Who's got a BMW? Help me out please!

[Kitsmummy]

I have a 2008 3 series estate. Thankfully I haven't stalled it in ages but when I first got it I stalled it about 3 times in the first few months and every time it stalled, it wouldn't start again until the car was totally stationery. Eg once I was pulling out of a junction, stalled and it wouldn't bloody start again and there was a car coming towards me so I had to let it slowly drift across to the other side of the road, out of the path of the car coming towards me, before I could fully stop it and start it up again. This has happened every time I've stalled it but thankfully that was the only time that was really dangerous.

Is this just how BMWs work? I've never had this in a car before and I hate it. Is it anything to do with the stop start element of BMW cars or is there any trick to starting it again when it's still moving?

Thanks

Are you absolutely sure that it is not 'cutting out'? Normally, if you stall the car will be stationery anyway? Is it an automatic?

We have a BMW. We've had three. All of them have stalled while stationery, never while moving. It's not possible to stall when moving - it sounds like your engine is cutting out, which is a serious fault, rather than stalling.

It's nothing to do with the start-stop mechanism, unless yours is faulty.

I'd get it checked out, and I wouldn't drive it again until the fault was found. That sounds highly dangerous.

No it's a manual and it's not cutting out. It's way more sensitive than my last car and I just wasn't giving it enough revs when pulling out, so would start moving but then not enough revs and it would stall.

I'm obviously much more used to it now but live in fear that I'll stall again at a crucial moment.

Sorry x post there. Surely it's possible to stall whilst moving? If you imagine I'm pulling off, so putting the throttle down but then in effect lift the clutch up when I'm not pressing the throttle enough?

No, I'm pretty sure it's not possible. Even googling suggests that it's not possible. I was a pretty bad staller, and it was only ever from stationery!

If you haven't put the clutch down enough, you won't move. If you've started moving, and then the engine goes, then the engine has cut out. That might make you drift to a stop.

I'm also pretty sure that you can't restart the engine while the car is moving, although I may be wrong about that.

If it was stalling, because you're already stationery, the engine will try to restart itself. If it fails, you can turn the engine on normally and pull away, but mine usually manages to sort itself out.

I'd get a mechanic to look at it.

Yes it has a start /stop (which is automatically on unless you switch it off yourself)

Have you the stop/start as they start again when you put the clutch down? If not I'd get it checked just to be safe.
I never had that problem when I used to drive them ( I have had 4 and used to love them).

Ok thank you, I think I've been using the wrong terminology in that case. I'll take it to my usual mechanic to get checked out (although I've mentioned it to him before and he thought it sounded normal for a. BMW )

Ha, my local mechanic is the same - I don't think he has the highest opinion of BMWs! He hates Audis, too.

I hope they get it fixed, it sounds like a bit of a nightmare! It took me ages to get used to the sensitivity of the pedals, I don't think I'd have managed it if mine did what yours does.

You need a mechanic with a diagnostics computor.

It is totally possible to stall a car whilst pulling away and continue rolling if you have dipped the clutch to try and save it. Many modern cars will only let you start them with your foot on the brake.

Bollocks, so Rich, are you saying this is just the way my car is? (Eg nothing "wrong" with it as such?)

Not saying that at all, just saying that it is possible to stall a car whilst trying to pull away and for it to continue rolling. I think there may be some confusion as to when it's happening. If it is cutting out whilst you are moving in gear with your foot off the clutch that suggests a problem. If it is you stalling the car when trying to pull away then it may still be a problem with the car or it may just be you. Can you recreate the fault? Maybe try in a quiet car park. Try pulling away with no throttle at all, you should be able to do this on the flat.