2009 BMW M3 Complaints

I OWN A 2009 BMW M3. IT HAS THE MDCT TRANSMISSION. THERE IS A DELAY WHEN COMING TO A ROLLING STOP AND THEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. THE DELAY OCCURS WHEN PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR AND WHEN THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION ACTUALLY ENGAGES AND MOVES FORWARD. THE DELAY IS AS LONG AS 1-1.5 SECONDS. THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. BMW SAYS THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT TO BE THE CASE. IT SEEMS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T DOWNSHIFT AT LOWER SPEEDS. IN FACT, ONLY "THINKING" AND PROCEEDING TO DOWNSHIFT AFTER THE ACCELERATOR IS APPLIED. BY THEN, IT'S TOO LATE. AS A DRIVER, YOU EXPECT FORWARD MOMENTUM AS SOON AS THE ACCELERATOR IS APPLIED... NOT THAT IT DOWN SHIFTS AT THAT POINT. PLUS, THE READING DISPLAY SUGGESTS IT IS IN FACT DOWNSHIFTED TO 2ND GEAR... BUT I ASSURE YOU, THAT'S NOT THE POINT. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE SCENARIO IS MENTIONED. SAY COMING FROM 35 MPH OR HIGHER SO THE VEHICLE IS IN A HIGHER GEAR (5 OR 6) AND THEN YOU SLOW TO SAY 10 MPH AND THEN TRY TO ACCELERATE.... SAY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. *TR

THIS OCCURS REGULARLY, PERHAPS 10 TIMES PER WEEK OR MORE DEPENDING ON SEVERITY. ON DECELERATION, THE TRANSMISSION WILL DISENGAGE THE DRIVELINE. WHEN THE THROTTLE IS DEPRESSED AGAIN TO ACCELERATE, THERE IS A LONG DELAY (GREATER THAN 1 SECOND). THIS OCCURS AT SLOW SPEEDS (LESS THAN 20 MPH), FOR EXAMPLE WHEN ENTERING A LEFT TURN LANE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAD THIS BEHAVIOR DUPLICATED FOR A BMW TECHNICIAN WHO, UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, INDICATED THAT BMW WAS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS DECLARED IT "NORMAL OPERATION". IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IS CAUSED BY THIS ISSUE. *TR

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

MY 09 BMW M3 WITH DCT IS EXHIBITING GEAR SHIFTING SLOWNESS AND POWER LAGGING PROBLEMS AFTER HARD BRAKING. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT WAS A NEAR REAR END COLLISION TODAY THAT REQUIRED ME TO BRAKE HARD FROM 70MPH, TO 40, SWITCH LANES AND ACCELERATE TO AVOID BEING HIT BY APPROACHING TRAFFIC FROM BEHIND. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE A COUPLE SECONDS. THE LAG WAS LONG ENOUGH THAT THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE ROAD TO AVOID HITTING ME. *TR