e28 /e24 /e23 and fit your e39 .

turn of the TC and have fun .

looking at putting together fun a e34 530i V8 that i have sitting around with no engine in it ,i have e34 540i engine trans etc .

the 530i has no TC and i have a lsd to go into it .

should be fun .done on the cheap.

so if u wack in the guts of an LSD from the models listed above and u have DSC turned on in say a e39 540i what happens? error? or would it just act as normal and cut torque supply?

[Apex 693]

I don’t think it would affect it at all. The TC would most likely say thanks buy you a box of chocolates and retire.

I wonder if we could work out how to build some locally, the Quaif LSD from England is bloody pricy for what is essentially a Cog.

[kiwi535 538]

so if u wack in the guts of an LSD from the models listed above and u have DSC turned on in say a e39 540i what happens? error? or would it just act as normal and cut torque supply?

doesnt the traction control work by comapring the speed of one wheel compared to the other.If the lsd limits the spin of the wheel with no traction the traction control might no know the wheels are actually spinning,but together.

Does an lsd lock up straight away or is there a period of no lock up at all.TC may then knock the power back before the lsd locks up?