Turbo Lag - Auto or Manual?

[osc833]

Hi all,

New to this forum and have just recently test driven the new 135i - needless to say, i'm in the process of definitely trying to order myself one.

One issue that has concerned me is obviously this turbo lag issue with 29+ software versions but there is one aspect bugging me about the discussion - I still have not seen in any of the posts here or on e90post confirmation about whether this issue related to auto or manual specifically.

Can someone shed light on this aspect a bit more? I would imagine that because a majority of customers seem to buy automatic 335 and 135i's that it could also be isolated to that transmission.

Technically speaking, you would be more susceptible to lag from an auto because of the fact that you can't really have as much control over the rev's as you do in a manual? Is that a fair statement?

[SixBanger]

I dont see how you can have lag on an auto and not on a manual with the same engine. To me it just doesnt make sense. :iono:

[osc833]

Well, without technical proof about my theory, i'd just be curious if there was a trend leaning towards one transmission or another.

I'm still researching myself to see if i can back-up this theory, but i thought i'd throw it out there anyway as something that i haven't really seen asked before in regards to this issue.

[Buschy]

When driving I notice less lag in a manual then in the auto. not sure if that helps any.

[holo777]

I have a manual and the lag is there. I think the manual drivers notice it less cause you end up keeping the revs higher. The engine note is so good that you don't want to upshift

I also think that a lot of 1ers had the lag factory equipped so don't notice it as much.

[mistermojorizin]

trust me, the lag is there on both

[osc833]

Originally Posted by mistermojorizin

trust me, the lag is there on both

No worries. Can't hurt to ask if people have compared to their friend's cars though

[skddmorse]

Automatic, No Lag...

[WhiteOne]

6MT made on 6/6/08. Zero lag. Power at any and all rpm's.

[moff]

It's not lag that you are experiencing on the auto, but the torque converter on the auto box.

It's the same on all auto's and is there to protect the clutch, we get the same feeling in our auto 335d.

[Wraith]

Originally Posted by moff

It's not lag that you are experiencing on the auto, but the torque converter on the auto box.

It's the same on all auto's and is there to protect the clutch, we get the same feeling in our auto 335d.

?????? with most of the above....

All autos have lag ?????

The lag is there to protect the 'clutch' in an auto ?????

I thought any and all lag probs associated with the 135i had to do with ecu software and turbo operational issues, regardless of transmission type...

BTW FYI the 'ZF' auto trans adopted for the 135i has a locking stall converter and can handle well upwards of 600nm of torque on a constant basis !

I don't think you'll have 'delay' issues resulting from the auto trans equipped 135i's, most certainly the recorded acceleration times don't suggest so either :wink:

[Prince ///M]

A friend of mine uploaded this video on youtube in order to check the lag issues.

The throttle is fully depressed after the horn signal.
- First launch in 4th gear.
- Second and third in 5th gear
- Fourth launch in 6th.

135i manual. May build.

Sorry for the low quality, but in my opinion no lag is affecting this car.

If someone noticing slow torque build up below 3000rpm could perform a similar video I think that such a test will help a lot N54 community.

Bye.

[mistermojorizin]

not all people report the lag, but some people with mt report the lag and some people with auto report the lag. Therefore, the lag doesn't discriminate between auto and mt. For what its worth, one guy with a laggy MT drove a laggy auto and posted that its much worse on the auto.

i can't tell from the video if the guy has the lag. it seems like it accelerates pretty slowly below 3,000 rpm. of course he never shows what its like above 3,000 rpm.

[Prince ///M]

Originally Posted by mistermojorizin

not all people report the lag, but some people with mt report the lag and some people with auto report the lag. Therefore, the lag doesn't discriminate between auto and mt. For what its worth, one guy with a laggy MT drove a laggy auto and posted that its much worse on the auto.

i can't tell from the video if the guy has the lag. it seems like it accelerates pretty slowly below 3,000 rpm. of course he never shows what its like above 3,000 rpm.

Slow?! :iono:

If you clock it, you will notice that is faster than E92 M3 in the same gear (starting from the same speed).

Not so slow in my opinion...

What happens over 3000rpm is not interesting for lag issues,
but i can assure you that the power delivery is almost linear with no changes in thrust over the whole rpm range
(as you can see from the following videos from the same car).

German autobahn (no speed limits)

Third gear acceleration

Sixth gear acceleration

[moff]

Originally Posted by Wraith

?????? with most of the above....

All autos have lag ?????

The lag is there to protect the 'clutch' in an auto ?????

I thought any and all lag probs associated with the 135i had to do with ecu software and turbo operational issues, regardless of transmission type...

BTW FYI the 'ZF' auto trans adopted for the 135i has a locking stall converter and can handle well upwards of 600nm of torque on a constant basis !

I don't think you'll have 'delay' issues resulting from the auto trans equipped 135i's, most certainly the recorded acceleration times don't suggest so either :wink:

I was referring to 'turbo lag' not the 'lag' caused by the torque converter.

[My135]

Mine was built in 7/08 and I don't feel the turbo lag at all, but I had not driven the earlier version of 135.

[aus]

Did you notice lag when you drove it?
I noticed it on an auto I test drove, but did not notice it on a manual. One big difference was the auto had me in 5th while going 45mph and was was in 3rd or 4th gear at that speed.

[fourmicah]

My $0.02, it will be easier to avoid turbo lag on a manual transmission because you control the transmission and where the shift points are. It may appear that there is more on a automatic, but the motor will act the same. The difference is where it shifts.

[Joey_T]

Did anyone notice that sometimes at some rpms (lets say cruising in sixth gear around 2600 rpms) when going WOT there is like a small hesitation for the first split second (a feeling as if the revs would drop a bit) and then the car stars accelerating...

[Vancity1]

The only lag I notice is when I have the dtc turned on, since it limits performance to maintain traction. When dtc is off (90%) of the time, there is no lag whatsoever and the car is a rocket.

[Vancity1]

Joey to your point, only when dtc is on (the normal state). If you turn DTC off you will not notice that.

[Joey_T]

Originally Posted by Vancity1

Joey to your point, only when dtc is on (the normal state). If you turn DTC off you will not notice that.

I'm not sure how this is related to DTC (normal state) since it happens in 6th gear on a dry surface and there isn't any wheelspin...

It's like a small hesitation that only occures at some rpms somewhere in range between 2500 and 3000 in 6th gear (haven't figured out at which specific) and the feeling is like in first split second after WOT the revs would drop slightly (they don't actually, but the feeling is as if they would) and then the cars starts to accelerate rapidly.